<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
	<channel>
		<title><![CDATA[Crossroad Community Church]]></title>
		<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church</link>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>&#xA9; </copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:30:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<generator>PodPoint: Podcasting for Churches and Ministries</generator>
		<ttl>360</ttl>
		<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Crossroad Community Church Georgetown]]></itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
		<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for tuning in to Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. We hope the podcast is a blessing to you. For more information about times, small groups, Bible studies, and other ways to get connected please visit us at crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
		<description><![CDATA[Thank you for tuning in to Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. We hope the podcast is a blessing to you. For more information about times, small groups, Bible studies, and other ways to get connected please visit us at crossroadcc.us]]></description>
		<itunes:owner>
			<itunes:name><![CDATA[Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:name>
			<itunes:email>tech@crossroadcc.us</itunes:email>
		</itunes:owner>
		<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/large/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
		<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality">
			<itunes:category text="Christianity" />
		</itunes:category>
		<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
		<podcast:locked>no</podcast:locked>
		<podcast:guid>76f8ee5e-e5a5-58cb-8444-1d672dd1b809</podcast:guid>
		<podcast:txt>8e4bc04209a4150319efbe7e72ca6981</podcast:txt>
		<itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type>
		<atom:link href="https://www.podpoint.com/feed/8957" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
								<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Easter Sunday 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Eli and Rhonda Gonzalez speak on this Resurrection Sunday.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown smal...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Eli and Rhonda Gonzalez speak on this Resurrection Sunday.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Eli and Rhonda Gonzalez speak on this Resurrection Sunday.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/49697ee67f27c3c32562302e29619062.mp3" length="125954436" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/49697ee67f27c3c32562302e29619062.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/easter-sunday-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:27:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Palm Sunday 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches on the revelation of Christ through nature on this Palm Sunday celebration service.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches on the revelation of Christ through nature on this Palm Sunday celebration service.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches on the revelation of Christ through nature on this Palm Sunday celebration service.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/12913a69adc5d191f40c5b7393ace7b6.mp3" length="145233717" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/12913a69adc5d191f40c5b7393ace7b6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/palm-sunday-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:40:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Is God In Your House? - (Identity PT.44), March 22nd, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living a life that would see God entering your house.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small gr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living a life that would see God entering your house.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living a life that would see God entering your house.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ffec23fcd1df0a88828a8b34c7e62345.mp3" length="77661837" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ffec23fcd1df0a88828a8b34c7e62345.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/is-god-in-your-house-identity-pt44-march-22nd-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Set Apart - (Identity PT. 43) March 15th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on being chosen by Jesus so long as we believe and that is what sets us apart from the world.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on being chosen by Jesus so long as we believe and that is what sets us apart from the world.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on being chosen by Jesus so long as we believe and that is what sets us apart from the world.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d379556e3a0c4f0a950192d580c16539.mp3" length="86318541" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d379556e3a0c4f0a950192d580c16539.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/set-apart-identity-pt-43-march-15th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Gideons Weekend - March 8th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Bob Mays]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts invites the Gideons Bob Mays to share about his experiences taking God's Word all over the world.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Comm...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts invites the Gideons Bob Mays to share about his experiences taking God's Word all over the world.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts invites the Gideons Bob Mays to share about his experiences taking God's Word all over the world.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/db7dc52dd1a1b499ee0634dc0ed99ec0.mp3" length="92648205" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/db7dc52dd1a1b499ee0634dc0ed99ec0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/gideons-weekend-march-8th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[No Longer Condemned - (Identity PT. 42) March 1st, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on no longer being condemned by the law because we walk in the Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georg...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on no longer being condemned by the law because we walk in the Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on no longer being condemned by the law because we walk in the Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bb6c74ab6151d17c6ff93b966385c3d3.mp3" length="100361421" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bb6c74ab6151d17c6ff93b966385c3d3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/no-longer-condemned-identity-pt-42-march-1st-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:09:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[No Room For Fear - February 22nd, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts continues the story of Gideon and preaches on rejecting the spirit of fear.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georget...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts continues the story of Gideon and preaches on rejecting the spirit of fear.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts continues the story of Gideon and preaches on rejecting the spirit of fear.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/cbea97333cc47da807820a14a075c6a6.mp3" length="81463625" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/cbea97333cc47da807820a14a075c6a6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/no-room-for-fear-february-22nd-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>56:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Missions Weekend - February 15th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Vince Hinds]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and his partners in missions share about some of the incredible work they have been able to do over the last year.

For more information on how to get connected wi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and his partners in missions share about some of the incredible work they have been able to do over the last year.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and his partners in missions share about some of the incredible work they have been able to do over the last year.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dd6e9c58019e25a54b741f7e21037f5c.mp3" length="91861400" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dd6e9c58019e25a54b741f7e21037f5c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/missions-weekend-february-15th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Clean Your House - February 8th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches on Gideon and the need to clean out your house to let the Lord in.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georget...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches on Gideon and the need to clean out your house to let the Lord in.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches on Gideon and the need to clean out your house to let the Lord in.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b8264af3fd68bf824f65fac91ad21b36.mp3" length="90534861" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b8264af3fd68bf824f65fac91ad21b36.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/clean-your-house-february-8th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Heavenly Minded (Identity PT. 41) - February 1st, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living with a heavenly mindset.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, e...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living with a heavenly mindset.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living with a heavenly mindset.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/82261e61730f8f1a5d2b9e8259d5680a.mp3" length="86971725" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/82261e61730f8f1a5d2b9e8259d5680a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/heavenly-minded-identity-pt-41-february-1st-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Unveiled Vision (Identity PT.40) - January 18th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living life with an unveiled vision.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studie...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living life with an unveiled vision.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living life with an unveiled vision.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1255b9fcab7422249f2c1ec56316f11a.mp3" length="90542349" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1255b9fcab7422249f2c1ec56316f11a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/unveiled-vision-identity-pt40-january-18th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Maturing In Christ (Identity PT. 39) - January 11th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on maturing in Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and ti...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on maturing in Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on maturing in Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, Bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4ae1e8676f5799c643c1fa561f7a5bf0.mp3" length="106359885" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4ae1e8676f5799c643c1fa561f7a5bf0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/maturing-in-christ-identity-pt-39-january-11th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:13:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Top 10 Happiest Verses - January 4th, 2026]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts talks about the 10 happiest verses in the Bible.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studie...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts talks about the 10 happiest verses in the Bible.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts talks about the 10 happiest verses in the Bible.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9d836bc63bfc7825b889287ad60b12f3.mp3" length="112735053" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9d836bc63bfc7825b889287ad60b12f3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/top-10-happiest-verses-january-4th-2026</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:18:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Top 10 Saddest Verses - December 28th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts talks about the 10 saddest verses in the Bible.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts talks about the 10 saddest verses in the Bible.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts talks about the 10 saddest verses in the Bible.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a2110eccef4504383954034208addac0.mp3" length="93491469" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a2110eccef4504383954034208addac0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/top-10-saddest-verses-december-28th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Go In Faith - December 14th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about having faith to move when God calls.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about having faith to move when God calls.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about having faith to move when God calls.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3ba5cde7a9383127b601ebdfb5fad298.mp3" length="78594957" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3ba5cde7a9383127b601ebdfb5fad298.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/go-in-faith-december-14th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Practice Righteousness (Identity PT.  38) - December 7th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about practicing righteousness.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, event...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about practicing righteousness.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about practicing righteousness.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e06fde3b9406ea57b04062e7c04ac25e.mp3" length="90026829" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e06fde3b9406ea57b04062e7c04ac25e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/practice-righteousness-identity-pt-38-december-7th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What Are You Thinking About? (Identity PT. 37) - November 30th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches we are what we think.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and tim...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches we are what we think.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches we are what we think.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0fc167ad698db0bb78cfb0ea3200a29e.mp3" length="82746765" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0fc167ad698db0bb78cfb0ea3200a29e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/what-are-you-thinking-about-identity-pt-37-november-30th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Salvation Army Weekend - November 23, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Major Philip Davis]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Salvation Army of Seaford's Major Philip Davis joins us for the weekend.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Salvation Army of Seaford's Major Philip Davis joins us for the weekend.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Salvation Army of Seaford's Major Philip Davis joins us for the weekend.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/68363ccba949358e79c42b63b5942930.mp3" length="88696269" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/68363ccba949358e79c42b63b5942930.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/salvation-army-weekend-november-23-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Have No Fear - November 16th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about having no fear when making the decision to follow God.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown sma...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about having no fear when making the decision to follow God.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about having no fear when making the decision to follow God.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/782b06623c5d0cafaf568438bfc3fef2.mp3" length="93604365" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/782b06623c5d0cafaf568438bfc3fef2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/have-no-fear-november-16th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[In The Pit - November 9th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about Jeremiah and what to do in the pits of life.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about Jeremiah and what to do in the pits of life.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches about Jeremiah and what to do in the pits of life.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5ba6f8cea373a205174b017b60565a40.MP3" length="87682509" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5ba6f8cea373a205174b017b60565a40.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/in-the-pit-november-9th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Holy Spirit Is Working (Identity PT.36) - November 2nd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the Holy Spirit's working.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the Holy Spirit's working.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the Holy Spirit's working.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bfad6b774a4dfb87642bcb18f9df7362.MP3" length="77866893" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bfad6b774a4dfb87642bcb18f9df7362.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-holy-spirit-is-working-identity-pt36-november-2nd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Harvest Weekend - October 26th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  The praise team tells the story behind some famous christian songs and hymns.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  The praise team tells the story behind some famous christian songs and hymns.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  The praise team tells the story behind some famous christian songs and hymns.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2b7ee76c74064d231d108f30b4ae914d.mp3" length="117204420" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2b7ee76c74064d231d108f30b4ae914d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/harvest-weekend-october-26th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:21:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Next Step (Identity PT.35) - October 19th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on taking the next step.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on taking the next step.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on taking the next step.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7a15c27b8f6e9acc99719afa99d2b930.MP3" length="96335757" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7a15c27b8f6e9acc99719afa99d2b930.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-next-step-identity-pt35-october-19th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Practice the Right Stuff (Identity PT. 34) - October 12th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on practicing the right stuff.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on practicing the right stuff.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on practicing the right stuff.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ceb9ae33525e1116982ca6a1e096fda0.MP3" length="89837901" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ceb9ae33525e1116982ca6a1e096fda0.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/practice-the-right-stuff-identity-pt-34-october-12th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Shine A Capella Group - October 5th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Shine A Capella]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Shine A Capella group from Liberty University join us for the weekend.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible st...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Shine A Capella group from Liberty University join us for the weekend.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Shine A Capella group from Liberty University join us for the weekend.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e06f60afd5d245fd011ea2456d9aca19.mp3" length="126131844" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e06f60afd5d245fd011ea2456d9aca19.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/shine-a-capella-group-october-5th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:27:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Taking A Closer Look - September 28th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor St. Clair Sterling]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  DATC share testimonies from their students and Pastor Saint Clair Sterling brings a message.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  DATC share testimonies from their students and Pastor Saint Clair Sterling brings a message.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  DATC share testimonies from their students and Pastor Saint Clair Sterling brings a message.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0cde1fdf5c3e831fae42f848e7e7a9c0.MP3" length="104679117" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0cde1fdf5c3e831fae42f848e7e7a9c0.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/taking-a-closer-look-september-28th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:12:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rejoice Through Persecution (Identity PT.33) - September 21st, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches rejoicing through persecution.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, event...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches rejoicing through persecution.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches rejoicing through persecution.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ac0e4d8ba74894b2f433596999422800.MP3" length="79163469" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ac0e4d8ba74894b2f433596999422800.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/rejoice-through-persecution-identity-pt33-september-21st-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Standing Up For Christ (Identity PT. 32) - September 14th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches standing up for Jesus Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches standing up for Jesus Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches standing up for Jesus Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/989053db936dd3919e5caceec77291be.mp3" length="149498057" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/989053db936dd3919e5caceec77291be.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/standing-up-for-christ-identity-pt-32-september-14th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Baptism Weekend - September 7th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on our identity in Christ and how baptism is a part of that.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on our identity in Christ and how baptism is a part of that.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on our identity in Christ and how baptism is a part of that.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/669017b068c7485a79e9c045bd973037.mp3" length="73764551" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/669017b068c7485a79e9c045bd973037.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/baptism-weekend-september-7th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Sep 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>51:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Combined Service - August 31st, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Harold Carmean]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Harold Carmean bring a message.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, eve...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Harold Carmean bring a message.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Harold Carmean bring a message.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/192a92d608a706df7c9496b0fbb41312.MP3" length="96118029" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/192a92d608a706df7c9496b0fbb41312.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/combined-service-august-31st-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:45</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Identity PT. 30) - August 24th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/320330872868524d59e248471e5f6383.mp3" length="84663301" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/320330872868524d59e248471e5f6383.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-outpouring-of-the-holy-spirit-identity-pt-30-august-24th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Aug 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Youth Weekend - August 17th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Aaron Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Youth Leader Aaron Betts is joined by some of the Youth Group to tell their experience from their recent Missions Trip to North Carolina.

For more information on how to get connected...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Youth Leader Aaron Betts is joined by some of the Youth Group to tell their experience from their recent Missions Trip to North Carolina.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Youth Leader Aaron Betts is joined by some of the Youth Group to tell their experience from their recent Missions Trip to North Carolina.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2bb710d4f6c53b091d2312e2772bba8f.mp3" length="66309061" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2bb710d4f6c53b091d2312e2772bba8f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/youth-weekend-august-17th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Aug 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>46:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Discipleship Weekend - August 10th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ed Gross]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ken Brown and Ed Gross preach on discipleship.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ken Brown and Ed Gross preach on discipleship.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ken Brown and Ed Gross preach on discipleship.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/456df05d54a7723b6f0d9d4e678c4709.MP3" length="90814221" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/456df05d54a7723b6f0d9d4e678c4709.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/discipleship-weekend-august-10th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Aug 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Scripture is Fulfilled (Identity Pt. 29) - August 3rd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on scripture being fulfilled.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on scripture being fulfilled.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on scripture being fulfilled.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6336563413fd45f3384cc3356ba3f1ae.MP3" length="85803021" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6336563413fd45f3384cc3356ba3f1ae.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/scripture-is-fulfilled-identity-pt-29-august-3rd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Connected to the Holy Spirit (Identity PT. 28) - July 27th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being connected to the power of the Holy Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small group...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being connected to the power of the Holy Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being connected to the power of the Holy Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d8501fd64d1e41848396f510c1cdb41c.mp3" length="118269120" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d8501fd64d1e41848396f510c1cdb41c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/connected-to-the-holy-spirit-identity-pt-28-july-27th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jul 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>49:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Obey The Holy Spirit (Identity PT. 27) - July 20th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b24fe9e95ac74d4a76de28662ef1e61f.MP3" length="92953485" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b24fe9e95ac74d4a76de28662ef1e61f.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/obey-the-holy-spirit-identity-pt-27-july-20th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:33</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Believe in Jesus and be Saved (Identity PT. 26) - July 13th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about believing in Jesus and enduring till the end.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about believing in Jesus and enduring till the end.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about believing in Jesus and enduring till the end.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9bb5183013375aed6cd15a2b053b4faa.MP3" length="85144077" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9bb5183013375aed6cd15a2b053b4faa.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/believe-in-jesus-and-be-saved-identity-pt-26-july-13th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fully Surrendered - July 6th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts returns to Crossroad and preaches on the faithfulness of the founders and his journey over the last 2 and a half years.

For more information on how to get connec...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts returns to Crossroad and preaches on the faithfulness of the founders and his journey over the last 2 and a half years.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts returns to Crossroad and preaches on the faithfulness of the founders and his journey over the last 2 and a half years.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8457c667d852ed980939f29e005c9bf7.MP3" length="89168013" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8457c667d852ed980939f29e005c9bf7.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fully-surrendered-july-6th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Jesus Saves - June 29th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Chris McDaniel]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Chris McDaniel gives his testimony of Jesus saving him.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Chris McDaniel gives his testimony of Jesus saving him.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Chris McDaniel gives his testimony of Jesus saving him.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5426885b4098b4fcf86186862c9a4637.MP3" length="89604045" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5426885b4098b4fcf86186862c9a4637.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/jesus-saves-june-29th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jun 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Just Ask For The Holy Spirit (Identity PT. 25) - June 22nd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on asking and receiving the Holy Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible stud...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on asking and receiving the Holy Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on asking and receiving the Holy Spirit.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d68cebd4af2945e6138f223d7cde23fa.mp3" length="76121797" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d68cebd4af2945e6138f223d7cde23fa.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/just-ask-for-the-holy-spirit-identity-pt-25-june-22nd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jun 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fathers Day - June 15th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Several men from the congregation give their testimonies.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, event...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Several men from the congregation give their testimonies.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Several men from the congregation give their testimonies.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b0f0baf33c2faeabef4270b21e7a639a.MP3" length="83277261" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b0f0baf33c2faeabef4270b21e7a639a.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fathers-day-june-15th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jun 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ambassadors of the Kingdom (Identity PT. 24) - June 8th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being ambassadors for the kingdom.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible stud...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being ambassadors for the kingdom.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being ambassadors for the kingdom.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4becd242e32176d0c5e22de979b8ea4d.MP3" length="75872205" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4becd242e32176d0c5e22de979b8ea4d.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ambassadors-of-the-kingdom-identity-pt-24-june-8th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jun 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Holy Spirit Will Guide Us (Identity PT. 23) - June 1st, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being led by the Holy Spirit
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, eve...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being led by the Holy Spirit
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about being led by the Holy Spirit
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4bcad7a0f2edc236378f8a8aeb1f79f1.MP3" length="86451021" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4bcad7a0f2edc236378f8a8aeb1f79f1.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-holy-spirit-will-guide-us-identity-pt-23-june-1st-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jun 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Receive The Holy Spirit (Identity PT. 22) - May 18th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about receiving the Holy Spirit]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about receiving the Holy Spirit]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about receiving the Holy Spirit]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5725308ed2d36434dc6e563ea3922eb6.MP3" length="94820301" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5725308ed2d36434dc6e563ea3922eb6.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/receive-the-holy-spirit-identity-pt-22-may-18th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 May 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Mothers Day - May 11th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Selena, Taylor, and Jen share their stories about motherhood at this years Mothers Day service.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georget...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Selena, Taylor, and Jen share their stories about motherhood at this years Mothers Day service.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Selena, Taylor, and Jen share their stories about motherhood at this years Mothers Day service.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7efcba131531f095f04f2d7cd142abf9.mp3" length="125004480" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7efcba131531f095f04f2d7cd142abf9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/mothers-day-may-11th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Crossroad 22nd Anniversary - May 4th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by all the pastors of Crossroad in sharing their favorite memories.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georget...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by all the pastors of Crossroad in sharing their favorite memories.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by all the pastors of Crossroad in sharing their favorite memories.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d2c0c5f2a0f68178bae32b4939bb4cc9.mp3" length="157196160" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d2c0c5f2a0f68178bae32b4939bb4cc9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/crossroad-22nd-anniversary-may-4th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Surrender To God's Will (Identity PT. 21) - April 27th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches us living for God.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches us living for God.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches us living for God.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6b8d45f0837c7dcd20a1ab2a15869376.mp3" length="140727360" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6b8d45f0837c7dcd20a1ab2a15869376.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/surrender-to-gods-will-identity-pt-21-april-27th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Apr 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Easter Sunday - April 20th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown DE. Pastor Rick Betts preaches on Easter and Martin Chavez gives his testimony. 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown DE. Pastor Rick Betts preaches on Easter and Martin Chavez gives his testimony. 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown DE. Pastor Rick Betts preaches on Easter and Martin Chavez gives his testimony. 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bc376e5a373548d2aae58a57b1dc9274.mp3" length="172121280" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bc376e5a373548d2aae58a57b1dc9274.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/easter-sunday-april-20th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Apr 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:11:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Palm Sunday - April 13th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about Palm Sunday.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about Palm Sunday.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about Palm Sunday.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6628fcab87fd64ea0e4097507f27df48.mp3" length="135766080" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6628fcab87fd64ea0e4097507f27df48.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/palm-sunday-april-13th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>56:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[We Are God's Workmanship (Identity PT. 20) - April 6th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches us being Gods workmanship.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches us being Gods workmanship.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches us being Gods workmanship.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d9b8cec6e922947035f3948c9010ed87.MP3" length="68702733" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d9b8cec6e922947035f3948c9010ed87.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/we-are-gods-workmanship-identity-pt-20-april-6th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:42</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ambassadors of Christ (Identity PT. 19) - March 30th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on being ambassadors for Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, eve...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on being ambassadors for Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on being ambassadors for Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ed3f8852484e85b984157b099b9aa930.mp3" length="87975859" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ed3f8852484e85b984157b099b9aa930.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ambassadors-of-christ-identity-pt-19-march-30th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Forgiveness (Identity PT. 18) - March 23rd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts preaches on forgiveness.


For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts preaches on forgiveness.


For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts preaches on forgiveness.


For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6d1950d18a7c269aed5c57e30d3da7e5.MP3" length="85040397" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6d1950d18a7c269aed5c57e30d3da7e5.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/forgiveness-identity-pt-18-march-23rd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Forgive Others As Christ - March 16th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on forgiving others as Christ forgave us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible stu...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on forgiving others as Christ forgave us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on forgiving others as Christ forgave us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2a2242dc0f7a2c39e78f7536e7c50a79.MP3" length="85362957" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2a2242dc0f7a2c39e78f7536e7c50a79.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/forgive-others-as-christ-march-16th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 16 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Buckets of Water - February 9th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3d55a6486152fd73eeb7db64f24921cf.mp3" length="110270400" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3d55a6486152fd73eeb7db64f24921cf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/buckets-of-water-february-9th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>45:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Don't Miss Gods' Plan (Identity PT. 16) - February 2nd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares about Gods' plan for our lives.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares about Gods' plan for our lives.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares about Gods' plan for our lives.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/029ff077cdc943ece3e12912072fbf48.MP3" length="82671309" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/029ff077cdc943ece3e12912072fbf48.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dont-miss-gods-plan-identity-pt-16-february-2nd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Missions Weekend - February 23rd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Vince Hinds]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and others recap the last year of missions work out of Crossroad.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small g...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and others recap the last year of missions work out of Crossroad.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and others recap the last year of missions work out of Crossroad.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b0e3dc10e0488046329222a0ebce9e3e.MP3" length="96742989" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b0e3dc10e0488046329222a0ebce9e3e.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/missions-weekend-february-23rd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:11</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[From Pain To Purpose - February 16th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Davey Blackburn]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Davey Blackburn talks about going from pain to Gods purpose.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, ev...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Davey Blackburn talks about going from pain to Gods purpose.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Davey Blackburn talks about going from pain to Gods purpose.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f3d6062b52e48be64e74dab193e20517.mp3" length="158477760" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f3d6062b52e48be64e74dab193e20517.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/from-pain-to-purpose-february-16th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[With God Through Trials - February 9th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches on staying with God through trials.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches on staying with God through trials.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts preaches on staying with God through trials.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f8417616d6c60c0104eaff7c96b9fa4c.mp3" length="132691200" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f8417616d6c60c0104eaff7c96b9fa4c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/with-god-through-trials-february-9th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Feb 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Identify With God's Love (Identity PT. 15) - February 2nd, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares about the love that God has for us and how we can show it to others.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetow...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares about the love that God has for us and how we can show it to others.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares about the love that God has for us and how we can show it to others.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/63697e295827ecb4a190117c7ae355a2.MP3" length="68634765" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/63697e295827ecb4a190117c7ae355a2.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/identify-with-gods-love-identity-pt-15-february-2nd-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Feb 2025 17:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God Loves You (Identity PT. 14) - January 26th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches through John and Ephesians how Jesus loves us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches through John and Ephesians how Jesus loves us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches through John and Ephesians how Jesus loves us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7c1ddf76fd6f743bec6e040c273ebf6e.MP3" length="74568141" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7c1ddf76fd6f743bec6e040c273ebf6e.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-loves-you-identity-pt-14-january-26th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jan 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>51:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The God Who Knows Us (Identity PT. 13) - January 19th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God knows us, often better than we know ourselves.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God knows us, often better than we know ourselves.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God knows us, often better than we know ourselves.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4cd0df2ade3b2038fd41e7233df36e04.MP3" length="93407949" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4cd0df2ade3b2038fd41e7233df36e04.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-god-who-knows-us-identity-pt-13-january-19th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jan 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The God Who Hears Us (Identity PT. 12) - January 12th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God sees and hears us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, even...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God sees and hears us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God sees and hears us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/edab7303d15622e6466c38c339627624.MP3" length="68150925" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/edab7303d15622e6466c38c339627624.MP3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-god-who-hears-us-identity-pt-12-january-12th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The God Who Sees Us (Identity PT. 11) - January 5th, 2025]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God sees and hears us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, even...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God sees and hears us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts teaches about how God sees and hears us.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3c9ed1fb4beeadfaf091694aba152856.mp3" length="47210570" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3c9ed1fb4beeadfaf091694aba152856.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-god-who-sees-us-identity-pt-11-january-5th-2025</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jan 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:14:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Give It To God - December 29th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Ken Brown preaches on living like we have given our cares to God. 

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Ken Brown preaches on living like we have given our cares to God. 

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Ken Brown preaches on living like we have given our cares to God. 

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c880be7ef09a916fb6919f482dabe702.mp3" length="33614114" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c880be7ef09a916fb6919f482dabe702.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/give-it-to-god-december-29th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Dec 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Saviour Is Born - December 15th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the birth of Jesus.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and t...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the birth of Jesus.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the birth of Jesus.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/985c3a7ff329f63673c3e9349ab6625e.mp3" length="37184526" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/985c3a7ff329f63673c3e9349ab6625e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-saviour-is-born-december-15th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Dec 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Christ Identifies With Us (Identity PT. 10) - December 8th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on how Jesus identified with everybody.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on how Jesus identified with everybody.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on how Jesus identified with everybody.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c34caecc286d90d8ccc1dac290d6870f.mp3" length="32816153" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c34caecc286d90d8ccc1dac290d6870f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/christ-identifies-with-us-identity-pt-10-december-8th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>51:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Finish The Race (Combined Service) - December 1st, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Arturo Santiago preach on the importance of finishing the race together.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church G...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Arturo Santiago preach on the importance of finishing the race together.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Arturo Santiago preach on the importance of finishing the race together.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c5409efb90d98640654f4211b67061a0.mp3" length="39106758" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c5409efb90d98640654f4211b67061a0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/finish-the-race-combined-service-december-1st-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Salvation Army Weekend - November 24th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Major Davis speak about the mission of Salvation Army.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Major Davis speak about the mission of Salvation Army.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and Major Davis speak about the mission of Salvation Army.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/90900258f1f530c1e07ed4ddf5ef7d4e.mp3" length="29932373" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/90900258f1f530c1e07ed4ddf5ef7d4e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/salvation-army-weekend-november-24th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Nov 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>46:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fear Not, God Is With You (Identity PT. 9) - November 17th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on putting aside fear and embracing Jesus.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible st...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on putting aside fear and embracing Jesus.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on putting aside fear and embracing Jesus.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c5e0daed7d100cd0c73d6cc4cae8b1df.mp3" length="33078718" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c5e0daed7d100cd0c73d6cc4cae8b1df.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fear-not-god-is-with-you-identity-pt-9-november-17th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Nov 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:08</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dont Worry, Trust God (Identity PT. 8) - November 10th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on casting our worries before the feet of Jesus.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on casting our worries before the feet of Jesus.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on casting our worries before the feet of Jesus.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/cd65e08bdcd73e4c9b9bfdf37f68a25a.mp3" length="29115469" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/cd65e08bdcd73e4c9b9bfdf37f68a25a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dont-worry-trust-god-identity-pt-8-november-10th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Nov 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>45:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Walk In The Spirit (Identity PT. 7) - November 3rd, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on walking in the Spirit and how that changes our lives.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small gr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on walking in the Spirit and how that changes our lives.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on walking in the Spirit and how that changes our lives.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c339d6a2d4719c63052469398a94ac2c.mp3" length="42305959" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c339d6a2d4719c63052469398a94ac2c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/walk-in-the-spirit-identity-pt-7-november-3rd-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Nov 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bear Godly Fruit (Identity PT. 6) - October 27th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about bearing Godly fruit and how it reveals God.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about bearing Godly fruit and how it reveals God.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about bearing Godly fruit and how it reveals God.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/083d68b72dd840d074e76447406da0a7.mp3" length="39022511" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/083d68b72dd840d074e76447406da0a7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/bear-godly-fruit-identity-pt-6-october-27th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Oct 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Cokesbury and Crossroad Combined Service - October 20th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Harold Carmean]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Harold Carmean preaches on reflecting Christ by understanding His word.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Harold Carmean preaches on reflecting Christ by understanding His word.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Harold Carmean preaches on reflecting Christ by understanding His word.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4c4d76b1318607c6deb28144044f7a0d.mp3" length="29882058" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4c4d76b1318607c6deb28144044f7a0d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/cokesbury-and-crossroad-combined-service-october-20th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Oct 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>46:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Destined To Be With Christ (Identity PT. 5) - October 13th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches throughout the Old Testament on our destiny to be with Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown sm...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches throughout the Old Testament on our destiny to be with Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches throughout the Old Testament on our destiny to be with Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bf81f3d24597783b77705f12c994826d.mp3" length="33728510" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bf81f3d24597783b77705f12c994826d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/destined-to-be-with-christ-identity-pt-5-october-13th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Oct 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>51:06</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Identify With The New Life (Identity PT. 4) - October 6th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of identifying with the new life that God has given us and not holding onto the old.

For more information on how to get connected with...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of identifying with the new life that God has given us and not holding onto the old.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of identifying with the new life that God has given us and not holding onto the old.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9cc92a89deae057d615f470bd42c32de.mp3" length="39044083" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9cc92a89deae057d615f470bd42c32de.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/identify-with-the-new-life-identity-pt-4-october-6th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Oct 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Are You Here? (Teen Challenge Weekend) September 29th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor St. Clair]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor St. Clair preaches on the importance of being present and updates the church on Delmarva Adult and Teen Challenge.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor St. Clair preaches on the importance of being present and updates the church on Delmarva Adult and Teen Challenge.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor St. Clair preaches on the importance of being present and updates the church on Delmarva Adult and Teen Challenge.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b3342fefbbc96d8dfa8988dabf5e445c.mp3" length="36629314" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b3342fefbbc96d8dfa8988dabf5e445c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/are-you-here-teen-challenge-weekend-september-29th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Sep 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Identify With Godly Things (Identity PT. 3) - September 22nd, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of identifying with Godly things.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of identifying with Godly things.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of identifying with Godly things.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/94b94f065ff6ece4ade2a50f4ff97b81.mp3" length="39381337" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/94b94f065ff6ece4ade2a50f4ff97b81.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/identify-with-godly-things-identity-pt-3-september-22nd-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Identity In Christ - (Identity Part 1) September 1st, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts starts on a new series of messages talking about our identity.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small group...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts starts on a new series of messages talking about our identity.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts starts on a new series of messages talking about our identity.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1fb77577c25b733eccdcdc47fd8def39.mp3" length="41427994" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1fb77577c25b733eccdcdc47fd8def39.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/identity-in-christ-identity-part-1-september-1st-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Sep 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:08:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Gods' Authority Structure (Authority PT.30) - August 25th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts wraps up the series on authority and talks about all aspects of the authority structure.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Chu...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts wraps up the series on authority and talks about all aspects of the authority structure.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts wraps up the series on authority and talks about all aspects of the authority structure.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1451eec2866d005cad4f58427b0e6416.mp3" length="34748989" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1451eec2866d005cad4f58427b0e6416.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/gods-authority-structure-authority-pt30-august-25th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Aug 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Youth Weekend - August 18th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Aaron Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Youth Leader Aaron Betts and members of the youth group share their experiences from their recent mission trip.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Communit...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Youth Leader Aaron Betts and members of the youth group share their experiences from their recent mission trip.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Youth Leader Aaron Betts and members of the youth group share their experiences from their recent mission trip.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6e1d90cea5a437e708c15ddfb4289696.mp3" length="33097986" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6e1d90cea5a437e708c15ddfb4289696.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/youth-weekend-august-18th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Aug 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>22:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Living For Your Future (Authority PT.29) - August 11th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living for our future.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, an...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living for our future.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on living for our future.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/94611bfcc70f34227817f8be9a0f7746.mp3" length="45425521" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/94611bfcc70f34227817f8be9a0f7746.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/living-for-your-future-authority-pt29-august-11th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 12 Aug 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:12:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Complete In Christ - August 4th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Ed Gross]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ed Gross preaches on being complete in Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ed Gross preaches on being complete in Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ed Gross preaches on being complete in Christ.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ee2fe65843117f565953f09f08f0f931.mp3" length="33647860" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ee2fe65843117f565953f09f08f0f931.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/complete-in-christ-august-4th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Aug 2024 10:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[An Old Testament Picture of Our Future (Authority PT.27) - July 28th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on Authority and seeing how the Bible shows us a picture for our future, but from an old testament perspective.

For more information on how to get connect...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on Authority and seeing how the Bible shows us a picture for our future, but from an old testament perspective.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on Authority and seeing how the Bible shows us a picture for our future, but from an old testament perspective.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/69889ed7c82efaf4cdfaf885c81a3513.mp3" length="29348661" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/69889ed7c82efaf4cdfaf885c81a3513.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/an-old-testament-picture-of-our-future-authority-pt27-july-28th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jul 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Accept or Forefeit Blessings (Authority PT.26) - July 14th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on our ability to accept the blessings God ahs for us or forfeit them if we stray from his will.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on our ability to accept the blessings God ahs for us or forfeit them if we stray from his will.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on our ability to accept the blessings God ahs for us or forfeit them if we stray from his will.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/734d9e9d944df7f6a2961399c540667a.mp3" length="31731777" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/734d9e9d944df7f6a2961399c540667a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/accept-or-forefeit-blessings-authority-pt26-july-14th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:49</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Our Sins Are Washed Away (Authority PT.25) - June 7th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about Gods willingness to forgive.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, eve...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about Gods willingness to forgive.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches about Gods willingness to forgive.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/037490c6908d335ddea623761223c5a4.mp3" length="32181900" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/037490c6908d335ddea623761223c5a4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/our-sins-are-washed-away-authority-pt25-june-7th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jul 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:25</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Give Your Heart to God (Authority PT. 24) - June 23, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of giving your heart to God and the powerful change that will happen in your life.
For more information on how to get connected with
Cros...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of giving your heart to God and the powerful change that will happen in your life.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of giving your heart to God and the powerful change that will happen in your life.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/23fa55129dbdfa18ef6ecff2bd5b44aa.mp3" length="44179306" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/23fa55129dbdfa18ef6ecff2bd5b44aa.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/give-your-heart-to-god-authority-pt-24-june-23-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jun 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:11:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Submit To Gods Will (Authority PT. 23) - June 23, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches Moses journey to submitting to God and his earthly authority structure..
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georg...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches Moses journey to submitting to God and his earthly authority structure..
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches Moses journey to submitting to God and his earthly authority structure..
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4c76e9fc54087cba93a15b6d488be4d1.mp3" length="42016272" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4c76e9fc54087cba93a15b6d488be4d1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/submit-to-gods-will-authority-pt-23-june-23-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jun 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fathers Day - June 24th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by two people giving their testimonies of the fathers, and father figures that most influenced their lives.
For more information on how to get connected wi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by two people giving their testimonies of the fathers, and father figures that most influenced their lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by two people giving their testimonies of the fathers, and father figures that most influenced their lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bb7cddb8b0ba6dbc1b60ea34ec464eb1.mp3" length="35218707" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bb7cddb8b0ba6dbc1b60ea34ec464eb1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fathers-day-june-24th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jun 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Surrender Daily To God (Authority PT.22) - June 9th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on surrendering to the will of God.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, ev...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on surrendering to the will of God.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on surrendering to the will of God.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6daf2696d8908505c3672d10cf60ff5a.mp3" length="43382766" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6daf2696d8908505c3672d10cf60ff5a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/surrender-daily-to-god-authority-pt22-june-9th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jun 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Obey God Over Man (Authority PT.21)- June 2nd, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of obeying the laws of God over the laws of man.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of obeying the laws of God over the laws of man.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of obeying the laws of God over the laws of man.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/35c26caa57b407398a606c2deb2c00a0.mp3" length="42477795" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/35c26caa57b407398a606c2deb2c00a0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/obey-god-over-man-authority-pt21-june-2nd-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jun 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Memorial Day 2024 - May 26th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and First Sergeant Armour Rice speak on the importance of Memorial Day.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown smal...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and First Sergeant Armour Rice speak on the importance of Memorial Day.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and First Sergeant Armour Rice speak on the importance of Memorial Day.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/84e1f9bc31707cc222132191be6ddbb2.mp3" length="23478465" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/84e1f9bc31707cc222132191be6ddbb2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/memorial-day-2024-may-26th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 May 2024 22:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>34:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God Will Deliver (Authority PT. 20) - May 19th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts goes through the story of Daniel and how God will deliver those who live in the authority structure.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Com...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts goes through the story of Daniel and how God will deliver those who live in the authority structure.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts goes through the story of Daniel and how God will deliver those who live in the authority structure.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/801fe117becc50aeab339dce80a7e0b4.mp3" length="40589808" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/801fe117becc50aeab339dce80a7e0b4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-will-deliver-authority-pt-20-may-19th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Mothers Day 2024 - May 12th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Today we celebrate Mothers Day by inviting several women to give their testimonies and experiences with and being mothers.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Today we celebrate Mothers Day by inviting several women to give their testimonies and experiences with and being mothers.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Today we celebrate Mothers Day by inviting several women to give their testimonies and experiences with and being mothers.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d154e7381653a74deeeed62064a52bca.mp3" length="35390904" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d154e7381653a74deeeed62064a52bca.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/mothers-day-2024-may-12th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[21st Anniversary Service - May 5th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by Pastors John Betts, Harold Carmean, and Carl Vincent to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Crossroad Community Church.
For more information on how to get...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by Pastors John Betts, Harold Carmean, and Carl Vincent to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Crossroad Community Church.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts is joined by Pastors John Betts, Harold Carmean, and Carl Vincent to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Crossroad Community Church.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f5e4a54c19fd47ef660ce10629ded8cf.mp3" length="39318255" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f5e4a54c19fd47ef660ce10629ded8cf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/21st-anniversary-service-may-5th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 May 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[When Authority Disobeys God (Authority PT. 19) - April 28th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the effect governmental authority has on its people.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small group...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the effect governmental authority has on its people.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the effect governmental authority has on its people.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c4973de4424acb7419d33f98338bc598.mp3" length="35656733" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c4973de4424acb7419d33f98338bc598.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/when-authority-disobeys-god-authority-pt-19-april-28th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Apr 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Cling To What Is Good - April 21st, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of hanging on to what is good.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bibl...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of hanging on to what is good.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of hanging on to what is good.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/68f5cc4c20d2ef8885ac813a23e902cf.mp3" length="38828221" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/68f5cc4c20d2ef8885ac813a23e902cf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/cling-to-what-is-good-april-21st-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[There Is No Condemnation In Christ (Authority PT. 18) - April 14th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of walking in the Spirit of Christ and rejecting the flesh.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of walking in the Spirit of Christ and rejecting the flesh.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of walking in the Spirit of Christ and rejecting the flesh.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ff6b573efcc107845f73c66789bb87b6.mp3" length="38670764" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ff6b573efcc107845f73c66789bb87b6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/there-is-no-condemnation-in-christ-authority-pt-18-april-14th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Apr 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Take Your Thoughts Captive (Authority PT. 17) - April 7th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of taking each and every thought captive.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small g...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of taking each and every thought captive.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the importance of taking each and every thought captive.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3be8105ee415432d334fa6a6a0746365.mp3" length="38670764" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3be8105ee415432d334fa6a6a0746365.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/take-your-thoughts-captive-authority-pt-17-april-7th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Apr 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Easter Sunday - March 31, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about Easter and two men give their testimonies of Gods work in their lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Geo...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about Easter and two men give their testimonies of Gods work in their lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about Easter and two men give their testimonies of Gods work in their lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2bb616b94d8f63bc3c983e3ee1f35fce.mp3" length="39624490" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2bb616b94d8f63bc3c983e3ee1f35fce.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/easter-sunday-march-31-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 31 Mar 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Palm Sunday Weekend - March 24, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts talks about Palm Sunday and there is a special message from Pastor Andrew Betts.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georg...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts talks about Palm Sunday and there is a special message from Pastor Andrew Betts.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts talks about Palm Sunday and there is a special message from Pastor Andrew Betts.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/99bd1dc6e0bfcdc398688613585a6ac5.mp3" length="38748287" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/99bd1dc6e0bfcdc398688613585a6ac5.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/palm-sunday-weekend-march-24-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Mar 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God's Word Is Precious (Gideons Weekend) - March 17th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the preciousness of Gods Word and the Gideons give a presentation on their work over the last year.

For more information on how to get connected with...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the preciousness of Gods Word and the Gideons give a presentation on their work over the last year.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts preaches on the preciousness of Gods Word and the Gideons give a presentation on their work over the last year.

For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/fc1211bb0e29ce06020913969adf4e7c.mp3" length="40121069" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/fc1211bb0e29ce06020913969adf4e7c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/gods-word-is-precious-gideons-weekend-march-17th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Mar 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:14</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Live By God's Authority (Authority PT16) - March 10th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about how the body of Christ is to work together by submitting to one another.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church G...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about how the body of Christ is to work together by submitting to one another.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about how the body of Christ is to work together by submitting to one another.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9b2ddaad23e7c06f1aaad304a945d5b7.mp3" length="34912875" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9b2ddaad23e7c06f1aaad304a945d5b7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/live-by-gods-authority-authority-pt16-march-10th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Mar 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Body Works Together (Authority PT15) - March 3rd, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about how the body of Christ is to work together by submitting to one another.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church G...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about how the body of Christ is to work together by submitting to one another.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts speaks about how the body of Christ is to work together by submitting to one another.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/cdf13a67889b6d260a387d503272b651.mp3" length="36718699" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/cdf13a67889b6d260a387d503272b651.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-body-works-together-authority-pt15-march-3rd-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Mar 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Missions Weekend, February 25, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Vince Hinds]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and other members of the congregation speak about SOS and the Mission Trips from the last year.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Communi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and other members of the congregation speak about SOS and the Mission Trips from the last year.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and other members of the congregation speak about SOS and the Mission Trips from the last year.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2fe9d111326b16ef180035da262d39eb.mp3" length="32063663" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2fe9d111326b16ef180035da262d39eb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/missions-weekend-february-25-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Feb 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Get In The Battle - February 18th]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Jim Apgar]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Jim Apgar calls us to get into the battle for Christ.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Jim Apgar calls us to get into the battle for Christ.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Jim Apgar calls us to get into the battle for Christ.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/cfeaa32b43da2be11318c29a8b5ccf3b.mp3" length="31927776" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/cfeaa32b43da2be11318c29a8b5ccf3b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/get-in-the-battle-february-18th</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Feb 2024 10:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage - God Shaped Husband and a God Shaped Wife.]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Last time I concluded our series on the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Mar...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Last time I concluded our series on the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. Today I want to begin looking at the prescriptions for both a God Shaped Husband and a God Shaped Wife. 
In our most recent series the focus was on the order of authority within a marriage as laid out in God’s word. As a part of that study of 1 Corinthians 11:3, I did speak briefly to the actions of a godly husband and wife, as they pertained specifically to maintaining the God-ordained marital order and structure. Now I would like to delve deeper into the scriptural prescriptions for a God Shaped Husband and a God Shaped Wife. 
One might ask why I keep using these terms for a husband and wife, and that is a reasonable question. First and foremost, I do so because as I have said many times before, the primary purpose of marriage as stated by God Himself is to reflect His character. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God chose to create mankind in His image and His likeness. Verse 27 tells us that in so doing He created both a man and a woman. In the very next chapter in Genesis 2:22-24 we learn that God created that first man and woman in a one flesh or married condition. Furthermore, He said that going forward He would join future men and women in marriage to recreate what He had accomplished with Adam and Eve. Following that understanding, it becomes abundantly clear that a marriage is intended to reflect God, therefore the participants of that marriage, the husband and wife need to be…God Shaped ones.
Second it is important to understand that if we were not called to live up to a standard as a husband or a wife, then each would need to determine for themselves how to do that best. A third grader can see the value and logic in having a standard for such an important undertaking, yet most married people can’t see that the bulk of their marital difficulties arise from trying to define for themselves if they are a ‘good’ husband or wife. Most people are not overtly evil, and the vast majority of us believe ourselves to be ‘good’ people. Therefore, most of us act as a husband or wife in good faith, thinking we are doing the best we can given our circumstances. Interestingly enough, I have noticed as a marriage counselor that most husbands and wives I encounter in my office do not believe that their spouse is doing the best they could. 
Why do we find ourselves in marriages where we believe we are doing the best we can, but our spouse isn’t putting in the same effort? Why do our spouses agree completely with that assessment except that they think the tables are turned in the other direction? The answer is simple. We have attempted to dispose of the standard. We each are defining for ourselves what a husband should look like and how he should act. We rely completely on our own understanding to decide if a woman is being a good wife or not. These determinations are made based on a myriad of information. Our families of origin and the marriages we each watched growing up…that by the way were having many of the same difficulties we are struggling with. We also draw on our life experience and our own set of core beliefs to help us know how to interact as spouses. Among the most dangerous sources of information of how our spouse should be treating us is the alter-universe of comparison. Movie...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Last time I concluded our series on the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. Today I want to begin looking at the prescriptions for both a God Shaped Husband and a God Shaped Wife. 
In our most recent series the focus was on the order of authority within a marriage as laid out in God’s word. As a part of that study of 1 Corinthians 11:3, I did speak briefly to the actions of a godly husband and wife, as they pertained specifically to maintaining the God-ordained marital order and structure. Now I would like to delve deeper into the scriptural prescriptions for a God Shaped Husband and a God Shaped Wife. 
One might ask why I keep using these terms for a husband and wife, and that is a reasonable question. First and foremost, I do so because as I have said many times before, the primary purpose of marriage as stated by God Himself is to reflect His character. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God chose to create mankind in His image and His likeness. Verse 27 tells us that in so doing He created both a man and a woman. In the very next chapter in Genesis 2:22-24 we learn that God created that first man and woman in a one flesh or married condition. Furthermore, He said that going forward He would join future men and women in marriage to recreate what He had accomplished with Adam and Eve. Following that understanding, it becomes abundantly clear that a marriage is intended to reflect God, therefore the participants of that marriage, the husband and wife need to be…God Shaped ones.
Second it is important to understand that if we were not called to live up to a standard as a husband or a wife, then each would need to determine for themselves how to do that best. A third grader can see the value and logic in having a standard for such an important undertaking, yet most married people can’t see that the bulk of their marital difficulties arise from trying to define for themselves if they are a ‘good’ husband or wife. Most people are not overtly evil, and the vast majority of us believe ourselves to be ‘good’ people. Therefore, most of us act as a husband or wife in good faith, thinking we are doing the best we can given our circumstances. Interestingly enough, I have noticed as a marriage counselor that most husbands and wives I encounter in my office do not believe that their spouse is doing the best they could. 
Why do we find ourselves in marriages where we believe we are doing the best we can, but our spouse isn’t putting in the same effort? Why do our spouses agree completely with that assessment except that they think the tables are turned in the other direction? The answer is simple. We have attempted to dispose of the standard. We each are defining for ourselves what a husband should look like and how he should act. We rely completely on our own understanding to decide if a woman is being a good wife or not. These determinations are made based on a myriad of information. Our families of origin and the marriages we each watched growing up…that by the way were having many of the same difficulties we are struggling with. We also draw on our life experience and our own set of core beliefs to help us know how to interact as spouses. Among the most dangerous sources of information of how our spouse should be treating us is the alter-universe of comparison. Movies, books, songs, checkout line magazines…and don’t even get me started on social media…all of it designed by the enemy of marriage to cause us to think our spouse is mistreating us, and they are probably never going to live up to being what we and they know they should be. 
Scripture identified the problem we run into when we each want to develop our own standard. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:12 They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing. Without a standard everything becomes acceptable…except when it no longer is. When that happens we want to find and dust off the one true standard, but because we have not been following its prescriptions ourselves it often gets misapplied. I couldn’t count the number of times I have had someone sit in my office and ask me to endorse their view (often a one-sided one) of what scripture says their spouse is doing wrong. The standard is crucial for success. As I said a few moments a go, most third graders can identify its importance. But, who gets to set the standard? The obvious answer is that God does. But, why? God isn’t even married after all. God is the author of the institution. He is the Creator of marriage and therefore is reasonably the only One capable or worthy to set the standard. Marriage is primarily intended to reflect Him, who better to enlighten us about how He acts, and therefore how we must act when imitating Him. There is simply no one better.
Psalm 19:7-11 say this of God’s instructions to us… The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. 
Finally, it is important to be a God-shaped Husband or a God Shaped Wife because it reminds us who we are responding to. In a marriage where we decide what is best and how we should act as a husband or a wife, we do so in response to one of two people. Us or them. What I mean by that is that If I choose to act toward my wife in a particular way because it is what I saw growing up and so I think it is the normal thing to do, I am responding to myself. This can have good or bad repercussions. When I was growing up, my view of a husband was being the one who had the final say. My father isn’t a chauvinistic pig…far from it, but in the final analysis what he said in our home was simply going to be the way it went. My childhood view of that helped me develop some core beliefs about marriage that are not altogether correct. When I was younger and a little less endowed with white hair I may or may not have encountered some marital difficulty as a result of that particular core belief. In those moments I was responding to myself, and my firm belief that I was acting within the bounds of my understanding of what a good husband was supposed to be.
More often yet, our actions are explained as re-actions. We say that we have acted in a particular manner because of the way our spouse acted toward us. After all, every action has an equal and opposite reaction…at least that’s what I learned in 3rd grade science. In all seriousness we often use the actions of another to excuse our own. “I know I shouldn’t get that way, but they are so selfish sometimes”! “I wouldn’t normally have said that, but you just made me so angry”. “I don’t like it when I can’t communicate with you peacefully, why do you have to be so argumentative all the time”? in each of these cases, and the hundreds of others that cause people to visit my office, those spouses are responding to one another. Sometimes most of their interactions have become a response to the other. As a young man I knew such a couple. The first thing they said to one another in the morning was in reaction to what one of them had said the day before. Their interactions were simply a perpetual response to one another and precious little of it was positive. When we determine what a good wife or husband should be and ours doesn’t live up to our standard, what choice do we have but to respond to them in a way that shows our displeasure with them?
All of that changes when we let God set the standard. When we decide we are going to be a God shaped Husband or a God shaped Wife, we will be interacting with our spouse but we will be doing so in response to God. If I am going to be a God Shaped Husband, then I have to look to God to know how to do that. When I consult Him through His written word and prayer, any positive action I take is one of obedience to Him. In those moments I am interacting with my wife but I am responding to the One who instructed me how to go about the interaction. Neither my wife or I wrote the bible, we did not invent marriage, so when we do what God says, it is in response to Him. A far better result occurs when I respond to God rather than myself or my wife.
In his book, Love and Respect, Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs says it this way “My response is my responsibility”. I like that. It is an empowering statement. I get to choose…will I respond to myself, and my idea of what a good husband would do? Or will I respond to my wife, will I act in reaction to whatever she has done to me? Will my responses to her simply be determined by the way she acts toward me? Or will I respond to God? Will I interact with my wife in the way He has instructed me to? The real question is…will I allow Him to be Lord, and take my correct position as His servant, and do exactly what He wants me to do? 
Another understanding “My response is my responsibility” reveals is that I have to pay attention to what I am doing, not what someone else has done. I call this concept. “Eyes on your own paper”. I remember hearing a teacher or two admonish classrooms I was part of to keep our own eyes on our own papers. In other words, pay attention to what YOU are doing. Every time I have tried to inspect my wife’s actions to see how she could improve at being a wife…I fail to be a good husband. I have never maintained my ability to be a God Shaped Husband while telling her how she is currently failing at being a God Shaped Wife. Reflecting God is a full time endeavor and requires every bit of concentration we have. If I don’t keep my eyes firmly fixed on my own paper, I will fail bitterly in my attempts to be a God Shaped Husband.
Finally, “My response is my responsibility” keeps me mindful that no matter what is happening in my marriage, I have the ability and in fact the responsibility to make it 50% better. What I mean by that is this. No marriage is perfect, yours would be…but you and your spouse are in it. Mine would be…but my wife and I are in ours. We are all profoundly fallen people living in a profoundly fallen world and so we have a propensity to do profoundly fallen things. Every marriage is a struggle at times for one reason or another. Some experience deeper struggles, some experience longer lasting problems. Some of the struggles come from outside sources, some on further inspection we seemingly invite into the mix. Regardless of what the difficulties are, how big, long lasting, or how they got there, every spouse can choose to be a God shaped one. What about those situations where just one of you seems to know or even care that God has instructions for how your marriage is supposed to operate? If that is you…then be a God Shaped Husband, or a God Shaped Wife and through your obedience it will likely become at least 50% better. “My response is my responsibility” 
Join me again next time as we begin to dive into God’s word and find the prescriptions for a God shaped Husband and a God Shaped Wife.
So now, accepting that your response is your responsibility, and that in your marriage you need to respond to God…Go be awesome. ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/027afcde4c3b8bcdd2c7cb708f497f63.mp3" length="8340854" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/027afcde4c3b8bcdd2c7cb708f497f63.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-god-shaped-husband-and-a-god-shaped-wife</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 12 Feb 2024 13:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Be My Witness - February 4th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Jim Apgar]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Jim Apgar challenges us to be a better witness for Christ.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Jim Apgar challenges us to be a better witness for Christ.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Jim Apgar challenges us to be a better witness for Christ.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/641f501dd7c1da209c171943a392ea07.mp3" length="38000297" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/641f501dd7c1da209c171943a392ea07.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/be-my-witness-february-4th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:52:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 8]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. This will be our eighth and final installment in this series looking at the differing roles of the Husband and the wife in the greatest of all human relationships. 
Each of the episodes in this series have been based on 1 Corinthians 11:3. There the Apostle Paul wrote the following. But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. I used the first few editions in the series to consider the role of a husband, and the fact that according to our focal scripture he is directly responsible to Christ for his interactions with his wife. In the last few episodes we began focusing specifically on the important position of the wife within the marriage. In those we delved into topic of submission and what it really means for a wife to submit to her husband while understanding her value is equal to his in every way. Today we are going to look at the final phrase of this scripture verse and what it has to say about the Order and structure of a God Shaped Marriage. 
As I mentioned in past editions of this series, we have been working our way through 1 Corinthians 11:3 phrase-by-phrase keeping with the very structure and order with which it was written. I have also made the point that this verse not only sets the God given structure of authority in the marriage of a husband and wife, but also the Godhead that marriage is intended to reflect. This is valuable on many levels but the one I want to concentrate on today is that the marriage of Adam & Eve, and every marriage since has been only a reflection of the greater Godhead that created all of them. In light of that, Paul writes that there is a common thread to the order of authority that runs all the way through the hierarchy. According to this scripture, this God ordained order for our marriages is actually part of the reflection. Allow me to read our focal passage once more, But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
Let’s take a few minutes to look closely at this final phrase so that we can highlight what our marriages are supposed to be reflecting. “…The head of Christ is God.” According to this passage, within the Godhead there is also an order of authority. God the Father is in authority, and Jesus Christ the Son, who is the Father’s equal, willingly submits to the Father. The bible tells us that Jesus is God. The Apostle John began his gospel with that very truth. In John 1:1-4 John wrote of Jesus, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The bible also points to the fact that Jesus is equal to the God the Father. Philippians 2:5-6 says 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. This means that Jesus is God and that He understands that he has the exact same value as the Father. God the Father is not superior to the Son and the Son is not...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. This will be our eighth and final installment in this series looking at the differing roles of the Husband and the wife in the greatest of all human relationships. 
Each of the episodes in this series have been based on 1 Corinthians 11:3. There the Apostle Paul wrote the following. But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. I used the first few editions in the series to consider the role of a husband, and the fact that according to our focal scripture he is directly responsible to Christ for his interactions with his wife. In the last few episodes we began focusing specifically on the important position of the wife within the marriage. In those we delved into topic of submission and what it really means for a wife to submit to her husband while understanding her value is equal to his in every way. Today we are going to look at the final phrase of this scripture verse and what it has to say about the Order and structure of a God Shaped Marriage. 
As I mentioned in past editions of this series, we have been working our way through 1 Corinthians 11:3 phrase-by-phrase keeping with the very structure and order with which it was written. I have also made the point that this verse not only sets the God given structure of authority in the marriage of a husband and wife, but also the Godhead that marriage is intended to reflect. This is valuable on many levels but the one I want to concentrate on today is that the marriage of Adam & Eve, and every marriage since has been only a reflection of the greater Godhead that created all of them. In light of that, Paul writes that there is a common thread to the order of authority that runs all the way through the hierarchy. According to this scripture, this God ordained order for our marriages is actually part of the reflection. Allow me to read our focal passage once more, But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
Let’s take a few minutes to look closely at this final phrase so that we can highlight what our marriages are supposed to be reflecting. “…The head of Christ is God.” According to this passage, within the Godhead there is also an order of authority. God the Father is in authority, and Jesus Christ the Son, who is the Father’s equal, willingly submits to the Father. The bible tells us that Jesus is God. The Apostle John began his gospel with that very truth. In John 1:1-4 John wrote of Jesus, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The bible also points to the fact that Jesus is equal to the God the Father. Philippians 2:5-6 says 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. This means that Jesus is God and that He understands that he has the exact same value as the Father. God the Father is not superior to the Son and the Son is not inferior to the Father. They are both perfectly holy and are therefore equal in their superiority over all things.
Our focal scripture from 1 Corinthians 11:3 tells us that the head of Christ is God, or in other words, God the Father is in authority over Jesus the Son. We can see that further explained if we continue to read on in the passage from Philippians we were just looking at. Beginning again in Philippians 2:5 and this time continuing on to verse 8 we read, 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,…7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Verse 7 tells us that Jesus who is completely and totally equal to the Father chose to give up his standing of equality with the Father. It is highly important that we understand this did not make him unequal to the Father. The Son is still equal in value with the Father, He does however, voluntarily submit to the Father and recognize the Father as being in authority over Him. This verse goes on to indicate that Jesus was even taking on a servant role. This means that Jesus, The Fathers equal was choosing to interact with the Father in a servant / master type relationship. Verse 8 goes on to illustrate just how far Jesus was willing to submit to the Father in that relationship. It tells us that Jesus humbled Himself and was obedient (to the Father) all the way to being willing to die. Jesus knew this was not going to be a quick or painless death. It was death on a cross, which just for clarification was not only slow and painful but also considered by all a degrading way to die. The Romans used the public shame of crucifixion as an extreme deterrent keeping their subjects from revolting. Jewish people felt it was so degrading that it was not fitting that a dog should die in this manner. Yet Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, equal to God the Father in every way, submitted to the will of the Father…even to the extent of being willing to die…on a cross. 
In Matthew 26:39-42 (NLT) we can read of the difficult time of prayer Jesus had the night before his crucifixion. There it says, 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” This passage illustrates the level of commitment Jesus had for remaining in submission to the Father. I appreciate that it exists. By allowing us to see into this very private time of prayer between Jesus and His Father we get to see that although perfect in every way, even in His submission to the authority structure of the Godhead, Jesus was not without the emotional struggle we also sometimes experience when submitting to authority. Though we can see that the struggle was very real for Jesus, as it often can be for us, we also see His resolve to submit, that the plans of the Godhead might succeed, and He did not falter, and He is our example.
Let’s continue now reading in Philippians and see what the result of Christ’s submission to the Father was. Philippians 2:9-11 say 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So, in the Godhead (which our marriages are to reflect), the response to the willing submission of an equal is that the One in authority exalts the One in submission. In response to the willing submission of the Son, God the Father has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the Name that is above all other names. In other words, God the Father has responded to God the Son’s submission by speaking about the Son in ways that He speaks of no one else. God holds the Son in highest esteem and regard because the Son was willing to submit. Therefore, husbands understand this, your wife’s submission to you is deserving of your highest regard. She should have a name on your lips that is higher than any other name. There should be no one that you speak of with a level of regard anywhere close to the esteem you hold her in. 
Our focal scripture for this series tells us about the marital mirror that God looks into desiring to see Himself. It tells us that when He looks at our marriages He sees a man and a woman both equal in value and joined as one by Himself. It suggests that marital mirror will consist of a husband who operates in loving authority as God the Father does. It also expects it will include an equally valuable wife who willingly submits to the husband’s authority in much the same way as Jesus, submits to the authority of the Father. 
By concluding our focal verse, the way that he did, the Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit did a marvelous thing. If He would have spoken only of the order and structure of authority within the marriage, husbands alone would have been able to look to Jesus as their example because the head of every man (or husband) is Christ. However, by including Christ’s position within the order and structure of authority within the Godhead, the wife also has the opportunity to look to Jesus for her example. The husband can look to Jesus as his example of how to be one in authority because Christ is in authority over every husband. The wife can look to Jesus to see how to be in submission because Christ places Himself in submission to the Father. Because Paul included not only the order and structure of a marriage but also the framework of the Godhead, Jesus becomes available to both a husband and a wife as an example how each should fulfill their roles within the marriage. Paul shows us by the incredible work of the Holy Spirit just how to have a God Shaped Marriage.
As I said earlier, this episode will conclude our look at The Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. In the weeks ahead I hope to expound on scriptural prescriptions for a God-Shaped husband and a God-Shaped wife. 
So now, purposefully and willingly stepping into your specific; God-ordained, Christ-exemplified, and Spirit-empowered role in your God shaped marriage…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9621a2d713af1c04a6cec2bba8695785.mp3" length="7112111" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9621a2d713af1c04a6cec2bba8695785.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-8</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:43:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 7]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. This will be our seventh edition in this series looking at the differing roles of the Husband and the wife in the greatest of all human relationships. 
Each of the episodes in this series have been based on 1 Corinthians 11:3. There the Apostle Paul wrote the following. But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. I used the first few installments in the series to consider the role of a husband, and the fact that according to our focal scripture he is directly responsible to Christ for his interactions with his wife. Last time we began focusing specifically on the important position of the wife within the Structure and Order of a God Shaped Marriage. In that episode we delved into the much misunderstood topic of submission. 
Knowing that the concept of submission inside marriage is a bit of a touchy subject I considered carefully how I would approach it. As a pastoral counselor, I understand that teaching some of the precepts in God’s word can at times be problematic. This is not because there is some problem with what God’s word has to say, God’s word is infallible. It can be difficult based on our level of willingness to accept what it says as right and true. Sometimes that gives us trouble. Unfortunately, as human beings, when we don’t like, or personally agree with something we tend to close our minds to it by simply ignoring the subject all together. So, when there is a topic like submission that must be practiced to enjoy marital success, the challenge is to convey the truth without people metaphorically sticking their fingers in their ears and shouting “I can’t hear you…I can’t hear you!” With this in mind, I had to consider carefully how to best speak on the much misaligned concept of submission.
Psalm 19 tells us that all of God’s precepts are perfect, that all of His ways lead to successful living. It tells us that if we will take scriptural guidance seriously it will bring blessing to our lives. Nowhere is that more true than in the marital relationship. If we want the blessing of an amazing marriage, we must follow the prescription written by the author of marriage. Who would know more about the correct operation of successful marriages than the creator of the institution? Furthermore, as I have documented many times before, the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect who and what God is. Certainly there should be no arguing that God is most capable of giving us proper instruction as to how to best reflect Him. 
If we are willing to forsake what we think about it in the natural, submission is actually a very interesting idea. It presumes the essential truth that the person offering their submission is equal in value to the person in leadership or authority. Slavery is accomplished when one who is bigger, stronger or of some greater ability forces the involuntary subservience of another. Slaves have no choice in the matter, they are forced to serve the one in authority. Submission is not slavery. When one submits, they choose to do so. Submission is an act of the will. I must volunteer to place myself under the submission of another, because I am an equal with any h...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where together we search God’s instructions to experience highly successful marriages. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. This will be our seventh edition in this series looking at the differing roles of the Husband and the wife in the greatest of all human relationships. 
Each of the episodes in this series have been based on 1 Corinthians 11:3. There the Apostle Paul wrote the following. But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. I used the first few installments in the series to consider the role of a husband, and the fact that according to our focal scripture he is directly responsible to Christ for his interactions with his wife. Last time we began focusing specifically on the important position of the wife within the Structure and Order of a God Shaped Marriage. In that episode we delved into the much misunderstood topic of submission. 
Knowing that the concept of submission inside marriage is a bit of a touchy subject I considered carefully how I would approach it. As a pastoral counselor, I understand that teaching some of the precepts in God’s word can at times be problematic. This is not because there is some problem with what God’s word has to say, God’s word is infallible. It can be difficult based on our level of willingness to accept what it says as right and true. Sometimes that gives us trouble. Unfortunately, as human beings, when we don’t like, or personally agree with something we tend to close our minds to it by simply ignoring the subject all together. So, when there is a topic like submission that must be practiced to enjoy marital success, the challenge is to convey the truth without people metaphorically sticking their fingers in their ears and shouting “I can’t hear you…I can’t hear you!” With this in mind, I had to consider carefully how to best speak on the much misaligned concept of submission.
Psalm 19 tells us that all of God’s precepts are perfect, that all of His ways lead to successful living. It tells us that if we will take scriptural guidance seriously it will bring blessing to our lives. Nowhere is that more true than in the marital relationship. If we want the blessing of an amazing marriage, we must follow the prescription written by the author of marriage. Who would know more about the correct operation of successful marriages than the creator of the institution? Furthermore, as I have documented many times before, the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect who and what God is. Certainly there should be no arguing that God is most capable of giving us proper instruction as to how to best reflect Him. 
If we are willing to forsake what we think about it in the natural, submission is actually a very interesting idea. It presumes the essential truth that the person offering their submission is equal in value to the person in leadership or authority. Slavery is accomplished when one who is bigger, stronger or of some greater ability forces the involuntary subservience of another. Slaves have no choice in the matter, they are forced to serve the one in authority. Submission is not slavery. When one submits, they choose to do so. Submission is an act of the will. I must volunteer to place myself under the submission of another, because I am an equal with any human authority I choose to submit to. This is also true of a wife’s submission to her husband, I pointed out last time how God used specific words when referring to Eve that clearly indicated her equal value to Adam. Every wife who chooses to obey God’s perfect precepts for marriage and willingly submits to her husband, who holds no greater value than she does, is also positioning her marriage to receive blessing. 
While we are on the subject of submission there are few things I think necessary to note. First and foremost, regardless of whether we are speaking of the husband or the wife, ultimately how we interact with one another is in response to God. The scriptural prescriptions for a successful marriage have been given to us by God Himself. So far in this series I have looked to Ephesians chapter 5 for specific instructions to a husband and a wife as to how they can each align themselves with the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage as laid out in 1 Corinthians 11:3. There we read that a husband must lay down his life (his goals, needs, and desires) for his wife (putting her goals, needs and desires above his own). Last time, we looked at how a wife is instructed to place herself in submission under the authority of her husband in all things. These are instructions from God’s word. These are not demands made by a spouse. Our adherence or lack thereof is in direct relationship to the level of submission we place ourselves in under God. It is truly essential to our marital success that we fully grasp this understanding.
As a husband, when I love my wife the way that scripture instructs me to, in other words when I meet her needs (physical, emotional and spiritual) simply because the need exists. I am doing so because I am submitting to my God who instructed me through His written word to act in that way. When I lay down my life (make my needs less important to me than my wife’s needs are) I am lowering myself in comparison to her that she might be elevated. Why do I do that? I do that because God’s word says I should, therefore those actions are in submission to God. If I choose instead to be selfish and put myself first, then I am being dismissive of God and His specific instructions to me as a husband. If I submit to God, then my marriage has greater ability to reflect Him, experience success, and be blessed.
When my wife Lynn submits herself to me in all things as she is instructed to do, in actually she is submitting herself to God. Not because I am her god, I am not…I can totally admit that I would make a terrible god. Ultimately, she is submitting to God because it is God who instructed a wife to submit to her husband in all things. Her submission to me then actually says far more about her relationship with God than it does her relationship with me. We are each solely responsible before God for our response to Him. Therefore, our obedience or disobedience to God is a reflection of the condition of our individual relationship with Him…nothing else. Consequently, we cannot use the unwillingness of our spouse to follow the commands given them by God to justify our non-compliance to the commands given to us. I cannot say with any validity whatsoever, that I don’t have to obey God, if my wife isn’t obeying God, and even though the wife is under the authority of the husband, she has no basis to make such a claim either. As Dr. Emmerson Eggeriches likes to say concerning this…“My response is my responsibility” I couldn’t agree with him more.
Having made that point, let me move to the next one. Ephesians 5:21 takes the position I just outlined a step further. It says Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Only when we understand that submission to our spouse is in fact, submission to God, and that our spouse’s choice to submit or not to submit to Him is to have no effect on ours, are we are able to rightly understand submission to one another. Here in this scripture, Paul points out that submission to God means submission to one another. While a wife’s submission to her husband is her responsibility before God, (Ephesians 5:22) there should also be mutual submission taking place at all times (Ephesians 5:21). Romans 12:10 tells us to Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. In other words, our love for one another should spur us to submit to the needs and desires of each other. 
In my humble opinion there is no other place in scripture that illustrates submitting to one another within the marital relationship quite like 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 – Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. The context of these two verses is undoubtedly speaking of sexual intimacy within the marriage. In that context these verses are self-explanatory (though admittedly slightly confounding) . However, when a scriptural principle illustrates truth at a certain level, that truth remains relevant at lesser levels as well. 
Like any of God’s instructions we don’t like and want to dispel or ignore so we won’t be obliged to submit to them, we can try to argue that this scripture is an example of circular reasoning and therefore renders itself invalid. We would be in error to do so, and arguing something doesn’t make it so. In fact, I know it flies in the face of conventional wisdom and contemporary thinking, but I would argue that this scripture governs any action involving a married person’s physical body. My wife and I believe this scripture regulates a concept we have dubbed “Marital Veto Power”. 
We agreed when we married that we each had veto power concerning the other. This is based on scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 7:4, Romans 12:10 and Ephesians 5:21, all discussed above. We believe we have the right (and dare I say responsibility) to tell the embodiment of the other half of our one flesh that we are not in agreement with a certain activity, and the other must comply. Allow me to illustrate. I love riding motorcycles. Prior to marrying me, my wife had never ridden one, but I had been riding them with my dad since the age of 5. He taught me to drive one myself at 12 years of age and I have been enjoying them ever since. On hot days I love being on the motorcycle and prefer the wind in my face to the air conditioning a car offers. When it is really hot the only thing that feels better than the wind in your face is the wind blowing through your hair too, so on those days, I like riding without a helmet. When we married, my bride told me she didn’t mind at all if I rode motorcycles, she just wanted me to wear a helmet when I rode. There are all kinds of valid studies that show that riders who don’t wear helmets statistically crash less and experience less head trauma when they do have accidents compared to those who wear a helmet. My wife did not find this information compelling at all. After some discussion it was agreed that if I was within town limits and the speed limit is 25MPH or less I am free to go helmetless, however, if the speed limit is above 25 MPH, I must wear my helmet. Because she feels that way, I wear my helmet each time that is the case. I often wear it even if I am downtown. I do not have authority over my own body, my wife does, and because I love her I prefer her and submit to her wishes. Let me say that Marital Veto Power should be used very sparingly otherwise it will simply be viewed as one spouse being a ‘control freak’ or ‘power hungry’ neither of which is a good look.
Submission isn’t a dirty word; it isn’t setting ourselves up to be a doormat. Submission is a voluntary act of the will that requires strength and understanding. It is not something that renders us weak or foolish but rather, strong and wise. Submission to each other is actually submission to God who instructs us to interact with one another in that way. Remember, how we interact with our spouse is in direct correlation to how we respond to God.
So now, responding to God as you should so that you can successfully enjoy a God shaped Marriage…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ebec4459dfec9b07ad50bdd4d1dd3419.mp3" length="8796350" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ebec4459dfec9b07ad50bdd4d1dd3419.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-7</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:23:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 6]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me yet again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions together to learn how to experience a highly successful marriage. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me yet again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions together to learn how to experience a highly successful marriage. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. This will be our sixth edition in this series and we are beginning to shift our focus to the wife’s important role in the greatest of all human relationships.
Having been led to 1 Corinthians 11:3 as the focal passage for this series, and considering that the series is dedicated to structure and order, I have directly followed the very structure and order of the passage. Meaning, I have chosen to expose the truths contained here phrase-by-phrase just as they were written. In the Amplified Bible that verse reads as follows: But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. In the past episodes of this series we have covered the concept of Christ being the head (or the One in direct authority over) every man (or every husband in this context). Last time I introduced the next layer mentioned in this verse covering the structure and order of marriage and the Godhead it is designed to reflect. This portion of the passage identifies that “The head of a woman is her husband”. Though this means that the husband is the one in direct authority over the wife, I was careful to make sure that there was no misunderstanding that Paul was somehow saying that a woman had to go through her relationship with her husband in order to have a relationship with Christ. I shared several other scriptures that clearly dispel that erroneous notion. I also took the time to show that from the very words God used to describe and define Eve as a wife, there can be no doubt that men and women are equally valuable to the marriage. Both are equally necessary to their successful ability as a married couple to fully reflect God. In the past I have highlighted many of the ways that scripture points out the unique ability a woman to reflect God in ways men are not capable of doing nearly as well, if at all. When joined as one they become a marital mirror intended to reflect their maker.
I want to move forward now by restating something from last time. Some of the scriptures we will be looking at have for a very long time been the cause for dissention. I think much of the difficulty with them has come from misunderstanding and misinterpretation. I believe that those difficulties diminish if husbands don’t look at these scriptures as an opportunity to dominate, and wives don’t read them believing that God is saying they are not as valuable as their husband is. Selfishness is what makes husbands want to dominate, and causes wives to want to resist authority. That is why I believe our focal scripture to be so vital to this discussion. It does not simply say that there is a structure and order of authority within a marriage, it continues and illustrates that same structure and authority exists in the Godhead as well. Why is all of that important? Because if wives are to correctly understand their equal value with their husband in the marriage, and gladly adhere to its scripturally defined framework, they need to be able to see that just as Christ is supposed to be their husband’s example of how to love them, Christ is also their example as to how to be a godly helpmate.
Before we begin digesting scriptures that con...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me yet again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions together to learn how to experience a highly successful marriage. Today we will continue with our look at the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage. This will be our sixth edition in this series and we are beginning to shift our focus to the wife’s important role in the greatest of all human relationships.
Having been led to 1 Corinthians 11:3 as the focal passage for this series, and considering that the series is dedicated to structure and order, I have directly followed the very structure and order of the passage. Meaning, I have chosen to expose the truths contained here phrase-by-phrase just as they were written. In the Amplified Bible that verse reads as follows: But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. In the past episodes of this series we have covered the concept of Christ being the head (or the One in direct authority over) every man (or every husband in this context). Last time I introduced the next layer mentioned in this verse covering the structure and order of marriage and the Godhead it is designed to reflect. This portion of the passage identifies that “The head of a woman is her husband”. Though this means that the husband is the one in direct authority over the wife, I was careful to make sure that there was no misunderstanding that Paul was somehow saying that a woman had to go through her relationship with her husband in order to have a relationship with Christ. I shared several other scriptures that clearly dispel that erroneous notion. I also took the time to show that from the very words God used to describe and define Eve as a wife, there can be no doubt that men and women are equally valuable to the marriage. Both are equally necessary to their successful ability as a married couple to fully reflect God. In the past I have highlighted many of the ways that scripture points out the unique ability a woman to reflect God in ways men are not capable of doing nearly as well, if at all. When joined as one they become a marital mirror intended to reflect their maker.
I want to move forward now by restating something from last time. Some of the scriptures we will be looking at have for a very long time been the cause for dissention. I think much of the difficulty with them has come from misunderstanding and misinterpretation. I believe that those difficulties diminish if husbands don’t look at these scriptures as an opportunity to dominate, and wives don’t read them believing that God is saying they are not as valuable as their husband is. Selfishness is what makes husbands want to dominate, and causes wives to want to resist authority. That is why I believe our focal scripture to be so vital to this discussion. It does not simply say that there is a structure and order of authority within a marriage, it continues and illustrates that same structure and authority exists in the Godhead as well. Why is all of that important? Because if wives are to correctly understand their equal value with their husband in the marriage, and gladly adhere to its scripturally defined framework, they need to be able to see that just as Christ is supposed to be their husband’s example of how to love them, Christ is also their example as to how to be a godly helpmate.
Before we begin digesting scriptures that contain that easy-to-misunderstand word submission allow me to reiterate some important facts. 
•	Submission to authority does not equate to inferiority.
•	Scripture clearly illustrates that even within the triune Godhead authority and submission to authority are necessary components of success.
•	Jesus Christ, the Son of God voluntarily offered His submission to the will of the father so that Their united purpose could be accomplished.
•	Though Jesus’ submission to God the Father was voluntary it was not optional if success was to be the result.
•	Jesus’ submission to the order and structure of the Godhead was crucial to the completion of the united will of the Godhead.
•	If marriage is to reflect the framework of the Godhead as designed, the prescribed marital structure and order of authority must also be adhered to. 
•	Finally, a wife’s submission to her husband is voluntary on her part. She is in complete control of her decision to submit or not to submit. However, it is not optional to the success of a God shaped marriage. 
With those truths in mind, let’s look at scripture and see what it says about a wife’s incredibly important role in the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage.
There are several passages that define the valuable place a wife holds within the marriage and how she best fulfills that role. Ephesians 5 is probably the most well-known and I think the most comprehensive so we will begin there. Today I am going to read Ephesians 5:21-24 from the Expanded Version because although it makes for wordy sentences, it offers a broader view of what the original text actually means in our English language. There these verses read as follows: [Husbands and wives] Yield [Submit; Be subject;…yielding/submitting; grammatically linked to the previous sentence, and so part of being filled with the Spirit] to each other out of reverence [respect; fear; awe] for Christ.
Wives, yield to [submit to; be subject to;] your husbands, as you do to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And He is the Savior of the body, which is the church.  As the church yields [submits; is subject] to Christ, so you wives should yield [submit; be subject] to your husbands in everything.
Several important notations about these verses must be recognized if we are to have a clear understanding of what this scripture is saying. In verse 21 there are several points we need to see. As husbands and wives our personal relationship with God should have a defined consequence in our marital relationship. Submission is to be a natural result of walking with the Lord. Certainly there can be no confusion about the fact that if Christ is Lord and we are but the servants in that relationship then we are to submit to His authority. Here Paul writes that out of a deep reverence or great respect for Christ as Lord, we need to also be ready to submit to one another. Furthermore, because this verse is the completion of the thought preceding it, we should also make the connection that this mutual submission between a husband and wife is a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. So, according to Ephesians 5:21 if Jesus is Lord of one’s life and that person is indwelled by the Holy Spirit, if they are also married, the natural outpouring of their relationship with God will be submission to their spouse. The following verses lay out specifically what that mutual submission should look like for each spouse. In past episodes we saw how a husband is commanded to illustrate his submission to his wife and today we will look at what that submission looks like for a wife within the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage.
Verses 22-24 speak directly to what a wife’s role is in that high calling. Wives, yield to [submit to; be subject to;] your husbands, as you do to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And He is the Savior of the body, which is the church. 24 As the church yields [submits; is subject] to Christ, so you wives should yield [submit; be subject] to your husbands in everything. According to this scripture (and others we will reference later) a wife’s submission to her husband should look much like her submission to the Lord does. Paul is clear that just as the church submits to Christ (its head, or leader in authority over it) a wife should also submit to her husband. Paul states that the church submits to Christ in all things, and likewise a wife should submit to her husband in all things. 
I have often heard the argument offered to this God-given instruction. Many have said to me that of course the church submits to Christ, Christ is God and is perfect. Christ would never lead His bride the church, in a way that is not absolutely the best for her. He would never lead in a way that might turn out badly. The defense these women site for not always (in other words in all things) following this command to them is that their husband is not perfect and is capable in leading in erroneous ways. Because of this they decide that their submission to their husband needs to be at their discretion. If they think that the direction of their husband is correct, then they have no problem with submission to it. If, however, they deem his leadership to be incorrect or not good for them or the family, they believe their submission to him should be optional. The problem with that is found in these very verses. If they are not being submissive to their husband (in all things) as commanded by God’s word then they have just become dismissive of their Lord, which puts them in the position of wrongdoing.
When it comes to offering our submission to the authority of an imperfect person, we need to experience a paradigm shift. Submission to authority isn’t about being right it is about doing right. Two episodes ago in this very podcast we looked at the way a husband submits to his wife. According to Ephesians 5:25-29 a husband is to lay down his own wants, desires and needs and first meet his wife’s wants desires and needs. He is to do this because they are one, and when he puts her first, he is putting himself first so to speak. Ladies, you are not perfect either, if your husband does not agree with your actions and attitudes is he freed from the requirement to love you as Christ loves the church? Is his love for you to be offered at his sole discretion? I think not. If he were to choose when to genuinely love you and when to put his own needs above yours, he would also be dismissive of the command of his Lord upon his life.
As one of several Pastors on staff at our church I have a Senior Pastor in authority over me. He is a good and godly man and I am fortunate to know that I can trust that he seeks God’s leading as he leads us. He is in fact a good and upstanding man…but he is not perfect. There have been times when I have disagreed with him in terms of what he thought should be the next step for us as a church. In those times I have sought him out privately to share with him my thoughts and to ask him to reconsider or give me further explanation if possible for his decision. There have been a few (a very few) times where I was still not convinced that his decisions were the best possible. In those it has been vital that I understand submission. I have to know that while my submission to him as the one in authority over me is voluntary (only I can choose to submit) it is not optional. It is not about being right; it is about doing right. God’s word tells me to submit to those in authority over me. When I submit I am doing what I have been commanded to do, I am doing the right thing. Will the action or activity I am submitting to always turn out to be the right decision, will it always work out best? No, but when it doesn’t, if I have been submissive and done my part to make every effort toward its success, then it will be the leader, not I who will be scrutinized. If I balk and do not submit and the idea fails, I will not be viewed as the one who diverted us from disaster, I will likely be pointed out as the one who was not supportive and therefore possibly the cause of the failure. Submission is not about being right it is about doing right.
Next time we will look more closely still at submission and what it means to success both in a marriage and within the Godhead that marriage is designed to reflect.
So now, understanding that submission in your marriage is a two-way street but that God says it is the one way to success, submit to Him by submitting to one another…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c2d06ec28cb6919f92f230dee026f2cf.mp3" length="8761575" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c2d06ec28cb6919f92f230dee026f2cf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-6</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jan 2024 14:58:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Top Ten Best Endings January 7th, 2024]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts begins the new year with his top 10 best endings in the bible.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts begins the new year with his top 10 best endings in the bible.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts begins the new year with his top 10 best endings in the bible.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dc2fe7117d6c72d35bdce320155db9b7.mp3" length="42663413" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dc2fe7117d6c72d35bdce320155db9b7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/top-ten-best-endings-january-7th-2024</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jan 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:08:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Silent night]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Generally, on Thursdays I bring you my thoughts about some currently notable subject or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. However, for the past three years on the Thursday before Christmas I have sha...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Generally, on Thursdays I bring you my thoughts about some currently notable subject or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. However, for the past three years on the Thursday before Christmas I have shared with you a Christ-centered Christmas poem or Christmas story by another author that I found valuable. This year I decided to bring the words of a well-known Christmas Carol and the back-story behind its writing. So here are my Christmas thoughts on this Thursday, December 21st, 2023…Silent night.
Allow me to begin by reading the words from the now famous song. I find that we often sing songs that are well known almost automatically giving voice to the lyrics. This auto-response to the melody sometimes conceals the depth of each stanza’s true meaning. So I thought…its Christmas…let’s open the gift of the originally intended meaning and expose each verse free of its melodious wrapping.
Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, Holy night. Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar. Heavenly host sing al-le-lu-ia. Christ the savior is born; Christ the savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night. Wondrous star, lend thy light. With the angels let us sing, Al-le-lu-ia to our King. Christ the Savior is born; Christ the savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night. Son of God, love’s pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at thy birth; Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
In the New Living Translation Isaiah 7:14 says, The Lord Himself will give you a sign, Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and call Him Emanuel (which means) God is with us. Just two chapters later we read in Isaiah 9:6-7; For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called; Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s armies will make this happen! 
There can be no argument that the evening that the virgin Mary gave birth to the Lord was indeed a Holy night. That night the glory of God was revealed in human form! The word of God recorded for us in Isaiah 7:14 was fulfilled on that Holiest of nights. Was it a silent night? That I am not so sure of. A baby was born, in a stable…in the small city of Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-7 tells us about it. At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
We do know that it was not a silent night out in the pastureland where the s...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Generally, on Thursdays I bring you my thoughts about some currently notable subject or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. However, for the past three years on the Thursday before Christmas I have shared with you a Christ-centered Christmas poem or Christmas story by another author that I found valuable. This year I decided to bring the words of a well-known Christmas Carol and the back-story behind its writing. So here are my Christmas thoughts on this Thursday, December 21st, 2023…Silent night.
Allow me to begin by reading the words from the now famous song. I find that we often sing songs that are well known almost automatically giving voice to the lyrics. This auto-response to the melody sometimes conceals the depth of each stanza’s true meaning. So I thought…its Christmas…let’s open the gift of the originally intended meaning and expose each verse free of its melodious wrapping.
Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, Holy night. Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar. Heavenly host sing al-le-lu-ia. Christ the savior is born; Christ the savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night. Wondrous star, lend thy light. With the angels let us sing, Al-le-lu-ia to our King. Christ the Savior is born; Christ the savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night. Son of God, love’s pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at thy birth; Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
In the New Living Translation Isaiah 7:14 says, The Lord Himself will give you a sign, Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and call Him Emanuel (which means) God is with us. Just two chapters later we read in Isaiah 9:6-7; For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called; Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s armies will make this happen! 
There can be no argument that the evening that the virgin Mary gave birth to the Lord was indeed a Holy night. That night the glory of God was revealed in human form! The word of God recorded for us in Isaiah 7:14 was fulfilled on that Holiest of nights. Was it a silent night? That I am not so sure of. A baby was born, in a stable…in the small city of Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-7 tells us about it. At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
We do know that it was not a silent night out in the pastureland where the shepherds were. Luke 2:8-20 tells us about all the noise in the normally quiet fields outside the city. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. It was a Holy night to be sure…Silent? Not so much…at least not as far as the angels and shepherds were concerned. Their excitement and jubilation was however the only reasonable response to finding out that the Messiah had finally come to set His people free, once and for all time!
So what is the back story for this well-known Christmas Carol? Allow me to set the stage. It was Christmas eve in the Alps. A new church had just been built in a small village near Salzburg Austria. In the new church Father Joseph Mohr prepared for the midnight service. He was upset because the new church organ was not working properly yet which he felt would ruin the musical part of the Christmas Eve service. Father Joseph was about to discover that our problems are often the hand of God working in ways we do not yet understand. 
It came to Father Joseph that he should write a new song, one that could be easily sung without the organ. He hastily wrote down the words, “Silent night, Holy night all is calm, all is bright”. Taking those and the words that followed to his organist, Franz Gruber, Father Joseph explained the need and asked Franz to compose a simple tune for the new song.
That night, December 24th, 1818 “Silent Night” was sung for the first time as a duet, accompanied by a guitar at the aptly named Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf.
A short time later a craftsman named Karl Mauracher came to repair the organ. There he heard the story of the new song that the broken organ had made necessary. He acquired a copy of the lyrics and melody and spread it throughout the Austrian Alpine region. He called the song, “Tiroler Volkslied”
The song came to the attention of the Strasser family who had four children who sang the song at many fairs and festivals. They were once even invited to perform it for the king and queen of Austria which ensured the growing fame of the song. As a result of their regular performances of the tune, they became famous folk singers in the region much like the Von Trapp children a century later. 
“Silent night was first published in a German church hymnal in 1838. It was used in German churches in America and first appeared in English published in a book of Sunday School songs in 1863. If it had not been for a broken organ in a newly built church 45 years earlier…there would have been no “Silent Night”. 
I have become accustom to closing out my podcasts by telling you to “Go Be Awesome” But this week I think I will simply wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year filled with Hope. However, I do think it fitting just this once to borrow a different sign off line, one much more famous than mine. As the late Paul Harvey would have said at the end of a recording such as this one about “Silent Night”…”So now you know the rest of the story…Good Day!”]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e81c61d1242f73fbf7b468647e527501.mp3" length="5869944" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e81c61d1242f73fbf7b468647e527501.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/silent-night</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2023 11:31:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:22</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 5]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 5

Hi, this is Pastor Ken welcome back to another edition of the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We will continue today with our loo...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 5

Hi, this is Pastor Ken welcome back to another edition of the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We will continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God shaped marriage.
Since the beginning of this series, I have directed your attention to the God-given order and structure of a God Shaped Marriage found in 1 Corinthians 11:3. Once again, that passage in the Amplified Bible reads as follows: But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God. As the focus of this series is order and structure, I felt it doubly important to follow the very order and structure of this focal scripture. Therefore, I dedicated the past several episodes to men as husbands, following the lead of Christ. We looked carefully at several different scriptures and noted just how husbands can interact with their wives, just as Christ our overseer, interacts with His bride the church. 
We will now shift our focus to the second portion of this passage “The head of a woman is her husband”. Before we push further into the exposition of this verse allow me to clarify a point that I feel important to address. My concern is that there could be an unfortunate misunderstanding when considering this verse void of its context. One could take this verse to be indicating that a wife’s relationship with Christ must go through her husband. This is simply not true at all. Scripture is clear that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is possible for anyone who believes in Him (John 3:16).  Others speak directly to believing wives who have unbelieving husbands, which should negate any argument that a woman (wife) cannot have a direct relationship with Christ. (1 Corinthians 7:10-16). Furthermore, Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ there is actually no distinction between men and woman, meaning that both are capable of joining with Him. With that concern addressed let’s move forward.
Just as I did concerning husbands’ interactions with their wives, we will now look at what the bible has to say about how a wife should interact with her husband. A wife’s position in a God Shaped Marriage is one of incredible importance. Eve’s God given title was that of a helpmeet. This is not a word commonly used in contemporary vernacular but the meaning has not been in any way diminished with its use. The idea of a helpmeet comes from the original Hebrew words [ezer] pronounced [ay'-zer], and [Neged] pronounced [neh'-ghed]. As I explained in the first edition of this series, these words used together, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Bible Concordance, mean an absolute counterpart to a perfect set.  Eve was created the absolute counterpart to Adam. She was so in every way having been literally created from Adam’s own flesh. God then proclaimed His desire to recreate that same result in others going forward. He decided that a man would leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and the two of them would quite miraculously become “One flesh”. Marriage is God’s process of recreating the one flesh experience of Adam and Eve in every man and woman that enters into this sacred relationship. Ladies, if you believe that it is God who joins a man and a woman in marriage, then you must also accept that when you marry, you become your husband’s h...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 5

Hi, this is Pastor Ken welcome back to another edition of the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We will continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God shaped marriage.
Since the beginning of this series, I have directed your attention to the God-given order and structure of a God Shaped Marriage found in 1 Corinthians 11:3. Once again, that passage in the Amplified Bible reads as follows: But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God. As the focus of this series is order and structure, I felt it doubly important to follow the very order and structure of this focal scripture. Therefore, I dedicated the past several episodes to men as husbands, following the lead of Christ. We looked carefully at several different scriptures and noted just how husbands can interact with their wives, just as Christ our overseer, interacts with His bride the church. 
We will now shift our focus to the second portion of this passage “The head of a woman is her husband”. Before we push further into the exposition of this verse allow me to clarify a point that I feel important to address. My concern is that there could be an unfortunate misunderstanding when considering this verse void of its context. One could take this verse to be indicating that a wife’s relationship with Christ must go through her husband. This is simply not true at all. Scripture is clear that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is possible for anyone who believes in Him (John 3:16).  Others speak directly to believing wives who have unbelieving husbands, which should negate any argument that a woman (wife) cannot have a direct relationship with Christ. (1 Corinthians 7:10-16). Furthermore, Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ there is actually no distinction between men and woman, meaning that both are capable of joining with Him. With that concern addressed let’s move forward.
Just as I did concerning husbands’ interactions with their wives, we will now look at what the bible has to say about how a wife should interact with her husband. A wife’s position in a God Shaped Marriage is one of incredible importance. Eve’s God given title was that of a helpmeet. This is not a word commonly used in contemporary vernacular but the meaning has not been in any way diminished with its use. The idea of a helpmeet comes from the original Hebrew words [ezer] pronounced [ay'-zer], and [Neged] pronounced [neh'-ghed]. As I explained in the first edition of this series, these words used together, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Bible Concordance, mean an absolute counterpart to a perfect set.  Eve was created the absolute counterpart to Adam. She was so in every way having been literally created from Adam’s own flesh. God then proclaimed His desire to recreate that same result in others going forward. He decided that a man would leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and the two of them would quite miraculously become “One flesh”. Marriage is God’s process of recreating the one flesh experience of Adam and Eve in every man and woman that enters into this sacred relationship. Ladies, if you believe that it is God who joins a man and a woman in marriage, then you must also accept that when you marry, you become your husband’s helpmeet, his absolute counterpart.
Scripture describes God’s hand in the marriage process. Proverbs 19:14 in the Amplified Version says; Houses and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord. Men, it is high time we begin to understand that though God may not have put each of us to sleep, removed a rib and created for us a wife of our own flesh, she has been given to, and joined with us, by Him. What is the greater miracle, to create a perfect counterpart from our own flesh, or make us one flesh with someone in marriage and in so doing offer to us our absolute counterpart? 
In the New Living Translation Proverbs 31:10-12 say this… 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. The idea of this passage isn’t that such a wife doesn’t exist or can’t be found, but rather that it would be beyond difficult for us to do so without God’s direction. There are two schools of thought concerning this. Some believe as I do that God loves us so much and cares so deeply for His institution of marriage that it matters to Him who we marry. Others believe that it is completely up to us who we marry and God restrains his work in our lives within the bounds of our absolute free will. Regardless of your belief about the level of involvement God exercises in who we marry, the following is still true. Jesus said that when a wedding takes place, God joins that man and woman and creates of them a “One flesh” condition identified as marriage. A man and a woman, as husband and wife, are the only ones who can experience that unique human relationship. God is integrally involved in every marriage, and so His Son Jesus concluded, “What God has joined let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6 & Mark 10:9) 
So, how does a woman interact with her husband as his absolute counterpart in a God Shaped Marriage? Remembering that the point of a God Shaped Marriage is to reflect Creator God let us begin by revisiting our focal scripture. But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God. (1 Corinthians 11:3) In this verse, when we look at the Godhead that marriage is supposed to reflect, we see that the Head of Christ is God the Father. Jesus is one of the three persons of the triune Godhead. The Trinity as we refer to it, is beyond our human ability to completely define but there are some truths we are able to extract from our limited understanding of it. 
•	The Trinity consists of Father Son, and Holy Spirit
•	They each have differing functions but perfectly united purpose
•	God the Father is God, but is not and does not act as Jesus the Son or the Holy Spirit
•	Jesus the Son is God, but is not and does not act as the Father or the Holy Spirit
•	The Holy Spirit is God, but is not and does not act as the Father or Jesus the Son
•	Each One is completely God, and united, they are the one true God
Why is the notation of all of that important? Because ladies, if you are to correctly understand your equal value to your husband in the marriage and gladly adhere to the scripturally defined order and structure of your marriage, you will need to be able to see that just as Christ is your husbands example of how to love you, He is also your example of how to be a godly helpmeet. The Apostle Paul made the point in our focal scripture that the head of Christ is God the Father, but it is also important to look at what Jesus said Himself about that concept? 
In John 10:30 it is recorded for us that Jesus said of His relationship with God the Father, “I and the Father are One. Here Jesus is making an incredible statement, He is self-identifying as being equivalent with God. This was so outrageous to those who heard it that they were ready to stone Him for blasphemy! In John 5:30 however, Jesus said “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me”. Are these statements contradictory? Not at all. In the one in John 10:30 Jesus is identifying that He and The Father are both equally valuable persons in the Trinity, just as a wife and husband are equally valuable persons in a God Shaped Marriage. In the second example from John 5:30, Jesus is illustrating that He and the Father work together toward their united purpose and the necessary structure and order to the Godhead that makes that work successful is identified by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:3.
Jesus also made further statements that showed His voluntary submission to God the Father as a decisive act of cooperation bringing about the fruition of their united goals. In John 12:49 Jesus said, For I have never spoken on My own initiative or authority, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment regarding what to say and what to speak. (Amplified Bible) In John 14:31 Jesus told His disciples, “But so that the world may know [without any doubt] that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me [and act in full agreement with Him]” (Amplified Bible) In John 15:10-11 Jesus made this interesting statement. 10 “If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing”. This statement identified Jesus position as one in authority over us, as well as one submitting to the authority of the Father to serve our need. He said that His joy and ours is fullest when God ordained order and structure of relationship are followed. Ultimately, Christ’s submission to God the Father was summed up in His exclamation while under extreme duress in the garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, “Father if there is any other way…but not my will, but your will be done”! 
In the next installment, we will delve deeper into the much-misunderstood concept of submission. However, I felt it critical before we did so to take time to lay the groundwork for the following statements.
•	Submission does not equate to inferiority
•	Scripture illustrates for us that even in the structure and order of the Triune Godhead authority and submission to authority are necessary components for success.
•	Christ (God the Son) voluntarily offered His submission to the will of the Father so their united purpose could be accomplished.
•	Though Jesus’ submission to God the Father was voluntary it was not optional. 
•	Jesus Submission to the order and structure of the Godhead was necessary to the completion of the united will of the Godhead.
•	If marriage is to reflect the framework of the Godhead as designed, the prescribed marital structure and order must also be adhered to.
•	A wife’s submission to her husband is voluntary…however; it is not optional to success of a God Shaped Marriage.
So now, with willing hearts as both husbands and wives to act in the ways that Jesus does to the betterment of your God Shaped Marriage…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/23c8caab24f17d59598c6761a6f638c9.mp3" length="8167793" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/23c8caab24f17d59598c6761a6f638c9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-5</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 18 Dec 2023 12:16:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Under Construction]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, November 30thth 2023…Und...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, November 30thth 2023…Under Construction
About 20 years ago I fulfilled a lifelong desire. I built a house. When I say that, I don’t mean that I sat down with an architect and planned the size and shape of the house. I also don’t mean I paid someone to construct a home for me. I mean that I actually drew up the plans, submitted them to the governing authorities for approval and then personally put hammer in hand and built the house. From the footers to the ridge cap including everything in between, if it was a part of that house, I was the one who constructed it.
It was important to get each part of the build done right, but thankfully at each stage there are almost always allowable tolerances. Some level of variation is expected both in materials and workmanship. As long as the building is constructed within reasonable parameters, all goes well. Early on in the process however there was one task that was critical to everything that would follow. It was crucial for that particular job to be accomplished with incredible precision. There the allowable tolerances are as my grandfather (who was also a carpenter) used to say “next to nil”.
When it came to laying the foundation, the footers could be a little out of square or even less than perfectly level. They are poured wide enough that the block foundation can vary slightly from the centerline of the footer if need be to remain straight and true. The cement blocks can even be shaved if necessary to provide a perfectly level wall once it is completed. What has nearly no room for error is the placement of the initial corner block. If that one singular block is not perfectly positioned exactly 90 degrees to the corners perpendicular to it, nothing…and I mean nothing constructed on top of it will come out right. That one block determines the success of the rest of the project. In this day and age, it is the placement of that initial corner block that garners all the attention. In days gone by, however before the advent of cement blocks, the perfect stone also had to be found. A corner stone had to be one that had all of the necessary qualities to position it correctly and to build upon.  
Furthermore, a good cornerstone is a promise of a successful building project. When you possess a good true cornerstone, you can build with total confidence that the entire structure will be strait, level and true because the corner stone is all of those things and it defines the foundation’s characteristics as a stable building surface. Certainly the integrity of the other building materials matter, but without the best possible foundation, beginning with the cornerstone, all you will ever have is problematic structure and a pending pile of rubble. 
Ephesians 2:19-22 speaks of a spiritual building project. It says, Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
These days I am busy with a new constr...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, November 30thth 2023…Under Construction
About 20 years ago I fulfilled a lifelong desire. I built a house. When I say that, I don’t mean that I sat down with an architect and planned the size and shape of the house. I also don’t mean I paid someone to construct a home for me. I mean that I actually drew up the plans, submitted them to the governing authorities for approval and then personally put hammer in hand and built the house. From the footers to the ridge cap including everything in between, if it was a part of that house, I was the one who constructed it.
It was important to get each part of the build done right, but thankfully at each stage there are almost always allowable tolerances. Some level of variation is expected both in materials and workmanship. As long as the building is constructed within reasonable parameters, all goes well. Early on in the process however there was one task that was critical to everything that would follow. It was crucial for that particular job to be accomplished with incredible precision. There the allowable tolerances are as my grandfather (who was also a carpenter) used to say “next to nil”.
When it came to laying the foundation, the footers could be a little out of square or even less than perfectly level. They are poured wide enough that the block foundation can vary slightly from the centerline of the footer if need be to remain straight and true. The cement blocks can even be shaved if necessary to provide a perfectly level wall once it is completed. What has nearly no room for error is the placement of the initial corner block. If that one singular block is not perfectly positioned exactly 90 degrees to the corners perpendicular to it, nothing…and I mean nothing constructed on top of it will come out right. That one block determines the success of the rest of the project. In this day and age, it is the placement of that initial corner block that garners all the attention. In days gone by, however before the advent of cement blocks, the perfect stone also had to be found. A corner stone had to be one that had all of the necessary qualities to position it correctly and to build upon.  
Furthermore, a good cornerstone is a promise of a successful building project. When you possess a good true cornerstone, you can build with total confidence that the entire structure will be strait, level and true because the corner stone is all of those things and it defines the foundation’s characteristics as a stable building surface. Certainly the integrity of the other building materials matter, but without the best possible foundation, beginning with the cornerstone, all you will ever have is problematic structure and a pending pile of rubble. 
Ephesians 2:19-22 speaks of a spiritual building project. It says, Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
These days I am busy with a new construction project. This time I am not the architect, the general contractor or the builder. I am counted among the building materials. In a way this verse says that I am listed among the acceptable list of materials that are being used to build a holy temple. Essentially through the work of Jesus on the cross I have been invited to be incorporated into a house that is being constructed in His honor…for Him to live in. That house is being framed up and completed by my life and the many lives of others given to Him to use in His construction project. Our lives have been turned over to Him to use as He sees fit. The walls, and roof (our lives) are built upon the foundation that is made up of the apostles and prophets. In other words, those who were willing to follow God before we came along, and who were willing to express loudly the need for a temple like the one currently being fashioned.
This scripture also says that the foundation was laid with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. Remember the importance of the cornerstone? It is the promise that a correctly constructed temple will be the result. Jesus set the direction so that the lives of the prophets and apostles could line up strait, true and level alongside Him. Without Him none of that would be possible. If it were not for Jesus, the Son of God, the temple would be constructed solely on a human foundation. The building process would have been flawed from its beginning and would eventually have become nothing more than empty ruins. Someday that house I built will degrade and fall down if it is not deemed in the way of bigger and better things, and bulldozed first. Either way, it was constructed by human hands…my human hands and will someday be on the ground again. Only those things built by the eternal God are eternal. That is why it is vital that Jesus be the cornerstone of His house, the church. 
It is only as the entire building is constructed together based on the integrity of the Cornerstone that the project can be an eternal success. We are being fitted in. As you and I dedicate our lives to Him, He helps us discover our value as building materials in His church. I can only fulfill my purpose, and you yours in His building project to the extent that we align ourselves with Him. It is only because of His integrity that we can become straight and true. 1 Peter 2:6 says Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” As we trust in Christ, and follow His lead we will never be put to shame, meaning, we will be the best we can be as we allow Jesus to be our guide. 
Occasionally when I have to go into the city where I built that house, I drive by it just to see it standing there. It is not a beautiful house; in fact, it is quite plain as houses go. But I like to drive by none the less to see the house that Ken built, it was after all, a dream I have had since I was a boy. When I am there I am reminded of many of the days during its construction when I would stop after a day’s work and step back and just look at what I had accomplished. I am convinced there isn’t anything wrong with doing that, but if you want to see something really spectacular, step back and look at the house that is being built of you. You can’t take pride in it because you aren’t the builder. Nor can you necessarily point to what your contribution has added to it, because without Jesus as the chief cornerstone, our contribution wouldn’t matter. What you can do is step back and be amazed at what God is building and the fact that He can make something so beautiful from such flawed materials!
So now, thanking Him for wanting to make you a part of His construction project, and being grateful for a perfect cornerstone to set the course of your life straight…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/02800d1aee4ba371a86ab9d3ea26439d.mp3" length="5266155" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/02800d1aee4ba371a86ab9d3ea26439d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/under-construction</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 2023 09:20:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 4]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[
Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[
Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God shaped marriage.
Thus far in this series we have discovered that there is in fact a God-ordained order and structure to a God Shaped Marriage. We have identified where that order is outlined for us in scripture (1 Corinthians 11:3) and have acknowledged that order is reflective of the framework of authority found in the triune Godhead. In the last episode we began to look at how a God Shaped Husband interacts with His wife. There we focused on Ephesians 5:25 and the command given there for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. We recognized it must be a selfless love, one where the husband puts the needs, cares, and desires of his wife above his own. Just as Christ did for his bride when He left the glory of Heaven to come to earth to fix her sin problem. We also saw that a Christ-like husband will understand the differences between himself and his wife, seeing them not as flaws requiring change but rather as things of beauty to be cherished. With this understanding, a righteous husband will be gentle with his wife, especially when she responds in different ways than he might.
Today we will continue with our look at Ephesians chapter 5 and how it illuminates the actions and attitudes of a Christ-like husband. Allow me to read from that passage again beginning with verse 25. Ephesians 5:25-27 says; 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 
Last time we looked at what it meant for a husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church. We carefully considered what the scripture meant when it says Christ’s love for the church was exemplified by His giving of Himself for her. I talked about the fact that this did not only elude to the fact that Christ died for His bride, though it was His ultimate sacrifice, and He offered it willingly for her good. In addition, we discussed some of the various ways we as husbands are given opportunities every day to lay down our lives for our wife. There the connection and application of the command were clearly defined. However, let me be abundantly clear here. The second part of this passage does not indicate that because Christ is in process of making His bride perfect for Himself, as men we can take license to direct our wives how they could be made perfect in our eyes. Remember, Christ is superior to His bride. He is perfect in every way, and we (His bride) are not. Therefore, in order for Him to become one with us, our perfection becomes a necessity. With that in mind there is a need for Him to sanctify and cleanse us so that He can present us to Himself the perfect match, just as He presented Eve to Adam, the perfect match. We on the other hand husbands, are not superior to our wives. Their imperfections do not render them incompatible to be joined with us because we too, are imperfect. Therefore, there is no need for us to interact with our wife in this same way. 
If that is the case, why mention it here following the command to love our wife a...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[
Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God shaped marriage.
Thus far in this series we have discovered that there is in fact a God-ordained order and structure to a God Shaped Marriage. We have identified where that order is outlined for us in scripture (1 Corinthians 11:3) and have acknowledged that order is reflective of the framework of authority found in the triune Godhead. In the last episode we began to look at how a God Shaped Husband interacts with His wife. There we focused on Ephesians 5:25 and the command given there for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. We recognized it must be a selfless love, one where the husband puts the needs, cares, and desires of his wife above his own. Just as Christ did for his bride when He left the glory of Heaven to come to earth to fix her sin problem. We also saw that a Christ-like husband will understand the differences between himself and his wife, seeing them not as flaws requiring change but rather as things of beauty to be cherished. With this understanding, a righteous husband will be gentle with his wife, especially when she responds in different ways than he might.
Today we will continue with our look at Ephesians chapter 5 and how it illuminates the actions and attitudes of a Christ-like husband. Allow me to read from that passage again beginning with verse 25. Ephesians 5:25-27 says; 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 
Last time we looked at what it meant for a husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church. We carefully considered what the scripture meant when it says Christ’s love for the church was exemplified by His giving of Himself for her. I talked about the fact that this did not only elude to the fact that Christ died for His bride, though it was His ultimate sacrifice, and He offered it willingly for her good. In addition, we discussed some of the various ways we as husbands are given opportunities every day to lay down our lives for our wife. There the connection and application of the command were clearly defined. However, let me be abundantly clear here. The second part of this passage does not indicate that because Christ is in process of making His bride perfect for Himself, as men we can take license to direct our wives how they could be made perfect in our eyes. Remember, Christ is superior to His bride. He is perfect in every way, and we (His bride) are not. Therefore, in order for Him to become one with us, our perfection becomes a necessity. With that in mind there is a need for Him to sanctify and cleanse us so that He can present us to Himself the perfect match, just as He presented Eve to Adam, the perfect match. We on the other hand husbands, are not superior to our wives. Their imperfections do not render them incompatible to be joined with us because we too, are imperfect. Therefore, there is no need for us to interact with our wife in this same way. 
If that is the case, why mention it here following the command to love our wife as Christ loved the church? Excellent question…I am so glad it has an excellent answer. When we take a closer look at the totality of the three verses I just read, we can see an interesting truth. In the past Christ loved the church by offering remedy for her sin problem that she was unable to fix by dying in her place. He offered His life as a substitutionary sacrifice and satisfied the high cost of her sin. The bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. In effect then, Jesus ransomed us by dying in our place, and so as that verse concludes, the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). In the present, He is sanctifying His bride and cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. This simply means that right now, Christ is through His word making us perfect for Himself, a perfect match in every way. It is through our obedience to His word that we become cleaned. Jesus told Peter at the last supper, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3) In the future, this same passage tells us that He will present us to Himself…perfect…without blemish, spot or wrinkle or any such thing. He promises us that in the future He will take us to live with Him forever in His Father’s house. There, as His bride, we will have access to everything He has access to, just as a wife ought to have joint ownership of all that is her husbands’. From this passage we can conclude that Christ loves the church by taking complete care of her, past, present and future. There is no time when His focus is not on what she needs and what He is trying to bless her with. In this moment, Christ is trying to position us, His bride, to be able to take hold of all of the immeasurable blessing He has for us. In that way husbands, we can love our wives as Christ loves the church. We can love her all of the time and we can give our full attention and effort to the goal of making sure she is positioned to receive every available blessing. 
This passage then continues with that very idea. Verses 28 & 29 say, 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 
The point being made here is that as Christ-like husbands, we give our wives the place of high regard that we give to our own bodies. This means two things. First, we meet our needs…and second, we avoid harming ourselves. We eat when we are hungry, because our body asks us to. We clothe ourselves when we arise from a warm bed, because our body asks us to. We seek medical attention when we are sick, because our body asks us to. We rest when we are tired, because our body asks us to. I could go on and on listing all of the ways we meet the needs of our body because our body calls out to us, pointing out its need, and we respond accordingly. We do not respond in anger, frustration or intolerance. We simply respond because there is a need. These verses make the point that when our wife voices a need…we should simply respond by meeting the need. Remember from our discussion last time that we don’t necessarily have to see her need as a need we also have. We are to interact with her by meeting her needs with the understanding that her needs may be different than ours, but that makes her or her needs no less valuable than ours are. So, as this verse points out, we meet our own needs, we should then also meet the needs our wife has in order that we might love her as Christ loves the church. 
The second way I noted that we take care of our own bodies is that we do our best to avoid personal injury. The list I mentioned a moment ago highlighted how we meet the needs of our own body, but now I want to take a look at how we cherish it. Because we cherish this physical body God has given us, we try to keep it safe from harm. Some of that is done consciously as we take measures to make sure we don’t get hurt. For example, when we undertake a particularly risky activity such as cutting down a tree with a chainsaw, the wiser of us use specialized personal protection equipment to avoid injury. Other protective measures are purely instinctive, but still invoked because we cherish our body and we don’t want to get hurt. This would be illustrated by our instinct to run if we sense the tree we are trying to cut down begins to fall in our direction. In either case we do these things consciously and unconsciously because we cherish our body. In this scripture we are admonished that if we are willing to do these things for our bodies, meet our needs and protect ourselves, we must also be equally willing to do them for our wife because we are joined with her in a one flesh condition. As this scripture points out, He who loves his wife…loves himself, and Christ our example is busy doing these very same things for His bride, the church.
The next 3 verses are of great interest and offer an incredibly close-up view of how our marriages are intended to be reflective of God in a unique way. Many times I have used a mirror as an analogy for marriage. I conclude that analogy by saying that our marriages are intended to be a marital mirror that God desires to look into and see Himself. In the next few verses that analogy is taken to a new level. An infinity mirror is one that is actually made of two mirrors connected to one another and positioned such that what is reflected in one is reflected by the other and so on and so on…seemingly forever. These next verses illustrate how the marital mirror is actually intended to be an infinity mirror. Ephesians 5:30-32 reads as follows: 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 
This scripture applies to both the husband and the wife. However, as we are currently engaged in a discussion of how men can be God shaped or Christ-like husbands, we will continue with that intimation and return to this passage later in the series as our focus shifts to that of a godly wife. Here men, we are reminded that as Christ followers, we are members of Christ’s body. We are His chosen bride. However, we do not enjoy that distinction alone as men. The Apostle Paul pointed out that we are equal heirs in the grace of God. In other words, our wives are also members of the church if they are Christ followers. Therefore, they are also members of His body. If we take more than a moment to consider this, then a new and profound truth is realized. If my wife is a believer, then she is one with Christ. Because they are one, how I interact with her is in actuality how I am interacting with Christ! Men we all know that if someone is unkind to our bride, we take it personally. Christ is no different. If I act negatively toward my wife, Christ says that He considers it the same as if I have acted negatively toward Him. I don’t know about you other gentlemen, but that isn’t something I want to occur. If someone is kind to our wife and offers help that is needed, we are grateful to that person, as if it were us they helped or were kind to. Jesus said He sees it the same way when we are kind to our wife. If our wife has placed her faith in Jesus Christ, the way that we interact with her is the way we are interacting with Christ himself according to this passage. For more on just how personally Christ takes our actions toward our spouse, I would encourage you to read Matthew 25:31-46, though I won’t be covering them here.
The passage in Ephesians 5 ends with its instructions to Christ-like husbands with the beginning of verse 33 – Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself. The command here is simple and selfless, but never easy. Men, love your wife like you love yourself. Meet her needs… not the ones you think she should have; the ones she tells you she has. Avoid her being harmed. She reacts differently than you do, consider that and be understanding. Avoid allowing her to be injured even if such action would have no ill-effect on you. Love her like Christ loves the church…like Christ loves you.
So now, learning be a Christ-like husband like it matters…because it matters…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5e8472785c66489e367e0fde6c71a77e.mp3" length="8197826" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5e8472785c66489e367e0fde6c71a77e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-4</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:59:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>15:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage Vol. 3]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[
Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[
Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God shaped marriage.
As I was considering the content for this series on The Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage, several ways of approaching the subject came to mind. As always, first and foremost, I want to remain consistent with the scriptures. The word of God is the definitive authority we have access to that offers us the direction we need to obtain a God Shaped Marriage. God determined the primary purpose of marriage to be reflecting Him, therefore any successful marriage will be a God shaped one. Order and structure in a marriage is as vital to making that marriage reflect God and His righteousness, as our skeleton is in helping us to stand upright. If marriage was initiated by God, and is therefore His creation, and if He created it specifically to reflect who and what He is, then His word is the only infallible source we have for how to meet that goal.
Within His word are many instructions designed to help us have God Shaped Marriages. Since that God given structure and order are necessary to marital success, I began this series with the one scripture I am aware of that most succinctly lays out the structure of both marriage and the Godhead it is intended to reflect. 1 Corinthians 11:3, But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
I cannot think of a better way to move forward with the explanation of this foundational scripture than to follow it just as it is laid out. Paul begins this verse recognizing that it is important for us to understand this framework of authority, and he begins with men. The head of every man is Christ. In the first episode in this series I pointed out to husbands that we have drawn the short straw in this line up. To reiterate, God The Father, (a perfect being) is the head of Christ, (another perfect being). The wife, (an imperfect being) is under the leadership of her husband, (another imperfect being). In the order of authority given in this scripture, it is only the husband, (an imperfect being) who is under the direct authority of Christ, (a perfect being). Last time, I took great care to illustrate from God’s own chosen words that men are not superior to women in any way, shape or form, nor are women inferior to men. There I showed that though we were created with differing abilities, we were also created equal to one another in value. In the scriptural order found in 1 Corinthians 11:3 noted above, It is only the husband who must answer to one superior to himself. So gentlemen, let’s take a closer look at this standard given to us in God’s word, The head of every man is Christ. 
The New Testament is full of examples of who Christ is, and how He interacts with us. While all of those scriptures have value helping us to know how we should interact with others including our wives, there are several passages that deal directly with how Christ interacts with the church, His bride. Those are the passages I am going to be focusing on here. If Christ is the authority in direct leadership over husbands, then those scriptures that illustrate how He interacts with the church are of paramount importance to men if we are to know how to interact with our wives in...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[
Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look at the scripturally given order and structure of a God shaped marriage.
As I was considering the content for this series on The Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage, several ways of approaching the subject came to mind. As always, first and foremost, I want to remain consistent with the scriptures. The word of God is the definitive authority we have access to that offers us the direction we need to obtain a God Shaped Marriage. God determined the primary purpose of marriage to be reflecting Him, therefore any successful marriage will be a God shaped one. Order and structure in a marriage is as vital to making that marriage reflect God and His righteousness, as our skeleton is in helping us to stand upright. If marriage was initiated by God, and is therefore His creation, and if He created it specifically to reflect who and what He is, then His word is the only infallible source we have for how to meet that goal.
Within His word are many instructions designed to help us have God Shaped Marriages. Since that God given structure and order are necessary to marital success, I began this series with the one scripture I am aware of that most succinctly lays out the structure of both marriage and the Godhead it is intended to reflect. 1 Corinthians 11:3, But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
I cannot think of a better way to move forward with the explanation of this foundational scripture than to follow it just as it is laid out. Paul begins this verse recognizing that it is important for us to understand this framework of authority, and he begins with men. The head of every man is Christ. In the first episode in this series I pointed out to husbands that we have drawn the short straw in this line up. To reiterate, God The Father, (a perfect being) is the head of Christ, (another perfect being). The wife, (an imperfect being) is under the leadership of her husband, (another imperfect being). In the order of authority given in this scripture, it is only the husband, (an imperfect being) who is under the direct authority of Christ, (a perfect being). Last time, I took great care to illustrate from God’s own chosen words that men are not superior to women in any way, shape or form, nor are women inferior to men. There I showed that though we were created with differing abilities, we were also created equal to one another in value. In the scriptural order found in 1 Corinthians 11:3 noted above, It is only the husband who must answer to one superior to himself. So gentlemen, let’s take a closer look at this standard given to us in God’s word, The head of every man is Christ. 
The New Testament is full of examples of who Christ is, and how He interacts with us. While all of those scriptures have value helping us to know how we should interact with others including our wives, there are several passages that deal directly with how Christ interacts with the church, His bride. Those are the passages I am going to be focusing on here. If Christ is the authority in direct leadership over husbands, then those scriptures that illustrate how He interacts with the church are of paramount importance to men if we are to know how to interact with our wives in a way that lives up to the standard given to us.
The first of those scriptures we are going to look at is Ephesians 5:25. It reads as follows; 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…
There are several things from this scripture that I want to point out. First, there can be no mistaking this scripture to be one where the actions and attitudes of Christ are offered toward the church as His bride. There should also be no misunderstanding the fact that Husbands are clearly instructed here to offer their actions and attitudes toward their wives in a way that is reflective of, and in submission to, Christ. 
Second I want to highlight that this scripture clearly states that husbands are to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. The male ego would like to focus on the fact that Christ died for the church. The reason for this is that if a husband then commits to being willing to die for his wife (something he is quite certain statistics show to carry a very low reason for concern) then he has just been a husband that is reflective of Christ. Sorry guys…that doesn’t cut it. Yes, if you and your wife are ever in a situation where one of you must choose to die so the other can live, husbands…you must be the one to choose to die. However, pre-committing to that unlikely eventuality is not enough to live up to the standard. Why? Because Christ actually died in place of His bride. So am I saying all men must die for their wife? No. However, Christ laid down His life for His bride in ways that we actually are given opportunity to do every day.
Jesus did not come into existence on the first Christmas night when He was born in a manger. The Apostle John begins His Gospel with the truth that Jesus has always been. Jesus was before everything we understand to be the beginning. Jesus is, according to scripture, the Creator of all that exists. He said of Himself in Revelation 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, The First and the Last.” This is but one of His astounding “I Am” statements indicating that He is in fact one of the three persons of Almighty God.
As the great I Am, Jesus has always existed, and until His entrance into this world as one of His own creation, a little baby boy, He existed with the Father accompanied by the Spirit. There for all eternity past, they existed inseparably, reigning supremely, in the perfection of their Heavenly Kingdom. We on the other hand took precious little time upon our entrance to allow our selfishness and distrust in God’s loving instruction to give way to the introduction of sin into the perfect world Jesus had just created for us. With the high price of sin being death…we were eternally lost. When Jesus came into the world He had fashioned, He did so to remedy our sin problem. He came to offer His life as a sacrifice for our sin, lovingly and willingly offered in our stead. Jesus did not have need to come to earth…we had need of Him to come and to do that for us. Christ laid down His life for His bride. He laid down His perfect life that lacked nothing, to give us what we lacked, and could not obtain for ourselves. He laid aside His needs for our needs, His wants for our wants, His desires for our desires. Death was not the only way Jesus laid down His life for His bride…it was the final way. His death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice, but He sacrificed for us every Nano-second He was away from the Father. Husbands, Christ is our example, He is the One in direct authority over us. As unfair as it might be that we are the only ones to have an authority morally superior to ourselves…it is what it is. We must learn to lay down our lives (in every way) for our bride if we want to succeed at having a God Shaped Marriage.
As I said our male egos cause us to look only at Christ’s voluntary giving up of His life as the evidence of His great love for us. We like to think that so long as we are also willing to do that…we have our bases covered. Unfortunately, when we take that attitude we have missed the point all together. The command to each of us is to love our wife as Christ loved the church. The evidence of His love gives us a standard to put the evidence of our love for our wives up against, but the command to us is to love like Christ loves.
According to the passage above, Christ sees Himself as our loving groom. His word instructs us how to be a loving husband, and illustrates that He interacts with us in that very way. In other words, if His word indicates we should treat our wife in a certain way, it is because He treats us in that same way. So when Ephesians 5:25 tells us love our wives, just like Christ loves His bride, we can look to scripture to find out how to do that. One example of that instruction is found in Colossians 3:19. In The Amplified Version that verse reads, Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage]. When you consider this verse in light of the one from Ephesians 5 it takes on additional meaning. We have to be ready to lay down our lives for our wife if we are going to be able to love them selflessly, as Christ loves us. We should always be most concerned with what is best for them and not what we might think best for us in a particular moment. The continuation of this verse is most important. Men, if we want to be God Shaped Husbands, we cannot be found giving in to the needs of our wife through a clenched jaw or gritted teeth. In fact, that will ruin the entire reflection. For the joy set before Him, the bible tells us…Christ endured the cross. If we are going to be like Christ, laying down our needs, hopes and desires, and putting those of our wives’ first, ought to be the joy set before us. The endurance part is simply the employment of our decision to see our God Shaped Marriage emerge.  Paul cautions us here to avoid allowing our negative emotions to enter into a positive godly position at all costs. If we are going to get it right, we can’t view the responsibilities of a God Shaped Marriage as a thing to be despised. We must see it as a way that we can illustrate our love for our spouse, as Christ illustrated His great love for us.
I want to take time to look at one more scripture that is congruent with those above before I close this edition. In the New King James Version, 1 Peter 3:7 says, Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. In this passage, we are instructed that a godly husband will interact with his wife in an understanding way. That he will give her honor as to the weaker vessel. This phrase is often misunderstood. Remember that in the last episode of this podcast I went to great lengths to point out that God’s word is clear…men and women were created with equal value. God’s word does not contradict itself, therefore this scripture cannot indicate that the weaker vessel is in any way inferior to the stronger one. I have heard this scripture taught quite literally to mean that a man should be gentle with his wife because her muscle structure is more fragile than his…that’s close, but I cannot fully agree with that to be the meaning. The use of the analogy of a vessel here is of great importance to a correct exegesis. A vessel has one job…to carry water without leaking. A weaker vessel, one made of crystal for example will hold water just as well as one made of iron. Both have equal value when it comes to transporting water. Unless…you knock them into the doorpost on your way into a room. If one is not gentle, and understanding of the limitations of crystal when bumped into a doorpost, the crystal vase will lose its ability to successfully accomplish what it was designed for. On another note, which is more desirable to have placed in the center of the table during a meal? Crystal or iron? The woman is the weaker vessel…the crystal one. She has equal value when it comes to accomplishing the given purpose…but she is different than iron and needs to be interacted with accordingly. Husbands we are being instructed here to understand that our wives will react differently than we do at times. That knowledge is supposed to elicit understanding and gentleness from us rather than harsh intolerance. We each have the same God given purpose…to be reflective of Him. We each have differing qualities that are useful to that end, but neither are more or less important than the other, in fact they are meant to work with each other to complete the reflection. As further proof that our valuation as men and women, husbands and wives are equivalent, Paul points out that both share equally in the grace of God, and they are partners in salvation. Finally, Paul points out that there is greater consequence than broken glass if husbands are not gentle with their wives…God will not honor a husband’s prayers if he does not honor God’s creation of a wife made just for him. Next time we will continue with our look at the God shaped husband, and how he fits into the structure and order of a God Shaped Marriage.
So now doing everything you can, and asking God for more of His power every day to help you have a God Shaped Marriage…Go Be Awesome!    ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7176a2da08c06169cad4ba1b512fede0.mp3" length="8761135" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7176a2da08c06169cad4ba1b512fede0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-3</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:13:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>16:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look into the scripturally given Order and Structure of a God...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look into the scripturally given Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage.
Last time when introducing the topic of this new series I presented the idea that every successful endeavor necessarily includes both structure and order. There I re-stated what Genesis chapter 1 & 2 speak of so clearly. Marriage is primarily intended to reflect the God that instituted it. God purposefully created mankind to reflect His image and likeness. Additionally, He created the first man and woman in a united condition, inextricably one, made of the same flesh and bone. Following that original union, God authored marriage as the format by which going forward a man and a woman would be joined by Him, affording them the same capacity as Adam and Eve to reflect their creator. I shared with you in that introductory episode that according to God’s Word even the triune Godhead has an order of authority. Therefore, marriage which is determined to reflect God necessarily must also have structure of authority. Finally, I shared that in 1 Corinthians 11:3 the structure and order of both the Godhead and marriage are identified and connected with one another outlining an overall framework of authority. Once again that scripture reads as follows. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
As we move forward in our look at the all-important God ordained structure of marriage, I want to begin with a crucial understanding. In the last edition I quickly made mention of the fact that the order of marital authority has nothing to do with the value of one person over the other. The structure of marriage absolutely has nothing to do with greater or lesser value found in a husband or wife. God’s word offers several explanations for why the order is what God has made it, but none of them have anything to do with the superiority of man or the inferiority of woman - because those ideals are completely and totally false. I want to dedicate this edition of the series on the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage to dispelling that dangerous notion. Instead I hope to illustrate from God’s own word that men and women were and are created equally valuable in His eyes. 
There are several errant beliefs we hold as people that cause us to misunderstand our equal value as men and women. Even in our contemporary society where many might say that a corrected equality has finally been established, our thinking is flawed, and actually takes us farther away from the truth of God’s word, instead of nearer to it. At the pinnacle of those misunderstandings is this, “Equality means possessing the same capabilities”. For all of history this thought process has been so simple to disprove that is was never even questioned until the last century. It is more than easy to see that men and women do not have all of the same capabilities. For example, women can give birth far better than men…men have zero ability to do so and with infinitesimal few exceptions, all mature women are physically able to have a baby. To that order, nearly all men are capable of fathering a child, while women have no natural ability to do so. When each of these differing abilities are joined, a man and a woman each play a crucial yet completely differen...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. We continue today with our look into the scripturally given Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage.
Last time when introducing the topic of this new series I presented the idea that every successful endeavor necessarily includes both structure and order. There I re-stated what Genesis chapter 1 & 2 speak of so clearly. Marriage is primarily intended to reflect the God that instituted it. God purposefully created mankind to reflect His image and likeness. Additionally, He created the first man and woman in a united condition, inextricably one, made of the same flesh and bone. Following that original union, God authored marriage as the format by which going forward a man and a woman would be joined by Him, affording them the same capacity as Adam and Eve to reflect their creator. I shared with you in that introductory episode that according to God’s Word even the triune Godhead has an order of authority. Therefore, marriage which is determined to reflect God necessarily must also have structure of authority. Finally, I shared that in 1 Corinthians 11:3 the structure and order of both the Godhead and marriage are identified and connected with one another outlining an overall framework of authority. Once again that scripture reads as follows. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
As we move forward in our look at the all-important God ordained structure of marriage, I want to begin with a crucial understanding. In the last edition I quickly made mention of the fact that the order of marital authority has nothing to do with the value of one person over the other. The structure of marriage absolutely has nothing to do with greater or lesser value found in a husband or wife. God’s word offers several explanations for why the order is what God has made it, but none of them have anything to do with the superiority of man or the inferiority of woman - because those ideals are completely and totally false. I want to dedicate this edition of the series on the Order and Structure of a God Shaped Marriage to dispelling that dangerous notion. Instead I hope to illustrate from God’s own word that men and women were and are created equally valuable in His eyes. 
There are several errant beliefs we hold as people that cause us to misunderstand our equal value as men and women. Even in our contemporary society where many might say that a corrected equality has finally been established, our thinking is flawed, and actually takes us farther away from the truth of God’s word, instead of nearer to it. At the pinnacle of those misunderstandings is this, “Equality means possessing the same capabilities”. For all of history this thought process has been so simple to disprove that is was never even questioned until the last century. It is more than easy to see that men and women do not have all of the same capabilities. For example, women can give birth far better than men…men have zero ability to do so and with infinitesimal few exceptions, all mature women are physically able to have a baby. To that order, nearly all men are capable of fathering a child, while women have no natural ability to do so. When each of these differing abilities are joined, a man and a woman each play a crucial yet completely different role in the creation of life. Interestingly, when this takes place in marriage, that couple becomes more reflective of God who initially created life. In this as well as many other areas, men and women have dissimilar ability, yet equal value. 
Following the science, there are many and varied physical differences between men and women that are not directly associated with reproduction. Some of those differences offer ability to one or the other that is easier to recognize than others. For instance, the existence of a woman’s breasts gives her the ability to nurse a child where her male counterpart has no such ability. A man’s ‘Adam’s apple’ exists because of the greater amount of cartilage surrounding a substantially larger voice box than a woman has. The increased size of the male vocal cords enable men to speak or sing in much lower octaves than the vast majority of women. Though these differences enable men and women to do things the other cannot, it does not in any way affect their overall value. 
Many additional differences also exist. There are differences in the ways we think. We exhibit differences in our relational needs. There are differences in the way we use language, the ways we problem solve, the ways we resolve conflict, etc. The list of differences goes on and on. These variations between us give us many differing capabilities that can often be observed to follow along gender-lines. None of those differing abilities increase or decrease our overall value. While one may be more useful in a specific area, the other will have greater success in another, however, a man and a woman are endowed by their Creator with equal value. Interestingly, when it comes to the value God sees in us as men and women, though it is equal, it is also exponentially increased as a man and woman are joined as one. (more on that later)
For the purposes of this episode I want to focus on one specific scripture surrounding the necessity of the creation of the first woman, Eve. Genesis 2:18 says, And the Lord God said “It is not good that man should be alone I will make a helper comparable to him.” I have heard many teachings on this verse. Some good, some not-so-good. The poorest of these have indicated that God decided that Adam would be lonely and so He created Eve to keep Adam company and be a helper by keeping his needs met. Unfortunately, I believe this errant exegesis is only meant to serve unscrupulous men’s desire to utilize this passage to conclude that women are inferior to them in some way. In fact, a correct understanding of this scripture proves nothing could be further from the truth.
When we look at the original Hebrew, the phrase “it is not good” is indicative that it was not yet complete. Each day of the creation week, we see the opposite phrase spoken in the affirmative. Genesis 1:4 says: and God saw the light, that it was good. In verse 10 it goes on to say and God called the dry land earth and the gathering together of the waters He called seas. And God saw that it was good. Again in verse 12: And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Further on in verses 16-18 we read: Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Again in verse 21: So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. The phrase is repeated again in verse 25: And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Finally, we come to verse 31 after God made mankind and the statement is made once again but this time with special exclamation! Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. In light of that, we know that as God concluded the various tasks of creation and He made the statement that it was good He was intimating the job at hand to be finished, or complete. 
Therefore, in Genesis 2:18 when we read that God said “It is not good” we can surmise that He meant it is not complete or finished for man to be alone. In order to gain an accurate understanding, I think it important to do a bit of a word study of the original text. In this verse The Hebrew word [Towb] pronounced [to be] translates to the English phrase “It is not good”. According to Strong’s Bible Dictionary, the definition for this Hebrew word as used specifically in this reference means inappropriate for its use, or incomplete for its intended use. 
The Hebrew word for “Alone” used here is [Bad] pronounced [bad]which means separated or apart from its counterpart. Much like if your salt shaker was in the dining room and your pepper shaker was alone in the kitchen. Though it was by itself, it would still be part of a set intended to be used together. 
The final phrase necessary to have complete understanding of this verse is “A helper comparable to him.” The King James Version reads “A help meet.” This phrase comes from the Hebrew words [ezer] pronounced [ay'-zer], and [Neged] pronounced [neh'-ghed]. These words together, according to Strong’s, mean an absolute counterpart to a perfect set. 
When you put all of that together, a good literal translation of Genesis 2:18 would read something like this: And God said, It will be inappropriate and mankind will remain incomplete for his intended purpose if man is an unfinished creation, so I will create an absolutely perfect counterpart to him (woman) and together they will be a complete complimentary matched set, each an equally valuable part of the whole, that will more fully represent Me.  
Eve was the absolutely, perfectly created, counterpart to Adam. She was equal in valuation to Adam in every way. She was not more than Adam and not less than Adam. He was not superior to her in any way; she was not inferior to him in any way. They were a perfectly created, matched set. Equal in every way, yet often completely different in function. Together their purpose was to reflect the image and likeness of God. The analogy I like to use for them was that of a mirror. A mirror’s purpose is to reflect whatever is in front of it. A mirror is made up of two components. A sheet of perfectly clear and perfectly flat glass and a polished silver coating. Neither the glass nor the silver by themselves are very effective at producing a quality reflection, but when married together, they form a mirror that reflects with absolute clarity. The glass is not superior to silver nor is the silver inferior to glass, they are simply different yet both crucial to their collective purpose.
Adam and Eve’s oneness was intended to reflect the image and likeness of God. The primary purpose of your marriage is the same. Adam and Eve were created differently than one another, just as you and your spouse were. Adam and Eve had equal value though differing individual abilities, just as is the case in your marriage. Those differences were not given to determine value, they were offered that together they might find the highest value…reflecting their supreme Creator, God. 
Was there order? Yes. Adam was created before Eve. Did that make him superior? Not in any way shape or form. Eve followed Adam in creation, but only to illustrate his need of her help to fulfill their purpose. Next time we will delve into some additional scriptures that display the God ordained structure and order of authority within the marriage, as well as the blessing God was attempting to give us within that very framework.
So now, recognizing the incredible and equal value you and your spouse hold in your marriage…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2232beb8dda3477d5b3270a0de09243d.mp3" length="8130075" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2232beb8dda3477d5b3270a0de09243d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/order-and-structure-of-a-god-shaped-marriage</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Nov 2023 13:34:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:29</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Near Sighted Vs Far Sighted]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, November 9thth 2023…Near...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, November 9thth 2023…Near Sighted Vs Far Sighted
I have worn glasses since I was in the 9th grade. I have not forgotten in over 40 years so I am going to assume I will never forget what that first day with my new corrective lenses was like. My dad drove me to the optometrist to pick up the glasses we had been waiting about two weeks to arrive. They put them on me, fitted them, and then repeated the eye exam to make sure my new glasses were correctly improving my vision. It wasn’t until we left the building to head home that I was struck by the vast improvement. I’m sure looking back the ride home was a spectacle to behold. I couldn’t stop telling my dad about the leaves on the trees, the rivets in the steel decked bridge we crossed over. The individual blades of grass in the lawns we passed by. I was amazed that one could perceive those things without being close up to them. Certainly I had seen leaves, rivets, and grass before, but only clearly when looking at them at close proximity. My father must have thought I had regained my eyesight…but lost my mind. I don’t remember because I was too busy looking at everything outside the car, but dad must have had a very amused grin on his face.
One of the reasons I waited so long to get the glasses I needed was because I was near-sighted. I could see things close-up just fine. I had no trouble reading, writing, or doing homework…when I actually did homework. I could see the things that were close to me with no trouble at all. It was only when my far-sightedness progressed to the point of me having difficulty seeing what my teachers were writing on the blackboards, that I even noticed it was a problem. Even then that could be remedied by sitting closer to the board, so that’s what I did. My long range vision had diminished so slowly, that I wasn’t aware the degree of clarity that had vanished along with it. It was only when I could suddenly see so clearly that the difference became distinct. I cannot sufficiently explain, even all these decades later, the amazement I experienced at the prospect of now enjoying all that I had unwittingly been missing out on.
These days my vision has dimmed further. Without glasses correcting my vision I cannot see even a fraction of what I could all those years ago. Along with my inability to see distances without glasses, my ability to see things close up is also a thing of the past. Now I must wear progressive lenses to be able to see both far and near. Even with glasses, nothing seems as clear as I would like it to be…nothing compares to that first ride home from the optometrist.
We can have this problem spiritually as well. We can exhibit symptoms of being spiritually near-sighted and it can cause us some real difficulties. If we don’t correct this problem, we will begin to look only at what can be seen clearly. We will avoid looking too far into the distance because the lack of clarity frustrates us, and so our focus is placed only on what can be seen satisfactorily enough to keep us comfortable. We live in a temporal world. However, that temporal world is not the totality of it. This world exists in a spiritual realm that is eternal. When we consider our lives only in the context of what we can see clearly, we are being incred...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, November 9thth 2023…Near Sighted Vs Far Sighted
I have worn glasses since I was in the 9th grade. I have not forgotten in over 40 years so I am going to assume I will never forget what that first day with my new corrective lenses was like. My dad drove me to the optometrist to pick up the glasses we had been waiting about two weeks to arrive. They put them on me, fitted them, and then repeated the eye exam to make sure my new glasses were correctly improving my vision. It wasn’t until we left the building to head home that I was struck by the vast improvement. I’m sure looking back the ride home was a spectacle to behold. I couldn’t stop telling my dad about the leaves on the trees, the rivets in the steel decked bridge we crossed over. The individual blades of grass in the lawns we passed by. I was amazed that one could perceive those things without being close up to them. Certainly I had seen leaves, rivets, and grass before, but only clearly when looking at them at close proximity. My father must have thought I had regained my eyesight…but lost my mind. I don’t remember because I was too busy looking at everything outside the car, but dad must have had a very amused grin on his face.
One of the reasons I waited so long to get the glasses I needed was because I was near-sighted. I could see things close-up just fine. I had no trouble reading, writing, or doing homework…when I actually did homework. I could see the things that were close to me with no trouble at all. It was only when my far-sightedness progressed to the point of me having difficulty seeing what my teachers were writing on the blackboards, that I even noticed it was a problem. Even then that could be remedied by sitting closer to the board, so that’s what I did. My long range vision had diminished so slowly, that I wasn’t aware the degree of clarity that had vanished along with it. It was only when I could suddenly see so clearly that the difference became distinct. I cannot sufficiently explain, even all these decades later, the amazement I experienced at the prospect of now enjoying all that I had unwittingly been missing out on.
These days my vision has dimmed further. Without glasses correcting my vision I cannot see even a fraction of what I could all those years ago. Along with my inability to see distances without glasses, my ability to see things close up is also a thing of the past. Now I must wear progressive lenses to be able to see both far and near. Even with glasses, nothing seems as clear as I would like it to be…nothing compares to that first ride home from the optometrist.
We can have this problem spiritually as well. We can exhibit symptoms of being spiritually near-sighted and it can cause us some real difficulties. If we don’t correct this problem, we will begin to look only at what can be seen clearly. We will avoid looking too far into the distance because the lack of clarity frustrates us, and so our focus is placed only on what can be seen satisfactorily enough to keep us comfortable. We live in a temporal world. However, that temporal world is not the totality of it. This world exists in a spiritual realm that is eternal. When we consider our lives only in the context of what we can see clearly, we are being incredibly near-sighted and unfortunately that is very…short sighted of us as well.  
1 John 2:15-17 in the New Living Translation says, 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. If we choose to focus only on the world we can easily see, we will quite naturally choose those things that please us. We will take the path of least resistance. We will not only selfishly choose the things that bring is physical pleasure but we will also succumb to our prideful nature and attempt to take credit for all of our accomplishments. The Apostle John rightly points out that we cannot serve ourselves and serve God. God is a loving master…but He insists on our complete devotion to Him. In other words, if we are going to accept Him as our Savior, we must also acknowledge Him as our Lord, and serve Him and Him alone. That won’t be possible for us if we are relying on our nearsightedness and ignoring our lack of farsightedness. Jesus once posed the question, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed”? (Luke 9:25). So what can we do to correct our failing far-sightedness? How can we begin to see things as we ought to?
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, our eternal Lord helps us correct our vision and see life through a corrected eternal lens. Jesus having come and died in our place so that our sin problem would finally have a permanent remedy, was raised again to life by God the Father and was seated on His right hand. The Bible tells us that when we accept that Jesus has indeed died in our place and has been raised up eternally, we are raised up with Him. Our faith in His resurrection allows for our resurrection and gives us an eternal vision. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:1-2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. So how will we know if we have truly had our spiritual far-sightedness corrected?
Our approach to this life in this temporal world will change. We will begin to see and treat it as if it is in fact temporary. In John 6:27 it is recorded that Jesus said, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval”. When we get our eternal vision corrected we begin to put the correct emphasis on what really matters. We begin to see that the things of this world are going to someday pass away. The bible tells us that we entered this world naked and we will leave it the same way…meaning, nothing we do here is going to be transferrable into eternity unless it is something we did in service to the Kingdom of God. Those actions, the ones God asks us to take for Him, are the only things that will sustain us and have a lasting effect. 
Additionally, our willingness to do what Jesus asks of us makes clear which aspect of our vision is more highly valued. In Luke 12:32-34 Jesus said, Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Our vision gives us away. If we prefer to focus on what is here and now, close to our hands, we are being near-sighted and everything we do will be to increase our position in this world. If we are far-sighted, eternally minded as we should be, then our focus will be on serving Christ and living in and for His kingdom. Corrected spiritual far-sightedness is an even more wonderful thing than my first experience with corrected physical farsightedness was. It is what enables us to walk by faith and not by sight and see the intricate details that really matter. 
So…if you want to keep your spiritual vision dialed in, then you have to follow the instructions given to us by the eternal God for maintaining healthy eternal eyesight. The most important exercise for maintaining the correct vision is to keep our undivided focus directly on Jesus. He said it, if we are going to focus on, and follow after Him, we have to deny ourselves, meaning we don’t focus on what we would want, take up our cross every day, meaning we understand that it isn’t about us…and follow Him, meaning do what He would do and what He is asking us to do. 
Colossians 3:23-24 says, 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
So now, with your eternal glasses on, viewing this life with a corrected far-sighted…yes even an eternal view, follow Jesus and…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/07e0d65541785a0254c96c66449130c8.mp3" length="6647939" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/07e0d65541785a0254c96c66449130c8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/near-sighted-vs-far-sighted</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Nov 2023 13:29:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[All Things Considered...Knowledge Is Power]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, October 26th 2023…All Th...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, October 26th 2023…All Things Considered, Knowledge is Power…
There is an old saying that Knowledge is power. I would argue that I don’t necessarily think that adage to be true, I say that “Knowledge employed is power”. For the purposes of this discussion…I stand corrected. Knowledge is power.
It is widely and correctly I might add, accepted that God is omniscient, He knows and understands everything. 1 John 3:20 tells us just that “God knows everything”. In Isaiah 40:28 it tells us that His understanding is unsearchable, or in other words, without end. God knows everything and He understands everything. When you ponder that for a moment, that idea is itself hard to comprehend. I have been accused of knowing more unusable facts than the average person. It is true that over my lifetime thus far I have accumulated a number of learned particulars that will probably never do me any good other than to amuse me. All kidding aside, I have spent a good deal of my life learning. I enjoy understanding things and knowing how they work. I suppose I do possess a lot of knowledge and understanding…about a very limited number of things. What makes omniscience amazing is far more than knowing and understanding all things. Omniscience also has the awesome, not-so-often considered ability to know and understand how all things interact with all other things and how all things said and done now, will interact with all things said and done in the future. Furthermore, Omniscience has the capability of espousing absolute truth about all things knowing all future variations that might affect said truths. In other words, God is able to say things knowing they are not only true when they are said, but that they will remain true eternally…no matter what happens or who interacts with those truths…all things have been considered…that is omniscience. That is our God. Knowledge is power.
Why do I bring all of this up today? I raise this for consideration because of a question I was recently asked. Did God really mean for us to follow all of His instructions or where they actually only intended for the hearers at the time, the ones He was speaking to directly? I have heard variations of this question many times over the course of my ministry. That particular petition usually occurs when the Bible contains some statute that the person asking the question has been considering but does not want to be forced to follow, otherwise known as coming under conviction. I think there are times when many of us wonder if what God’s word seems to be saying can really apply to a particular situation that involves us. Can a general work such as the Bible actually be trusted to have specific application to my situation, and all of the variables that pertain to it? It can and it does, if we believe it to be more than a literary work, and is instead trusted to be the written Word of the omniscient God.
If it is trusted to be the very word of the One true all knowing, all understanding God, and if that God is also immutable, meaning He cannot and does not change…ever, then His word has to be infallible. If God is omnipotent, meaning He is all powerful, and He is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere all the time, then He is in fact able to make His word prove...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, October 26th 2023…All Things Considered, Knowledge is Power…
There is an old saying that Knowledge is power. I would argue that I don’t necessarily think that adage to be true, I say that “Knowledge employed is power”. For the purposes of this discussion…I stand corrected. Knowledge is power.
It is widely and correctly I might add, accepted that God is omniscient, He knows and understands everything. 1 John 3:20 tells us just that “God knows everything”. In Isaiah 40:28 it tells us that His understanding is unsearchable, or in other words, without end. God knows everything and He understands everything. When you ponder that for a moment, that idea is itself hard to comprehend. I have been accused of knowing more unusable facts than the average person. It is true that over my lifetime thus far I have accumulated a number of learned particulars that will probably never do me any good other than to amuse me. All kidding aside, I have spent a good deal of my life learning. I enjoy understanding things and knowing how they work. I suppose I do possess a lot of knowledge and understanding…about a very limited number of things. What makes omniscience amazing is far more than knowing and understanding all things. Omniscience also has the awesome, not-so-often considered ability to know and understand how all things interact with all other things and how all things said and done now, will interact with all things said and done in the future. Furthermore, Omniscience has the capability of espousing absolute truth about all things knowing all future variations that might affect said truths. In other words, God is able to say things knowing they are not only true when they are said, but that they will remain true eternally…no matter what happens or who interacts with those truths…all things have been considered…that is omniscience. That is our God. Knowledge is power.
Why do I bring all of this up today? I raise this for consideration because of a question I was recently asked. Did God really mean for us to follow all of His instructions or where they actually only intended for the hearers at the time, the ones He was speaking to directly? I have heard variations of this question many times over the course of my ministry. That particular petition usually occurs when the Bible contains some statute that the person asking the question has been considering but does not want to be forced to follow, otherwise known as coming under conviction. I think there are times when many of us wonder if what God’s word seems to be saying can really apply to a particular situation that involves us. Can a general work such as the Bible actually be trusted to have specific application to my situation, and all of the variables that pertain to it? It can and it does, if we believe it to be more than a literary work, and is instead trusted to be the written Word of the omniscient God.
If it is trusted to be the very word of the One true all knowing, all understanding God, and if that God is also immutable, meaning He cannot and does not change…ever, then His word has to be infallible. If God is omnipotent, meaning He is all powerful, and He is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere all the time, then He is in fact able to make His word prove true even in the midst of your circumstances. God is in fact each and all of these things and more, and His word is trustworthy as nothing else is. Psalm 19:7-11 in the New Living Translation says;
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.
God’s word is true…ALL THINGS considered. It is applicable to your life and mine. When we come under conviction to submit to what it lovingly instructs, there is no better recourse for us than obedience. Only the Power of God and His word can bring us such knowledge and wisdom. God’s Knowledge is Power! However, for us “Knowledge employed is power” In our case, knowing is not enough. As I said earlier, I like to learn. As a result, I have learned many things along the way. I know more than a few tricks that will make tasks I do regularly easier or more efficient. If I do not employ that knowledge, If I do not do the things I know, then they cannot impact my life whatsoever. The only power that comes from my knowledge is the action taken as a result of that knowledge. The scripture I just read speaks of the perfection and the power of God’s knowledge. If I want to experience the power of His knowledge, I must act upon it. The bible tells us to not be hearers only but doers of the instruction found in the word of God. (James 1:22) James says that if we hear The Word but do not act upon The Word we are simply fooling ourselves that we somehow have power from The Word. 
So, when we question if a certain part of the word should be applicable to us and our situation or not, let’s at least be honest about what that means. We all interact with other people every day. Some of those interactions are positive, some not so much. When the results are not what we want them to be, we often decide what course of action (re-action really) we should take to remedy the situation. If we do not consult God’s word for His prescription any reaction on our part will likely be errant and create further problems and completely circumvent meaningful resolution. We often wonder if those scriptural prescriptions apply to us because we do not want to respond as God’s word would suggest.
Questions as to the validity of God’s word in our specific circumstances usually means we are afraid that while biblical precepts may sound good and loving on the surface, if we apply them to our situation the person we are having a problem with won’t recognize the pain they are causing us. We conclude that if we can’t successfully express our displeasure, they are likely to continue to walk all over us, and keep causing us emotional harm. Considering that, how could scripture written centuries ago, apply to our situation? If it was only a book, that would be a valid question, but it isn’t simply a book it is the inspired written word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man [or woman] of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 
We are the creation of God. He more than anyone, including ourselves, knows how we are intended to operate at peak performance. He knows what is best for us and has clearly stated in His word that He wants us to experience that abundant life. I shared with you last time that His word says in Psalm 32:8 that we can count on Him to help us know exactly what to do even considering the specifics of our situations. In that verse God says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. He is literally saying that His counsel is offered to us with His eyes on our circumstances. How is He able to do that? Certainly through the work of His Holy Spirit living inside of us, but yes, also through His written word. How is that possible? The power of omniscience. God’s knowledge is power. It was true when it was inspired and penned centuries ago and it is still true today. It was truth in the circumstances that necessitated its initial inspiration, and it is no less true now and is still necessary for successful resolution.
There has never been, nor will there ever be a situation, or set of circumstances that will negate the Word of God. Nothing can or will ever occur that will render any of the truths of God unreliable. Omniscience does not allow for that possibility. God’s word, God’s truth is more powerful than a two edged sword, it is more precise than the best scalpel. God says of His own word, that it will never return void or unusable. That means that nothing will ever disprove it. It cannot be invalidated because…all things considered…and God has carefully considered all things, God’s knowledge is the highest form of Power that can impact our lives…if we employ it.
So now, being a doer and not a hearer only of the wisdom and power of God’s word…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b73c45a2739dfca7843cbc630bd019ab.mp3" length="6873548" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b73c45a2739dfca7843cbc630bd019ab.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/all-things-consideredknowledge-is-power</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2023 14:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A God Shaped Marriage Vol. 1]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
In the last series we discovered 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
In the last series we discovered 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage. If you have not listened to that series of the Monday Marriage Message I invite you to do that. There you will see how God intends to use Compatibility, Understanding, Holiness, Selfless Service, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, and Love to bless your marriage, and make it Highly Successful, wonderfully fulfilling its intended purpose of reflecting Him.  
The essence of every successfully married couple is an understanding that their marriage is not really about them, but rather about how together they reflect their God and the author of their union. We have explored that truth originally stated in Genesis 1:26-27 in several past episodes, and it is essentially the basis for each of the editions of the Monday Marriage Message I have offered for your consideration over the past two years. 
In this episode I am hoping to introduce how this all-important truth is key to the Structure of Marriage. Everything successful is based upon structure and order. This is true of nature, science, mathematics, music, business and relationships. It is also true of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. In all of these examples as well as others, structure and order are paramount to success. There are laws and rules that govern necessary structure and order if we are to trust mathematical equations, enjoy melodic performances, follow true science, or run a successful business venture. Most of the ills experienced in our world are the result of disorder or chaotic activity. Even physically, emotionally, or mentally speaking, when things are out of order, illness is the result. In relationships when intended or expressed order is not respected, dysfunction is the outcome. Even so in nature, when the balance of order is shifted the slightest bit, there are often dramatic consequences. 
Relationships are not immune from the importance of structure and order. As of late there has been a renewed surge in the societal effort to ignore this truth, but make no mistake, the results will soon prove this latest attempt to be no more successful than any other in human history. Consequences of even greater familial and societal decay along with the well-documented and long-understood accompanying dysfunction will undoubtedly be the result…only this time in even greater numbers and more vastly affecting the human condition.
Marriage is not simply one of many equivalent relationships as so many would have us believe. If the marital relationship had been developed by mere man, that might be true. However, as the one-flesh relationship originated by God to recreate the original experienced by Adam and Eve, marriage is unique and vastly different than any other. (Genesis 2:23-24) It is the first human-to-human relationship identified in the bible. Because Adam and Eve were created married, (Eve was created from the very flesh of Adam) there was no relationship between two human beings pre-dating the one-flesh bond of Adam and Eve. As the first inter-human relational experience it is understood to be the primary one, therefore none is of higher importance. Only two forms of relationship supersede it, that enjoyed amongst the three Persons of the Triune Godhead, and the one between Creator God and His creation, n...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
In the last series we discovered 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage. If you have not listened to that series of the Monday Marriage Message I invite you to do that. There you will see how God intends to use Compatibility, Understanding, Holiness, Selfless Service, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, and Love to bless your marriage, and make it Highly Successful, wonderfully fulfilling its intended purpose of reflecting Him.  
The essence of every successfully married couple is an understanding that their marriage is not really about them, but rather about how together they reflect their God and the author of their union. We have explored that truth originally stated in Genesis 1:26-27 in several past episodes, and it is essentially the basis for each of the editions of the Monday Marriage Message I have offered for your consideration over the past two years. 
In this episode I am hoping to introduce how this all-important truth is key to the Structure of Marriage. Everything successful is based upon structure and order. This is true of nature, science, mathematics, music, business and relationships. It is also true of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. In all of these examples as well as others, structure and order are paramount to success. There are laws and rules that govern necessary structure and order if we are to trust mathematical equations, enjoy melodic performances, follow true science, or run a successful business venture. Most of the ills experienced in our world are the result of disorder or chaotic activity. Even physically, emotionally, or mentally speaking, when things are out of order, illness is the result. In relationships when intended or expressed order is not respected, dysfunction is the outcome. Even so in nature, when the balance of order is shifted the slightest bit, there are often dramatic consequences. 
Relationships are not immune from the importance of structure and order. As of late there has been a renewed surge in the societal effort to ignore this truth, but make no mistake, the results will soon prove this latest attempt to be no more successful than any other in human history. Consequences of even greater familial and societal decay along with the well-documented and long-understood accompanying dysfunction will undoubtedly be the result…only this time in even greater numbers and more vastly affecting the human condition.
Marriage is not simply one of many equivalent relationships as so many would have us believe. If the marital relationship had been developed by mere man, that might be true. However, as the one-flesh relationship originated by God to recreate the original experienced by Adam and Eve, marriage is unique and vastly different than any other. (Genesis 2:23-24) It is the first human-to-human relationship identified in the bible. Because Adam and Eve were created married, (Eve was created from the very flesh of Adam) there was no relationship between two human beings pre-dating the one-flesh bond of Adam and Eve. As the first inter-human relational experience it is understood to be the primary one, therefore none is of higher importance. Only two forms of relationship supersede it, that enjoyed amongst the three Persons of the Triune Godhead, and the one between Creator God and His creation, neither of which is a purely inter-human relationship. 
As I stated earlier and as many times in past episodes, marriage is primarily intended to reflect the character and nature of God. As a result, the structure and order of marriage is uniquely taken directly from the structure and order of the Godhead. Scripturally we recognize this truth in 1 Corinthians 11:3 where we read, But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. In a rudimentary way this passage lays the foundation for the order of marriage basing it directly on the structure of the Godhead. The order of the marriage is clearly laid out, the Wife is under the authority and protection of her Husband just as Christ is under the authority and protection of God the Father. It is truly unfortunate that this marital structure provided for in God’s word seems to cause so many couples difficulty and dissention, when it is intended to bring nothing but unity and blessing. Since the introduction of sin into the world, this structure; designed to build up and strengthen, has often been the source of contention and division. God made it known to Adam and Eve that this would be the case when He removed them from the Garden of Eden and paradise was postponed. In Genesis 3:16 God said to Eve, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and He shall rule over you”. The implications here are many and we will look at them closely and in greater detail in a future edition of this series. For the purpose of this discussion however, it is important to note that the order of marriage was not changing as Adam and Eve’s sin necessitated their ejection from Eden, but the willing acceptance of that order inevitably became difficult with the knowledge of both good and evil.
Lest anyone conclude that I am saying that women should know their place, and that men are somehow superior to them, let me emphatically state that nothing could be further from the truth. Scripture clearly states that the woman was created completely and totally equivalent in value to the man. The prescribed order is not based on value in any way, rather the structure of marriage is simply reflective of the structure of God who created it. Sin (a spiritual dis-order) is what caused our difficulty, not the God-given structure. Men ought not assume any undue pride in the stated order. In fact, Adam’s sin did bring an inequity into the order and structure of marriage…but it is slanted against the man’s favor not in it. Allow me to explain. In the passage from 1 Corinthians 11 that we looked at earlier, the stated order of authority is as follows; The head of every woman (the wife) is man (her husband). The head of every man (the Husband) is Christ, and the head of Christ is God the Father. In this order wives (imperfect beings) come under the authority of their husbands (also imperfect beings). Christ (the perfect Son of God) comes under the authority of God the Father (the perfect God). Men or husbands (imperfect sinful beings) are under the authority of Christ (the perfect, sinless Son of God). As men (or husbands) we are the only ones in this framework that are responsible to an authority morally superior to us. Men…we are not in a greater position in the structure of marriage than our wives are, we actually drew the short end of that particular stick. We are responsible for one who is like us, but to one infinitely greater than we are.
As the primary inter-human relationship marriage is indeed different than any other human connection. There is none other like it. Of all bonds human beings enter into, it is the one that matters most to God because it is the one He desperately hopes to look into and see His reflection displayed most completely. In the coming weeks as we delve into this series exploring the structure and order of marriage it is my hope that we will not only discover what the Word of God identifies as the order but that we will also come away with a much greater understanding of what that order signifies and why it is so important to a successful marriage. Please join me each Monday as we take the necessary time to discover how God’s prescribed order and structure for marriage is intended to aid us in realizing all of the benefits and blessings as we allow Him to develop of us A God-shaped Marriage.
So now, understanding that everything God purposes is for our good, accept the order and structure of your marriage as ordained by God Himself to be a total blessing in your life…and Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1dc7bd0234dea61e84a48d2065c20b3b.mp3" length="5639795" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1dc7bd0234dea61e84a48d2065c20b3b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-god-shaped-marriage-vol-1</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:37:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Planning the Route]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, October 19th 2023…Planni...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, October 19th 2023…Planning the Route
Planning a route for a trip has changed considerably in my lifetime. When I was a kid it meant spreading state maps out across the kitchen table and switching from one to another as needed to plan a journey into unfamiliar territory. Some people had trouble reading those maps, I’ve even known some who seemingly didn’t know which side was the top of the map. Regardless of your ability to read those free maps provided by the local gas station, everyone had problems refolding them back to their original size and shape.
As I got just a little older Rand McNally began printing automobile atlas books that included each of the 50 United States and some incorporated all of North America. That book made the phone book look small, but I remember happily perusing through my parent’s Atlas in the back seat trying to identify all of the places on the various pages we had visited. Even as a young boy I thought those books were a vast improvement over the old “gas station” state maps. It was like possessing all of them without having to travel to each state to collect them and…you didn’t have to fold it up correctly when you were finished with it. That fact alone made it a vast improvement!
In my early twenties, AAA came out with “Trip-tics”. If you were a member, and you made your local AAA agent aware of where you were going, they would print out 4x8 inch pages cropped from a full size map with a highlighted line that followed the best route from point A to point B. All you had to do once you had traversed the road depicted on the current page of the trip-tic was flip it over to the next page and begin recording your progress there.
In my thirties Garmin and Tom-Tom were released. This was cutting edge technology for sure. Inputting your destination and simply following the directions of the insistent and sometimes downright rude voice that emanated from the device’s speaker made traveling much easier. Anyone could successfully navigate with one of those devises. You didn’t need to be able to read a map at all, and no preplanning was necessary…except being ready to mute the indignant gizmo when you wanted to stop for something to eat, gas up or simply use a rest-room. This was necessary to avoid it incessantly shouting, “Recalculating!. Recalculating!!” as if you would not have the good sense to know how to get back to the prescribed route again. 
Then Cell Phones grew a brain and became “Smart Phones”. With one of those, Google offers all of us its Maps app, and you can get the turn-by-turn instructions without all of the preprogramed hype if a recalculation of the route becomes necessary. The Maps app can calculate the time to destination including heavy traffic slowdowns, weather conditions, and will offer detours around accidents miles before you inadvertently find yourself sitting in a traffic jam. Other Apps like Waze will do all that and tell you where the police are staked out behind that road sign trying to catch those ignoring the speed limit.
Last week I used an App on my phone that let me do something we haven’t done much of since folding “gas station maps” and Atlas books. I planned my own trip. That app allowed me to choose each and every road and turn. It kept track...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, October 19th 2023…Planning the Route
Planning a route for a trip has changed considerably in my lifetime. When I was a kid it meant spreading state maps out across the kitchen table and switching from one to another as needed to plan a journey into unfamiliar territory. Some people had trouble reading those maps, I’ve even known some who seemingly didn’t know which side was the top of the map. Regardless of your ability to read those free maps provided by the local gas station, everyone had problems refolding them back to their original size and shape.
As I got just a little older Rand McNally began printing automobile atlas books that included each of the 50 United States and some incorporated all of North America. That book made the phone book look small, but I remember happily perusing through my parent’s Atlas in the back seat trying to identify all of the places on the various pages we had visited. Even as a young boy I thought those books were a vast improvement over the old “gas station” state maps. It was like possessing all of them without having to travel to each state to collect them and…you didn’t have to fold it up correctly when you were finished with it. That fact alone made it a vast improvement!
In my early twenties, AAA came out with “Trip-tics”. If you were a member, and you made your local AAA agent aware of where you were going, they would print out 4x8 inch pages cropped from a full size map with a highlighted line that followed the best route from point A to point B. All you had to do once you had traversed the road depicted on the current page of the trip-tic was flip it over to the next page and begin recording your progress there.
In my thirties Garmin and Tom-Tom were released. This was cutting edge technology for sure. Inputting your destination and simply following the directions of the insistent and sometimes downright rude voice that emanated from the device’s speaker made traveling much easier. Anyone could successfully navigate with one of those devises. You didn’t need to be able to read a map at all, and no preplanning was necessary…except being ready to mute the indignant gizmo when you wanted to stop for something to eat, gas up or simply use a rest-room. This was necessary to avoid it incessantly shouting, “Recalculating!. Recalculating!!” as if you would not have the good sense to know how to get back to the prescribed route again. 
Then Cell Phones grew a brain and became “Smart Phones”. With one of those, Google offers all of us its Maps app, and you can get the turn-by-turn instructions without all of the preprogramed hype if a recalculation of the route becomes necessary. The Maps app can calculate the time to destination including heavy traffic slowdowns, weather conditions, and will offer detours around accidents miles before you inadvertently find yourself sitting in a traffic jam. Other Apps like Waze will do all that and tell you where the police are staked out behind that road sign trying to catch those ignoring the speed limit.
Last week I used an App on my phone that let me do something we haven’t done much of since folding “gas station maps” and Atlas books. I planned my own trip. That app allowed me to choose each and every road and turn. It kept track of the distance and calculated the time it would take, but I got to choose the route. When I took that trip, it guided me turn-by-turn, but it did so in accordance with my wishes. Planning a journey sure has changed a lot over the years.
Whether I made the plan or it was made for me, the success of the journey has everything to do with my ability to obey the instructions given and keep the course. My walk with the Lord is a lot like that. My success has much to do with my response to God. His word says that He is always there to guide me, but whether I conform to His will or not…therein lies my success or lack of success navigating life. Psalm 16:4 says; You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. I don’t take this to mean that there are no difficulties that will cross my path if I let God decide the route. What I do understand, is that God has rightly decided that it is His place to set the path for me, it is my position to follow as He makes that path evident, and He says He will do just that. It also means that in His presence, in other words walking that path with Him by my side I can have joy regardless of the perils, and the peace that comes from His company, provision and protection along the way.
So what about those times when it seems that the path is full of obstacles and trouble? Sometimes it indeed appears that life is out of control. From our limited ability to see what is ahead that may seem like a fair and correct assessment. However, we have to recognize that if we are letting the Lord lead and guide, we are submitting to an authority that has never failed. As the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, King of all kings and Lord of all lords, He is the ultimate authority on what direction is best for our lives. Isaiah 58:11 says; 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. God desires us to let Him always be the One we lean on for direction. So much so that He has a plan to provide exactly what we need, exactly when we need it, no matter what the world around us might suggest. Just a handful of pages before in Isaiah 48:17 it says; Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Here God is saying that He teaches us how to increase in our ability to reflect Him in any situation, That God goes ahead of us and leads the way. My father often says that Where God’s finger points…His hand always provides. No matter where His finger may point, no matter what difficulties, trials and tribulations may be ahead on the path He has chosen, because He goes ahead, we can trust that He sees those things, and has already decided that leading us over, under, or strait through them will be good for us in the final analysis. Romans 8:28 tells us, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 
So how can we know what to do? How do we know whether it is time to turn right, left, turn around or keep going strait? In Psalm 32:8 God tells us we can count on Him for that help. There He says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Isn’t it a comfort to know that God offers us His direction, with His eye upon us. That means that His counsel to us is specific to us. It is given to us with us in mind. One way that He offers it is in the same form as the maps, atlases, and trip-tics of the past…it’s all written down for us. Psalm 119:105 tells us, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. And in Joshua 1:7-9 God says; 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 
We can rely upon God’s written word to be our guide, but that is not the only source of counsel we can expect from One who has His eye upon us. We also have the gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling us and offering us the much needed momentary, turn by turn instructions. John 16:13 tells us, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. God keeps His eye on us and tells His Holy Spirit what direction to give us. If we are receptive to the Holy Spirit, meaning that we are listening to Him to guide us Isaiah 30:21 tells us we will hear Him. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
And what about those times when we decide to stray from the path and risk becoming lost? Our Heavenly Father’s GPS (godly positioning service aka the Holy Spirit) will help you recalculate. The Bible tells us that no matter what caught our eye and encouraged us to get off track, He wants to help us re-establish the way. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Hopefully we will choose to allow Him to help us recalculate and resume safely following His direction. If we persist in following our own desired path, our spiritual enemy will try to convince us that God is finished with us and will no longer be willing to give instruction to someone too hard-hearted to listen. Thankfully God says otherwise, He says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us of all [of our] unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) Unlike our old Tom-Tom or Garmin, we should never try to mute the Holy Spirit as He tries us to warn us of the dangers of veering off of His prescribed route for our lives. Instead, we need to ask Him to fill us anew each day so that we can hear Him loud and clear.
The Bible tells us that we make our plans but the Lord orders our steps. God does give us the ability to plan and set out in the way that we think we should go. God also has the ability to order our steps, in other words, He controls many things we do not. So, the next time you have made plans and something outside of your control causes you to have to take a different path…don’t be discouraged. Thank God for the direction and the fact that He loves you so much that He has His eyes fixed on you and is working in ways you cannot, to make sure that your feet don’t slip.
So now, in gratitude for a God that watches that closely and cares that much, follow His lead, let him blaze the trail…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ceec668b3d9a84d0e3312fd4c09d90a7.mp3" length="7125511" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ceec668b3d9a84d0e3312fd4c09d90a7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/planning-the-route</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2023 09:25:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Authority - October 1st, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues his series on Authority. ]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues his series on Authority. ]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues his series on Authority. ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/634aa91e6d971ea2d2ba10fc708c63fb.mp3" length="40295133" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/634aa91e6d971ea2d2ba10fc708c63fb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/authority-october-1st-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Oct 2023 10:09:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[7th Biblical Principle for a Highly Successful Marriage - Love]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
For the past six episodes we have been exploring 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Suc...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
For the past six episodes we have been exploring 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage. Other than the first principle I shared with you, Compatibility, I must admit, there has been no prioritization given to the principles that followed. I simply allowed the Holy Spirit to guide where in His inspired word and which of His Principles He would have me share next. However, as a part of the process, As He always is, God was doing more than I realized. As I researched and wrote in preparation for each episode in the series, the realization was always evident that there was too much information to convey comprehensively in a 15-minute podcast. That has always been one of the challenges of the Monday Marriage Message, to deliver an important idea rich with scriptural background in just 15 minutes. As I undertook the project of this particular series, that challenge remained. Flow and continuity required I not spend multiple editions exploring a singlular Biblical Principle, so as I have become accustom to doing, I condensed the material to the best of my ability to fit the format.
As I made my way through 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage, it was all too clear that there was too much left on the cutting room floor to simply sweep up and toss out. As that recognition grew, the reality emerged that more had to be done with the material I included in the podcast as well as what necessarily had been held back. What emerged has become a second marriage building conference that I will be presenting for the first time at the end of the week. That new project required a thoughtful look at the order of these 7 Biblical Principles and a reshuffling of them that will present more effectively in a seminar format. I say all of that to say that today although we will be exploring our 7th Biblical Principle in this series, that is not its final place in the seminar lineup, there it has become Principle # 4.
This 7th or 4th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage, depending on where it is being offered, is Love. I can see good reason for some of you to think I should have numbered it first because it is reasonable to ask, “Without love is a highly successful marriage even possible”? I can’t argue with that logic. I can also understand why someone would place it as the final of these 7 Biblical Principles, because love is the correct final word on everything. Paul wrote that now abides faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Love is the catalyst of all things good, right and true…and it is also the culmination of those same things. I suppose it could also be argued that Love belongs in the middle of the list because love must be in the midst of anything for that thing to have value. While none of those were my rationale for placing it in the final position here in the podcast, or in the fourth position in the upcoming marriage conference, they are all valid points none-the-less.
More importantly however, is the question, “Why does love make the cut as one of the 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage”? As we have learned from God’s word, the primary purpose of marriage according to its originator is to be reflective of the Triune God that created it. It is recorded in Genesis 1:26-27 that G...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
For the past six episodes we have been exploring 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage. Other than the first principle I shared with you, Compatibility, I must admit, there has been no prioritization given to the principles that followed. I simply allowed the Holy Spirit to guide where in His inspired word and which of His Principles He would have me share next. However, as a part of the process, As He always is, God was doing more than I realized. As I researched and wrote in preparation for each episode in the series, the realization was always evident that there was too much information to convey comprehensively in a 15-minute podcast. That has always been one of the challenges of the Monday Marriage Message, to deliver an important idea rich with scriptural background in just 15 minutes. As I undertook the project of this particular series, that challenge remained. Flow and continuity required I not spend multiple editions exploring a singlular Biblical Principle, so as I have become accustom to doing, I condensed the material to the best of my ability to fit the format.
As I made my way through 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage, it was all too clear that there was too much left on the cutting room floor to simply sweep up and toss out. As that recognition grew, the reality emerged that more had to be done with the material I included in the podcast as well as what necessarily had been held back. What emerged has become a second marriage building conference that I will be presenting for the first time at the end of the week. That new project required a thoughtful look at the order of these 7 Biblical Principles and a reshuffling of them that will present more effectively in a seminar format. I say all of that to say that today although we will be exploring our 7th Biblical Principle in this series, that is not its final place in the seminar lineup, there it has become Principle # 4.
This 7th or 4th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage, depending on where it is being offered, is Love. I can see good reason for some of you to think I should have numbered it first because it is reasonable to ask, “Without love is a highly successful marriage even possible”? I can’t argue with that logic. I can also understand why someone would place it as the final of these 7 Biblical Principles, because love is the correct final word on everything. Paul wrote that now abides faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Love is the catalyst of all things good, right and true…and it is also the culmination of those same things. I suppose it could also be argued that Love belongs in the middle of the list because love must be in the midst of anything for that thing to have value. While none of those were my rationale for placing it in the final position here in the podcast, or in the fourth position in the upcoming marriage conference, they are all valid points none-the-less.
More importantly however, is the question, “Why does love make the cut as one of the 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage”? As we have learned from God’s word, the primary purpose of marriage according to its originator is to be reflective of the Triune God that created it. It is recorded in Genesis 1:26-27 that God said Let Us (The Father, The Son, and The Spirit) make man in our image and likeness…So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. It is also recorded in 1 John 4:8 that the Apostle John wrote He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love. If God is love, and He is…and the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect God…and it most certainly is, then one of the necessary components of a marriage highly successful at reflecting God…is love.
Additionally, if we are going to move forward in this discussion in a meaningful way we must initially define love. Let me first say that the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you hold an infant child, embrace your spouse, or even scratch your version of the “Best dog ever”, behind the ear is not love! Love is not an emotion. The warm and fuzzies are the result of fondness. Fondness is an emotion. Fondness is measurable in a sense in that it has graduations or levels. Hopefully you feel more fondness when you embrace your spouse than you do when you scratch behind the dogs ear…maybe not. Love is actionable…always. It could be argued that fondness is the emotion you experience when you embrace your spouse, hold the baby or pet the dog. However, in the most basic sense, the embrace, the cuddle, the pat…those are love. More importantly though, the relationship, not the emotion must be the catalyst for genuine love. Let me explain.
In that same chapter in 1 John we read in verse 21, And this commandment we have from Him (Jesus) that he who loves God must love his brother also. God does not command us how to feel, or what emotions to have, and yet He commands us to love one another. In John’s gospel he recorded the moment Jesus said; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”. (John 13:34-35) Since God does not command our emotions, but rather does command action, if we are commanded to love, love must be actionable. Who is it that we are we commanded to take loving action toward? One another. Why? Because we are His disciples. We are to act in love toward one another as a result of the relationship. But which relationship? The Teacher/Master to disciple one. We love others because Jesus asks us to. Because we are in relationship with Him, and He wishes that we show His love to others, we do so at His request. This is what allows us to love even when hurt, disappointed, frustrated or even angry with those with whom we are called to love. This ability only increases in importance when the one we are interacting with is our spouse. 
Therefore, defining love as an actionable characteristic, and understanding that God is love and therefore our marriages, designed to reflect Him, must reflect His love…what are those actions we must exemplify and which must we avoid? For that answer we can refer to what the Apostle Paul was inspired by God to write in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
Paul writes here that we can do a lot of things in admirable ways but without love they are worse than useless. He begins with our words. My wife and I are both hearing impaired. There are times when we jokingly say that if people heard us try to communicate when we are unable to look at one another and read lips to assist our failing hearing, they would probably wonder why we stay so angry with each other…we yell at one another all the time. We don’t yell because we are angry with each other…at least not usually, we do it because speech that cannot be heard is useless. However, Paul writes, words that are spoken without love are worse than useless, the hearer also finds them incredibly irritating. Paul goes on to say that even if we have great and wonderful revelations from God, even if He has given us understanding of some of the most problematic of life’s questions, if we cannot express them in love, those answers are of no use to anyone...not even us! Suppose we have the proverbial faith that can move mountains…without love, we won’t use it correctly. In the final of his hypotheticals Paul says that if we sell everything we have to feed the poor, but we do it so we will gain recognition more than we do it because someone is hungry, or even if we are willing to become a martyr, if our motivation is anything short of love…those actions will be valueless.  
Paul then switched from analogous writing and began penning words of a more descriptive nature. In this next segment, he begins to define what specific actions are loving and which are not. He says that loving action will patiently continue on even if there is seemingly no return on investment. Why? Because genuine love’s motivation is never self-serving. Loving action is kind, and acts of kindness are by definition always to benefit another. Next Paul mentions a few unloving actions. He tells us love doesn’t worry about what is fair, only what is right. He mentions that love doesn’t try to get credit for its righteous actions and never thinks it is better than another because of its ability to act as it does. Paul says that genuine love will never fail to be courteous and considerate of others. Love is not self-serving or inward thinking. Love always considers others before thinking of self. Love is not provoked but instead will empathetically endure insults and unloving words and actions, and will not allow anything to dissuade it. Love does not think that every unkind action or word received from another is indicative of a poor motive but instead offers the benefit of the doubt, and tries to understand what that person may be going through. Paul states that as human beings we all have a propensity for the ability to take enjoyment from that which is wrong, but genuine love only wants what is best, righteous and uplifting. 
Paul concludes by offering a litmus test to determine genuine love from a cheap counterfeit. He says that love will always do these five things. 
•	Love bears all things. This means that love will be patient in all things and will even try to conceal the faults of others. The original text actually means that love covers all things, meaning love rubs out another’s mistake rather than rubbing it in. 
•	Love believes all things. This doesn’t mean that love is gullible, but it does mean that love gives the benefit of the doubt. Love does not look for a poor motive behind every hurtful misstep of another but rather looks to see what difficulty or misunderstanding could cause an otherwise good willed person to lash out.
•	Love hopes all things. Love always wants to see things work out the best for everyone involved. Even in genuine disagreements, love necessitates that when the dust settles…everyone survives.
•	Love endures all things. Love does not withdraw itself or morph into unloving action no matter what it receives from another. Love understands that it’s standard is always righteousness. Love is true to itself and does not change because it is on the receiving end of unrighteousness.
•	Love never fails. The four previous characteristics of love elude to this one. In each of them Paul wrote “all things” meaning; nothing gets love off its game. In the end result love will always emerge acting in a loving way. God is love, God is unchanging…Therefore, love also is unwavering. Love always comes up looking like love.
You know what else genuine love always does? Love always wins. 
So now, using the winning strategy of love in your marriage…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4b32bfa0da45849f694e02e499c49fdb.mp3" length="8278660" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4b32bfa0da45849f694e02e499c49fdb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/7th-biblical-principle-for-a-highly-successful-marriage-love</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 25 Sep 2023 14:20:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>15:14</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[6th Biblical Principle for a Highly Successful Marriage - Forgiveness]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the sixth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highl...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the sixth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
Since beginning this series I have shared with you 5 of 7 biblical principles that govern highly successful marriages. I have been careful not to call this series “THE” 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage because though I have chosen to highlight these 7 they are not by any accounting the only biblical principles governing marriage. God’s word contains many, many more that will have an even greater positive impact on your marriage if you will choose to search them out and employ them. Thus far in this series we have considered; Compatibility, Recognizing that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse, Holiness, Selfless Service and Faithfulness. Each of these principles are indeed crucial to a marriage that strives to fulfill its God-given purpose of reflecting Him. However, there are still two more Biblical principles that I wish to uncover from God’s word before I conclude this series. 
In this episode we will take a close look at what God’s word says about Forgiveness as the 6th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage. Forgiveness is an interesting and complex subject. All of us come to understand very quickly in marriage that forgiveness is going to be necessary if the marriage is going to experience any meaningful longevity. 1 Corinthians 13:5 describes the kind of love marriage must be predicated upon to be highly successful as one that keeps no record of wrongdoing. Does wrongdoing take place in marriage…you bet! Often, before the first day of marriage has concluded, the new bride and groom have managed to offend one another, but those wrongs are quickly overlooked in light of their newly established oneness. Unless the same offences repeatedly occur, they will likely not be recorded on a tally-sheet. Why? According to 1 Corinthians 13 Godly love doesn’t have a score card. Consequently, it doesn’t take the newly-weds long at all to come to realize that forgiveness in their new marriage is going to become an important, daily, necessity.
If our marriages must reflect God if they are going to meet their intended purpose…and they must, then our forgiveness for one another must be the same kind God uses when He forgives us. If we are going to forgive as God does…we must have an understanding of what forgiveness means to Him. Any other form of forgiveness that we attempt to invent, will be incorrectly applied and will not have the effect God intends us to experience. God’s brand of forgiveness offers freedom, freedom to move forward unencumbered. In Isaiah 43:25 God says this; “I, I am the One who erases all your sins, for my sake; I will not remember your sins”. 
So what are the components of genuine forgiveness that are critical to highly successful marriages? The first important understanding comes from the verse I mentioned just a moment ago from the book of Isaiah. There God mentions a few things about His forgiveness that are noteworthy. First He says that He erases our sins. This is in line with 1 Corinthians 13:5. There we read that love (and according to 1 John, God is love) keeps no record of wrongdoing. God says that He erases the record of our wrongdoin...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the sixth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
Since beginning this series I have shared with you 5 of 7 biblical principles that govern highly successful marriages. I have been careful not to call this series “THE” 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage because though I have chosen to highlight these 7 they are not by any accounting the only biblical principles governing marriage. God’s word contains many, many more that will have an even greater positive impact on your marriage if you will choose to search them out and employ them. Thus far in this series we have considered; Compatibility, Recognizing that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse, Holiness, Selfless Service and Faithfulness. Each of these principles are indeed crucial to a marriage that strives to fulfill its God-given purpose of reflecting Him. However, there are still two more Biblical principles that I wish to uncover from God’s word before I conclude this series. 
In this episode we will take a close look at what God’s word says about Forgiveness as the 6th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage. Forgiveness is an interesting and complex subject. All of us come to understand very quickly in marriage that forgiveness is going to be necessary if the marriage is going to experience any meaningful longevity. 1 Corinthians 13:5 describes the kind of love marriage must be predicated upon to be highly successful as one that keeps no record of wrongdoing. Does wrongdoing take place in marriage…you bet! Often, before the first day of marriage has concluded, the new bride and groom have managed to offend one another, but those wrongs are quickly overlooked in light of their newly established oneness. Unless the same offences repeatedly occur, they will likely not be recorded on a tally-sheet. Why? According to 1 Corinthians 13 Godly love doesn’t have a score card. Consequently, it doesn’t take the newly-weds long at all to come to realize that forgiveness in their new marriage is going to become an important, daily, necessity.
If our marriages must reflect God if they are going to meet their intended purpose…and they must, then our forgiveness for one another must be the same kind God uses when He forgives us. If we are going to forgive as God does…we must have an understanding of what forgiveness means to Him. Any other form of forgiveness that we attempt to invent, will be incorrectly applied and will not have the effect God intends us to experience. God’s brand of forgiveness offers freedom, freedom to move forward unencumbered. In Isaiah 43:25 God says this; “I, I am the One who erases all your sins, for my sake; I will not remember your sins”. 
So what are the components of genuine forgiveness that are critical to highly successful marriages? The first important understanding comes from the verse I mentioned just a moment ago from the book of Isaiah. There God mentions a few things about His forgiveness that are noteworthy. First He says that He erases our sins. This is in line with 1 Corinthians 13:5. There we read that love (and according to 1 John, God is love) keeps no record of wrongdoing. God says that He erases the record of our wrongdoing toward Him. He does not say that the wrong never happened, nor does He say our sin against Him wasn’t hurtful…just that He won’t keep considering it when He is interacting with us. The second remarkable thing this simple verse illustrates for us is that forgiveness essentially frees the forgiver as much or more than it does the forgiven. There God says that He erases our sins for His own sake. He forgives us to free Himself of the negative feelings that our sin would otherwise cause Him to experience when interacting with us. He forgives us to free Himself to love us in spite of our sin against Him. As a result, He said, “I will not remember your sins”. When you look at the original Hebrew text the intimation is that of a Judge who chooses to interact with a convict, but who refuses to look at their rap-sheet while doing so. The rap-sheet is real. Both participants are fully aware of its existence, But God says that in His forgiveness of us He refuses to open our file. 
When we forgive our spouse we have to learn to do as God does. Get rid of the record of wrongdoing. This doesn’t mean we have to make-believe the wrong didn’t happen. We don’t have to pretend it didn’t cause us pain or have a negative impact on the relationship. It does mean however that we can’t continue to compile a list of reasons our spouse is not worthy of our love and acceptance…or else, we will become unable to continue to love and accept them. Just like God does, for our own sake, so that we can be free, we must choose to quit looking at our spouse’s rap-sheet when we are interacting with them. We must choose to not consider their sins against us if we want to be free. Remember…forgiveness frees the forgiver as much or even more than it does the forgiven. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we forget what happened…it means we choose to not stare at the offence while interacting with our offender.
Our human condition often makes offering to another the same kind of forgiveness God offers us a very difficult thing to do. We may even think it impossible at times. We know from Jesus own words to His disciples that it is necessary that we learn to do so, but sometimes we just can’t see how God’s brand of forgiveness is something we as mere human beings can ever accomplish. Some hurts after all are just too big. God may be able to erase all of our sins, but we aren’t God. Is it really fair for Him to require genuine forgiveness from us?
Seemingly, God believes it is. When Jesus taught His Disciples to pray, Matthew 6:9-15 says He told them this; 9 So when you pray, you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name always be kept holy.
10 May your kingdom come
and what you want be done,
    here on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us the food we need for each day.
12 Forgive us for our sins,
    just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us.
13 And do not cause us to be tempted,
but save us from the Evil One.’ The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.
Then Jesus made this statement;
14 Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.
At first glance the Lord’s Prayer may seem to include one small blurb about forgiveness, but when we take into account the monumental footnote Jesus added after teaching His disciples how to pray, forgiveness begins to take center stage in the prayer. When we choose to forgive our spouse, God’s name is kept Holy. Our marriages reflect Him in the midst of forgiveness, perhaps more than at any other time. God is the ultimate forgiver; no one has ever has to pay as high a price to be able to offer it as He has. When we forgive our spouse their wrongs, we successfully reflect God and represent who and what He is. When we choose to forgive especially in our marriages, God’s will (that which He does) takes place on earth as it does in Heaven. When we choose to forgive another we open ourselves up to being able to experience the amazing forgiveness God offers us in the shed blood of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God would further empower them to resist the temptation from the evil one to fail to forgive. Satan understands that time plus un-forgiveness always equals bitterness. He also knows that there is no better tool at his disposal to kill, steal and destroy marriages than bitterness. 
Remember, forgiveness doesn’t mean that we have to say that the wrong, wasn’t wrong. If it was wrong, it was wrong. Sin is sin. God’s word doesn’t teach us that forgiveness means sin is no longer wrong. God still says that sin is wrong. Remember what Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery? John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus’ words of conviction “Let the one among you who is without sin throw the first stone at her” drove away all of her accusers who wanted to put her to death. Jesus then looked at the woman and asked her “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you” She said no one, Lord. And Jesus said to Her, “Neither do I condemn you; [but] go and sin no more”. (John 8:7&10-11) Forgiveness doesn’t make a wrong, right, but nor does it coincide with condemnation.
Again this may seem unfair and impossible, but there is good news! You don’t have to do it. You might be thinking, “Wait a minute Pastor Ken, I thought you just said we have to learn to forgive if God is going to forgive us?” That is correct, but what I mean to say is that YOU don’t have to arrange your offender’s forgiveness…you only have to agree with God’s forgiveness for them. The requirement on you is to agree with God that He was right and just to offer your offender His forgiveness for the hurtful way they treated you. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Hurt people however, are often looking for justification to hold the person who hurt them accountable. In light if that, they might ask regarding that last scripture, “But what if the person who did me wrong has not confessed their sin to God or to me?” The Bible has an answer for that question as well. Romans 5:8 tells us; But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. God loves all of us…even those who hurt us…so much that even before a single confession of sin was made, He offered His Son’s life as recompense for our sin. That is why it is just for God to forgive all of us…Jesus already paid the price. 
One of our biggest hang-ups when it comes to forgiveness, is this. We are afraid that if we forgive…we have to let our offender off the hook for what they have done to us. That’s not true at all. They are still firmly on the hook for their actions…we simply have to agree to hand the hook to God. We may be the victim of another person’s sin against us but to be a victor, we must realize we are not the judge, jury and executioner. Vengeance is mine says the Lord…and I will repay! (Hebrews 10:30) Forgiveness allows us the freedom to willingly hand the hook to God. He promises He will make it right. And He will make it right. He will either give the person who has wronged us a heart transplant, if they are willing for it, or eternal separation from Him if they refuse His love and forgiveness. Forgiveness on our part is the agreement to let Him work out all of those details. If we don’t have to hold the hook any longer, then we don’t have to hold onto the record of what went wrong either. As we hand those things off to God with whom they rightfully belong, our load is lightened and we become free to interact with our offender in a healthy way again. 
Are there times when the damage is too great and trust simply cannot be restored? Are there some relationships that are so damaging that they should not be resumed? Of course, but those are in the minority, not the majority. They are the exception not the rule. Regardless, forgiveness is still a necessity for freedom, and a healthy mind and heart. Because of that, forgiveness is solidly on the list of Biblical principles for a highly successful marriage.
So now, reflecting God in your marriage by agreeing with Him that His forgiveness for your spouse was right and just…Go Be Awesome!  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2064ba2b6304b7c87fc8a1f4f5b4c838.mp3" length="8941940" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2064ba2b6304b7c87fc8a1f4f5b4c838.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/6th-biblical-principle-for-a-highly-successful-marriage-forgiveness</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>15:18</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Christians Call Romans - September 17th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ed Gross]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ed Gross Brings us a message while Pastor Rick Betts is on vacation
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ed Gross Brings us a message while Pastor Rick Betts is on vacation
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Ed Gross Brings us a message while Pastor Rick Betts is on vacation
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/50ac986f891ddaff39015d3f3d7a32cf.mp3" length="37235744" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/50ac986f891ddaff39015d3f3d7a32cf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-christians-call-romans-september-17th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Sep 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:18:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dragon Slayers]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, September 14th 2023…Drag...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, September 14th 2023…Dragon Slayers
This past week my wife Lynn and I slayed a dragon. Let me explain. Most of you know that I love to ride motorcycles. I have been riding them for about 45 years now and I hope my years of riding will continue to accumulate until I leave this old world behind at a ripe old age. I love riding motorcycles. In fact, the only driving experience better than riding a motorcycle is riding a motorcycle in the mountains. Just a few weeks before we married, I took Lynn on her first motorcycle ride in the mountains near Roanoke, Virginia. That first ride for her was the ride to end all rides…at least it might have been. We drove up a winding mountain road with sheer drop-off cliffs on one side and bare rock faces that rose directly upward on the other. We may or may not have come close to running off of the side of the road that highlighted the drop off view. We rode that day in the high mountains of the famed Blue Ridge Parkway, were she came to understands that though it may have been plenty warm when you left, you might need a jacket just 20 minutes later up in the higher elevations. We got caught in a scattered thunderstorm and spent some time wringing out our clothes under an overpass, and we concluded the ride back to my aunt and uncle’s house drying out on a busy interstate at highway speeds. I honestly thought that she would never ride again after that first outing, but she has been happily accompanying me on some great motorcycle rides for the past 23 years. She is far tougher than her beautiful looks and sweet demeanor elude to. 
This sweet girl joined me yet again last week to spend multiple days riding in the southwestern Virginia mountains. Last Tuesday we decided to cross a particular road off from my bucket list of mountain rides. Route 16 is a winding two-lane road that runs kind of north and south from Wilkesboro, N.C. to Sophia, W.V. The 32 mile section between Marion and Tazewell, Virginia is known as “The Back of The Dragon”. On that short stretch of road, a driver will turn in excess of 400 times, rise and fall a total of 3,500 feet in elevation all while climbing and descending three successive mountains. Those crests make up the three mythological humps of the back of the dragon. Many of the 438 curves leave no time for the motorcycle to return to its upright position before requiring the riders to lean deeply into the next one. There are times when the length of road visible ahead may be significantly less than 100 feet. It is an awesome ride, but definitely not for the novice, or the faint-of-heart. We managed to cover the distance in just over an hour which is not anywhere near a record, but respectable none-the-less.
There is nothing strait about that road. At times, the ability to traverse it while “Keeping the rubber down and the shiny side up” is nothing less than instinctual. When riding it you really do rely on what is hopefully years of experience to guide each move. If you ride it from south to north as we did, as you near the end of the journey you round the easiest and gentlest of the curves on the entire route as they bring you 180 degrees twice through an enjoyable “S” curve called Kudzu Corner, named for all of the trees and shrubs entangled and o...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, September 14th 2023…Dragon Slayers
This past week my wife Lynn and I slayed a dragon. Let me explain. Most of you know that I love to ride motorcycles. I have been riding them for about 45 years now and I hope my years of riding will continue to accumulate until I leave this old world behind at a ripe old age. I love riding motorcycles. In fact, the only driving experience better than riding a motorcycle is riding a motorcycle in the mountains. Just a few weeks before we married, I took Lynn on her first motorcycle ride in the mountains near Roanoke, Virginia. That first ride for her was the ride to end all rides…at least it might have been. We drove up a winding mountain road with sheer drop-off cliffs on one side and bare rock faces that rose directly upward on the other. We may or may not have come close to running off of the side of the road that highlighted the drop off view. We rode that day in the high mountains of the famed Blue Ridge Parkway, were she came to understands that though it may have been plenty warm when you left, you might need a jacket just 20 minutes later up in the higher elevations. We got caught in a scattered thunderstorm and spent some time wringing out our clothes under an overpass, and we concluded the ride back to my aunt and uncle’s house drying out on a busy interstate at highway speeds. I honestly thought that she would never ride again after that first outing, but she has been happily accompanying me on some great motorcycle rides for the past 23 years. She is far tougher than her beautiful looks and sweet demeanor elude to. 
This sweet girl joined me yet again last week to spend multiple days riding in the southwestern Virginia mountains. Last Tuesday we decided to cross a particular road off from my bucket list of mountain rides. Route 16 is a winding two-lane road that runs kind of north and south from Wilkesboro, N.C. to Sophia, W.V. The 32 mile section between Marion and Tazewell, Virginia is known as “The Back of The Dragon”. On that short stretch of road, a driver will turn in excess of 400 times, rise and fall a total of 3,500 feet in elevation all while climbing and descending three successive mountains. Those crests make up the three mythological humps of the back of the dragon. Many of the 438 curves leave no time for the motorcycle to return to its upright position before requiring the riders to lean deeply into the next one. There are times when the length of road visible ahead may be significantly less than 100 feet. It is an awesome ride, but definitely not for the novice, or the faint-of-heart. We managed to cover the distance in just over an hour which is not anywhere near a record, but respectable none-the-less.
There is nothing strait about that road. At times, the ability to traverse it while “Keeping the rubber down and the shiny side up” is nothing less than instinctual. When riding it you really do rely on what is hopefully years of experience to guide each move. If you ride it from south to north as we did, as you near the end of the journey you round the easiest and gentlest of the curves on the entire route as they bring you 180 degrees twice through an enjoyable “S” curve called Kudzu Corner, named for all of the trees and shrubs entangled and overtaken by the Kudzu vines. It is truly majestic. As we rode through those easiest of all of the turns, I was able to ride without the formerly required incredible levels of concentration. In the midst of my mental rest as we exited Kudzu Curve, a well-known scripture came to mind. Proverbs 3:5-6 in the New American Standard Bible says; Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
I had just finished driving 32 miles where nothing about my path had been strait. As a result, in that moment I was well aware of the high stress level I had been under for the duration. My hands were numb and tingling, and my knuckles unnaturally white from gripping the handlebars so tightly. My shoulder muscles were twisted tighter than rope from holding the motorcycle down in the turns and then pulling the handlebars up, only to force them downward immediately in the opposite direction. Don’t get me wrong…it was fun, but in that moment what I felt knowing I had completed the ride safe and sound and had not caused any injury to my sweet, sweet bride was nothing short of total relief.
Our lives can be like old Virginia route 16 sometimes. Some days it seems like life throws one curve after another at us, and it’s hard to know if you are coming or going, rising or falling, as you try to navigate with seemingly no time to anticipate what is ahead. While motorcyclists can and do rely on instinct much of the time in curvy road situations, it can get them in trouble on occasion. In life’s twists and turns if we rely on our own understanding an error causing difficulty beyond easy recovery is likely to be just around the corner.
This scripture says that trusting in the Lord is far better than relying on our instincts. The Lord knows what is ahead for us, not only just around the bend, but into the perpetuity of eternity. Jesus said He is the beginning and the end. (Revelation 22:13) It would be incorrect of us though, to interpret that to mean that Jesus was at the beginning and will be at the end, that would mean that Jesus is encompassed by time. Jesus is greater than time…Jesus created time…Jesus is the beginning and is the end because Jesus encompasses even time. With such an omniscient Lord, we can trust Him to guide us forward far more than we can trust ourselves to know what lies ahead where we cannot yet see. If we will learn to do this, we learn what it means to walk by faith and not by sight as referenced by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:7.
What does it mean exactly to heed the instruction found in Provers 5:6? In all your ways acknowledge Him… It means we have to recognize who He is; Lord of lords, King of kings, Master, Friend, sweet, sweet Savior. It means we have to be cognizant of what He is; Loving, Merciful, Gracious, Holy, altogether Righteous, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Unchangeable, Ever-present God. It means we have to; interact with Him, follow Him, love Him, respect Him, and give Him the credit and glory He rightly deserves. The conclusion of that verse says that if you will do all of that in regards to Christ, He will make your paths strait. Does that mean that there won’t be any more unexpected twists and turns? Does that mean you will always know what is coming before you get to it? Not at all! Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble”. (John 16:33) There will always be the need to look out for falling rock around the bend, just like the ones I had to swerve to avoid on our motorcycle ride last week. But if we Acknowledge Him and allow Him to make our paths strait, it does mean that we can trust Him to lead us directly to and through His planned path for our life. That reminds me of another passage found in Isaiah 46:10; Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.
The bible says that God has a plan for each of our lives, one that includes our very best. He wants to see us develop fully into the person He was thinking about when He so fearfully and wonderfully created each of us in our mother’s womb. But He won’t ever force His plan onto your life. You have to be willing to Acknowledge that He is God, He is Lord of your life and then just as He promised He will direct your paths strait into all that He has for you!  
So now, Acknowledge Him for who and what He is to you and let Him make your paths strait and…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/003c9df355fe2e4ad2973650443f5391.mp3" length="5744203" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/003c9df355fe2e4ad2973650443f5391.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dragon-slayers</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:16:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Baptism Sunday - September 10th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5f71ddba65e6b263ca55756ffa533be6.mp3" length="68052950" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5f71ddba65e6b263ca55756ffa533be6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/baptism-sunday-september-10th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Sep 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:38:06</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Don't kick the goad - August 27th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues his series on Authority. 
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues his series on Authority. 
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues his series on Authority. 
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/04684457cca9dd51fbcfe808c74cc678.mp3" length="49485340" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/04684457cca9dd51fbcfe808c74cc678.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dont-kick-the-goad-august-27th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Sep 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:16:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[5th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage - Faithfulness]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the fifth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highl...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the fifth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
In the past few weeks we have looked at four of seven biblical principles pertaining to a highly successful marriage. They have been; #1 Compatibility, #2 Understanding that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse, #3 Holiness and #4 Selfless service.
This week I want to introduce a 5th Biblical Principle of a highly successful marriage - faithfulness. One might think that faithfulness in marriage is a no brainer, an unnecessary focal point in a series such as this one. Even the world thinks for the most part that faithfulness in marriage is important right? Maybe, but why is faithfulness something that every highly successful marriage must possess? It may be for reasons greater than you think.
Admittedly as I have said almost ad nauseam, the primary purpose of marriage as stated by God, it’s originator, is to reflect Him and represent His many characteristics. (Genesis 1:26-27) As God looks into our marital mirrors He expects to see Himself, as the world looks at our marriages they too should see an awesome likeness of who God is. A rudimentary example of this that requires no further explanation is the secondary purpose of marriage as noted by God. Then God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28. God is the creator of life and when joined in marriage a husband and wife are also capable of creating life. That example illustrates the simple truth that marriage is in fact reflective of God, but we can also see the necessity of the requirement that a marriage be only comprised of a man and a woman. Two similar yet uniquely different beings joined as one for the purpose of glorifying God and His vast capabilities. In past episodes I have made note of other unique differences possessed by both men and women that when joined in marriage and made one, more accurately reflect the totality God’s characteristics. One I have noted is the differences in our thinking. Each man a compartmentalized thinker while His wife is relational in her thoughts. Why that difference? Because God thinks both ways as illustrated in my podcast series Differences that Divide. Another example from that series would be the differing relational needs of a man and a woman. A husband is always looking carefully at his wife’s responses to ensure that he is respected by her for what he says, does, thinks, and believes. Likewise, she is also scrutinizing his responses to see that she is loved for those very same things.
If marriage is intended to mirror God’s characteristics, and it most certainly is, then one of the qualities that must be found in every marriage for it to be highly successful at reflecting Him is faithfulness. God is faithful therefore there can be no question that faithfulness is key to a marriage living up to its intended purpose. How do we know that He is faithful? Certainly most of us would say we have more than enough anecdotal evidence to support that claim. However, His word also makes His faithfulness abundantly evident.  
Deuteronomy 7:9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a tho...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the fifth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
In the past few weeks we have looked at four of seven biblical principles pertaining to a highly successful marriage. They have been; #1 Compatibility, #2 Understanding that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse, #3 Holiness and #4 Selfless service.
This week I want to introduce a 5th Biblical Principle of a highly successful marriage - faithfulness. One might think that faithfulness in marriage is a no brainer, an unnecessary focal point in a series such as this one. Even the world thinks for the most part that faithfulness in marriage is important right? Maybe, but why is faithfulness something that every highly successful marriage must possess? It may be for reasons greater than you think.
Admittedly as I have said almost ad nauseam, the primary purpose of marriage as stated by God, it’s originator, is to reflect Him and represent His many characteristics. (Genesis 1:26-27) As God looks into our marital mirrors He expects to see Himself, as the world looks at our marriages they too should see an awesome likeness of who God is. A rudimentary example of this that requires no further explanation is the secondary purpose of marriage as noted by God. Then God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28. God is the creator of life and when joined in marriage a husband and wife are also capable of creating life. That example illustrates the simple truth that marriage is in fact reflective of God, but we can also see the necessity of the requirement that a marriage be only comprised of a man and a woman. Two similar yet uniquely different beings joined as one for the purpose of glorifying God and His vast capabilities. In past episodes I have made note of other unique differences possessed by both men and women that when joined in marriage and made one, more accurately reflect the totality God’s characteristics. One I have noted is the differences in our thinking. Each man a compartmentalized thinker while His wife is relational in her thoughts. Why that difference? Because God thinks both ways as illustrated in my podcast series Differences that Divide. Another example from that series would be the differing relational needs of a man and a woman. A husband is always looking carefully at his wife’s responses to ensure that he is respected by her for what he says, does, thinks, and believes. Likewise, she is also scrutinizing his responses to see that she is loved for those very same things.
If marriage is intended to mirror God’s characteristics, and it most certainly is, then one of the qualities that must be found in every marriage for it to be highly successful at reflecting Him is faithfulness. God is faithful therefore there can be no question that faithfulness is key to a marriage living up to its intended purpose. How do we know that He is faithful? Certainly most of us would say we have more than enough anecdotal evidence to support that claim. However, His word also makes His faithfulness abundantly evident.  
Deuteronomy 7:9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. We can rest assured that the Lord God is faithful. As I said a moment ago, evidence of that from our own experience abounds, however so does proof from His word. Literally thousands of God’s promises recorded in the Bible have already been fulfilled, and there will never be scriptural promise that will go unfulfilled. In the 33 years that Jesus lived on the earth alone, He fulfilled not only the 48 specific messianic prophecies, but many scholars estimate that He fulfilled over 250 other prophesies, when you count the many that are not specific to, but are closely associated with the Messiah. I love that example because of the overwhelming conclusion it draws as to God’s faithfulness. Dr. Peter Stoner author of the book, Science Speaks, calculated that the probability of one man fulfilling just 8 of the 48 messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament to be 1 in a million to the 22nd power. For those not-so-good at math that is the number 1,000,000 with 22 more zeros added! For additional context, if you were to take enough silver dollars to cover the entire state of Texas 2 feet deep, and you marked a small x marked on the back of just one coin, the odds of a blindfolded person picking out the correct coin on the first try would be the same as Jesus fulfilling all 48 of the messianic prophecies, which He in fact did.
God is not simply faithful to keep His promises. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your Faithfulness. Here we read of God’s faithfulness in the sense that He will never let us down. We can count on Him to keep His word to us because of His great and unwavering love for us. This concept of God’s unending faithfulness is described further in Psalm 36:5 where we read, Your steadfast love oh Lord extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Furthermore, God’s word tells us that He is faithful to interact with us in the way that He has promised to. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 says Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it. Here the promise is that if we are willing to accept His Son’s sacrifice for our sin, God will keep us and find us blameless when Jesus returns. This verse clearly says that God is faithful and we can count on Him to look at us as righteous because of our acceptance of His free gift of salvation found in His Son, Jesus. I love what is says about this in Philippians 1:6. There we read, Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. The promise here is that God is absolutely going to finish the work of redemption that He has begun in our lives. His word says so. He is faithful, and we can count on it. 
God is faithful to us, and therefore, as a part of the covenant with us that our marriages are a representation of, God requires our faithfulness to Him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us that, Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. In other words, the requirement on us as to our part in the Creator/created relationship is to be found to be faithful in all things. Jesus was explaining the importance God places on faithfulness one day and told a story about a businessman who went away on a trip and entrusted money to three of his employees for them to invest in his absence. When the businessman returned two of the employees had doubled his money. To those the employer said “Well done thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. (Matthew 25:21 & 23) Jesus then made the point that the third employee had been afraid and had hidden the portion of money he was supposed to invest. When his employer asked for his return on investment from that employee, he was told that only the principle amount originally entrusted to him remained. Jesus called that employee wicked and unfaithful. Faithfulness matters to God. He is faithful to us and He intends and expects that we will be faithful to Him in return.
As I said earlier, our marriages are to reflect God and His character. God is faithful, and we are to be as well. We must be faithful to Him, and quite frankly He desires and expects that our faithfulness will be evident within our marriages too. In fact, according to His own word, God looks to see if we are being faithful to our spouse…to discern if we are being faithful to Him. What should our faithfulness to our spouse look like? Faithfulness is demonstrated in many ways. A few weeks ago I spoke of another of the principles of a highly successful marriage, Holiness. I described God’s holiness as being consistent and trustworthy. Faithfulness in our marriage is illustrated in much the same ways. It is being consistent. Our spouse needs to know that they can count on us to act the same way when we are out of their presence as we do when they are with us. God’s word speaks to this in Matthew 5:37 it says that we should let our ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and our ‘No,’ [be] ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. In other words, people, (our spouse especially) should be able to count on the answers we give to remain the same - no matter who from, or under what circumstances the questions arise. 
Faithfulness is being true to the person who is counting on us. Faithfulness in marriage is more than being consistent, and it is also more than being sexually faithful. Those are critical components of faithfulness no doubt, but it is far more than just those things. It is an unwillingness to say or do anything that might call our allegiance to our spouse into question. One of the agreements my wife and I made before we married, was to never allow ourselves to be put into a situation where we would feel the need to explain it to the other should they show up unexpectedly. That means we won’t be found anywhere, participate in anything, or even be caught saying anything that might reasonably lead to questions of our faithfulness from the other. As I said a few moments ago, God takes the level of our faithfulness to our spouse very seriously…because it is reveals our faithfulness to Him. Generally speaking, I quote scripture in my podcasts from the New King James Version, but the meaning of this particular scripture is actually captured extremely well in the paraphrase The Message, so I will read it to you from there. Malachi 2:10-17 say, 10 Don’t we all come from one Father? Aren’t we all created by the same God? So why can’t we get along? Why do we desecrate the covenant of our ancestors that binds us together? 11-12 Judah has cheated on God—a sickening violation of trust in Israel and Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the holiness of God by falling in love and running off with foreign women, women who worship alien gods. God’s curse on those who do this! Drive them out of house and home! They’re no longer fit to be part of the community no matter how many offerings they bring to God-of-the-Angel-Armies. 13-15 And here’s a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don’t get what you want from God. Do you know why? Simple. Because God was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you’ve broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don’t cheat on your spouse. 16 “I hate divorce,” says the God of Israel. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says, “I hate the violent dismembering of the ‘one flesh’ of marriage.” So watch yourselves. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t cheat. 17 You make God tired with all your talk. “How do we tire him out?” you ask. By saying, “God loves sinners and sin alike. God loves all.” And also by saying, “Judgment? God’s too nice to judge.”
Faithfulness is so important to God because true faithfulness is a selfless act. Real faithfulness is motivated by a greater desire to do what someone else needs or wants, than to do what you might choose if you had only yourself to consider. Jesus talked about the necessity of that level of faithfulness to Him if we are going to have a correct relationship with Him. In Luke 9:23 He said “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Faithfulness is selfless because it requires us to deny ourselves and follow the one we are being faithful to. In Matthew 10:37 Jesus said, He who loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Here Jesus is dramatically illustrating the high level of faithfulness required to be in relationship with Him…because He is that faithful to us. So as we just read in Malachi, God looks to see if we will have that same selfless faithfulness toward our spouse. The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit then penned these commands to help us illustrate our faithfulness to our spouse and to God. In Ephesians 5:22 & 25 Paul wrote, Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. As God watches us to see if we will prefer and submit to our spouse like He commanded us to, He is actually interested in finding out if we are willing to prefer and submit to Him. Faithfulness is the 5th in our list of Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage.
So now, being faithful to the God who has always faithful to you by being a faithful husband or wife…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/372ce9ba3ee0ca14b149c0472e062e9c.mp3" length="10862587" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/372ce9ba3ee0ca14b149c0472e062e9c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/5th-biblical-principle-of-a-highly-successful-marriage-faithfulness</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 2023 13:52:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>16:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Structure of Authority - August 27th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts begins a new series on Authority. 
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts begins a new series on Authority. 
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts begins a new series on Authority. 
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1326962caa441867347fcf0dede94e76.mp3" length="43301021" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1326962caa441867347fcf0dede94e76.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/structure-of-authority-august-27th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Aug 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:08:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Biblical Principal #4 for a Highly Successful Marriage - Selfless Service]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the fourth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a High...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the fourth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
Since beginning this series I have shared with you 3 of 7 biblical principles that govern highly successful marriages. They are; Compatibility, Recognizing that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse, and Holiness. Each of these principles are crucial to a marriage that desires to fulfill its God-given purpose and reflect Him.
This week we continue to look at those characteristics that define God-shaped marriages. As previously determined, the primary or first biblically noted purpose of marriage is to reflect God. It is why Adam and Eve were created in a “One Flesh” condition and why your marriage was a recreation of that same oneness. (Genesis 2:23 & 24) Our marriages are to be the marital mirrors that God can look into and see Himself. If we are to be highly successful in that endeavor, then we must allow our marriages to adopt godly characteristics. To that end, the 4th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage is – Selfless Service. 
Biblically speaking this is a necessity, and we have therefore, been commanded to serve one another. Just one instance of this command is found in Ephesians 5:21 there it says, Submitting to one another in the fear of God. The instruction here is crystal clear and is one of intended cause and effect. In the fear of God, or in other words understanding that God is the authority over all…submit to one another. One might argue that the placement of this verse is in context with how we are to interact with other believers, (instruction given in verses 19 & 20) and I would agree…though not completely. The fact that the next 12 verses finalizing the chapter are specific instruction on how wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands are to prefer their wives needs over their own, causes me to argue that the implications of verse 21 may be weighted heavier toward the verses that follow it, than the ones preceding. Nevertheless, there can be no reasonable argument that verse 21 does not apply in marriage. Romans 12:9-11 also speak to this same idea that serving one another is godly. Let [your] love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Again, the argument might be made that these verses are not specific to marriage, and they are not, they are instruction for how to interact with those in lesser relationships. If this instruction applies to the lesser however, it absolutely applies to the greater. Moreover, the importance here is the desired motivation for following the instruction. We are to prefer one another, because it is good, and it is how we serve the Lord. In other words, by preferring one another, we are illustrating love and therefore being reflective of God who is love according to 1 John 4:7. 
Remembering that the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect God, selfless service is without a doubt central to a highly successful marriage. God is all about service, because God is selfless. God illustrates this characteristic of His all the time, and He ha...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the fourth edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
Since beginning this series I have shared with you 3 of 7 biblical principles that govern highly successful marriages. They are; Compatibility, Recognizing that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse, and Holiness. Each of these principles are crucial to a marriage that desires to fulfill its God-given purpose and reflect Him.
This week we continue to look at those characteristics that define God-shaped marriages. As previously determined, the primary or first biblically noted purpose of marriage is to reflect God. It is why Adam and Eve were created in a “One Flesh” condition and why your marriage was a recreation of that same oneness. (Genesis 2:23 & 24) Our marriages are to be the marital mirrors that God can look into and see Himself. If we are to be highly successful in that endeavor, then we must allow our marriages to adopt godly characteristics. To that end, the 4th Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage is – Selfless Service. 
Biblically speaking this is a necessity, and we have therefore, been commanded to serve one another. Just one instance of this command is found in Ephesians 5:21 there it says, Submitting to one another in the fear of God. The instruction here is crystal clear and is one of intended cause and effect. In the fear of God, or in other words understanding that God is the authority over all…submit to one another. One might argue that the placement of this verse is in context with how we are to interact with other believers, (instruction given in verses 19 & 20) and I would agree…though not completely. The fact that the next 12 verses finalizing the chapter are specific instruction on how wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands are to prefer their wives needs over their own, causes me to argue that the implications of verse 21 may be weighted heavier toward the verses that follow it, than the ones preceding. Nevertheless, there can be no reasonable argument that verse 21 does not apply in marriage. Romans 12:9-11 also speak to this same idea that serving one another is godly. Let [your] love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Again, the argument might be made that these verses are not specific to marriage, and they are not, they are instruction for how to interact with those in lesser relationships. If this instruction applies to the lesser however, it absolutely applies to the greater. Moreover, the importance here is the desired motivation for following the instruction. We are to prefer one another, because it is good, and it is how we serve the Lord. In other words, by preferring one another, we are illustrating love and therefore being reflective of God who is love according to 1 John 4:7. 
Remembering that the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect God, selfless service is without a doubt central to a highly successful marriage. God is all about service, because God is selfless. God illustrates this characteristic of His all the time, and He has been doing so from the beginning. In the first chapter of Genesis the first 25 verses describe the first 5 days of creation. Each of those days God worked to create a universe that would be life sustaining and useful to His crowning creation mentioned in verses 26-27. Everything God did prior to creating Adam and Eve was done to serve them and was shown to be selfless, as God gave to mankind dominion and authority over all He had created. Even though Adam and Eve used their God-given authority to sin and brought ruin into all that God had freely given them, God did not become selfish and take his gifts of life and love back from them. In fact, after literal countless other acts of mercy and grace, God continued out of His Holy and unchanging nature to be a selfless being. God was even willing to give His Only Son to be offered as a perfect sacrificial lamb to provide recompense for the sin of mankind. The bible tells us that even though we are selfish because of the sin-nature we are born with, God selflessly offers to us new mercies each and every morning. 
In light of the fact that God is selfless, and the point of our marriages is to reflect who and what He is…Highly Successful marriages operate in selflessness. In fact, I like to say that selflessness is the atmosphere in which marriages thrive. Selfishness eradicates the necessary atmosphere creating a vacuum, that eventually suffocates marriage. Conventional wisdom tells us that we have to look out for ourselves, even in our marriages. Though it is not how marriage is designed to operate, the world has made this pseudo wisdom sound right and good. We have long been told that if we don’t love ourselves first, we can’t possibly love others. The world tells us things like, we can’t give to others from a place of weakness. If we don’t take care of ourselves first, we will be unable to care for others. These misguided tenants and so many others like them are lies designed by our spiritual enemy to make selfishness seem right and just. They would never be believed, and would be rejected out of hand, except that they sound plausible. This tactic of Satan, using plausible lies to deceive, has been used regularly since first deployed in the Garden of Eden. He was attempting to steal, kill and destroy then and He is continuing in those same efforts today. I am convinced that Satan attacks marriages with plausible deceptions concerning the ‘virtues of selfishness’, specifically because He is trying to kill godly marriages by stealing the atmosphere that will be healthy for them, so he can destroy the marital mirror designed to reflect and glorify the God he hates so vehemently. 
I don’t want to spend too much time in this limited format speaking about selfishness and how we must avoid it in our marriages at all cost.  However, I do find it interesting that many people have no difficulty identifying selfish behavior on the part of others, including their own spouse. When it comes to personal introspection however, it seems that we often have a remarkable blind spot. As a marriage counselor it never ceases to amaze me how many people come into my office with the expressed intent of showing me how selfish their spouse is. These same people however, usually don’t recognize that in doing so, they often illustrate and reveal their own selfish behavior. If they do recognize and admit their own selfishness, without exception they also offer to me rationale for why it must exist. Their reasoning always includes some form of the aforementioned worldly wisdom that speaks to the need to take care of themselves first because their spouse refuses to do so. The problem with this rational is that selfishness can never be encouraged to become selflessness by the addition of further selfishness. It simply does not make sense and has never in the history of humankind been successful.
What can illuminate selfish behavior that needs to be addressed is selfless service. Romans 12:19-21 give this instruction to those abused by another. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Remember, God is the model for your marriage. Christ is your example. Highly Successful Marriages are selfless in their service to one another. Matthew 20:28 tells us that our example, Jesus, was all about selfless service. There it says, Even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. If anyone ever had a right to expect to be served it would be the Son of God, the One through whom everything was spoken into existence. The very same One who gives us life and breath. But Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and to do so at the highest personal cost. If Jesus came to serve, how can we believe that our marriages, which God’s word uses more than any other example to illustrate the relationship between God and man, should not be all about our selfless service to our spouse? Do we really think that our lives have a greater or higher calling than that of Christ? I don’t think that is true, and yet somehow we have been led to believe that we shouldn’t have to serve unless our spouse also serves us. We don’t think we should have to offer selflessness in response to our spouse’s selfishness toward us.
I love the example given to us at the last supper. In John 13:1-5, we read the account of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything, and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. There are just a few points I want to make from this portion of the passage. First, the act of selfless service was done out of Jesus love for the disciples. It was out of order in the sense that they were the students and He was their teacher. They were the lesser and He was the greater. By all customary tradition they should have taken the servant’s role and washed Jesus’ feet, but in a perfect example to us, He, the one deserving of honor, took the servant’s position and washed their feet. Second, this passage tells us that Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, He knew of the evil in Judas’ heart toward Him, the ill will that Judas had where it came to Jesus…but Jesus washed Judas’ feet too. He served those who should have served Him and He knowingly served the one who had an evil heart toward Him. Now let’s look at verses 12-17, After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. Again there are a few salient points worth noting. First, Jesus let the disciples know that if He was indeed the greater, their teacher and He had served them, they had no excuse for not serving one another. Second, He made the point that He had done so in obedience to God, and they in turn should serve one another in response to God. Third, though not specifically mentioned here, the disciples would soon know what Jesus had known all along. They would soon be aware that Jesus had knowingly washed His betrayer’s feet. They would know that in their running away, and in Peter’s outright denial of even knowing who Jesus was, none of them were worthy of His selfless service to them. And yet, they could not deny that He had commanded them to serve one another in the same manner going forward. That command extends to us as well, even and especially in regards to our spouse.
Selfless service is Christ-like, it is Godly, and our marriages are intended to reflect Him. Inarguably then, selfless service is one of the biblical principles of a highly successful marriage.
So now, selflessly serving your spouse, just as Christ has selflessly served you…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/02e2f1dcc0cd7366b33b6e3463cb2a86.mp3" length="8896567" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/02e2f1dcc0cd7366b33b6e3463cb2a86.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/biblical-principal-4-for-a-highly-successful-marriage-selfless-service</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 21 Aug 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Youth Sunday - August 20th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Aaron Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Aaron Betts and some youth bring us a recap of their latest Mission trip
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Aaron Betts and some youth bring us a recap of their latest Mission trip
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Aaron Betts and some youth bring us a recap of their latest Mission trip
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0a70005bcc7f02f4f89cbb8eab3faac1.mp3" length="25866108" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0a70005bcc7f02f4f89cbb8eab3faac1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/youth-sunday-august-20th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>37:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Happy Anniversary - August 17th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, August 17th 2023…Happy A...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, August 17th 2023…Happy Anniversary
On Saturday, my wife Lynn and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. As our associate pastor says, “That’s not a world record, but these days, it is a pretty good average.” I seem to have an especially good memory for details of days gone by. I am able to remember events with a good deal of clarity far back into my early childhood. The details of our wedding day just 23 years ago are incredibly vivid for me. I won’t bore you with all of them, but I could go on for hours recalling the events of that incredibly special day. There are far too many to convey in this format, but allow me to share just a few.
It was an incredibly beautiful day to have an outdoors wedding. The sky was bluer than it usually is. The leaves on the trees in the park where we were wed were greener than I had ever seen them before or have ever seen them since. The grass was softer than usual, and the sun though as bright as ever, was not too hot as it often is in August. Though it had not rained the air was crisp and had that amazing smell that is usually reserved for just after a summer afternoon shower. Lynn was stunning as she walked down the makeshift isle between the rows of white folding chairs. Her hair was beautiful, her face radiant, and her smile…it was as sweet as usual and seemingly permanent. I had chosen the perfect girl to ask to be my bride and together we had chosen to marry on the best day of the year.
Those are but a small handful of the memories I have from that day. Though I enjoy occasionally perusing the many pictures people took at our wedding, I don’t need them to remind me of a single detail of the day. Those memoirs are forever stored in the archives of my mind, ready to be recalled for a joyful review at a moment’s notice. Why do I have such extraordinary recollection of the events of that day over others? Obviously it is because of its extreme importance in comparison to of any of the other days in my life. That is the day that God joined Lynn and I and made us one. That is the day that the woman of my dreams became my bride. That is the day that has forever changed every day since then for the better.
So what, you might ask is the scriptural connection for this personal story? I could connect it to any number of passages that are about marriage as it pertains to how a husband and wife are to correctly interact with one another. If you want that kind of biblical encouragement, I would urge you to listen to my Monday Marriage Message podcasts. There I cover that subject in great detail. Instead I want to connect this story from my life to a different scripture. 
If you are, or have been married, then perhaps like me, you remember many of the details from your wedding day. It is easy to remember the facts surrounding the day you were joined with the person you were so in love with. Even if the relationship has changed somewhat over the years, the connection you felt on your wedding day likely keeps the memories sharp in your mind. Did you know that God can’t keep His eyes off of you and feels the same way about the day you allowed Him to come live in you through His Holy Spirit? 
In Psalm 139:1-18 it says this about the fact that God loves us so much that He can’t...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, August 17th 2023…Happy Anniversary
On Saturday, my wife Lynn and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. As our associate pastor says, “That’s not a world record, but these days, it is a pretty good average.” I seem to have an especially good memory for details of days gone by. I am able to remember events with a good deal of clarity far back into my early childhood. The details of our wedding day just 23 years ago are incredibly vivid for me. I won’t bore you with all of them, but I could go on for hours recalling the events of that incredibly special day. There are far too many to convey in this format, but allow me to share just a few.
It was an incredibly beautiful day to have an outdoors wedding. The sky was bluer than it usually is. The leaves on the trees in the park where we were wed were greener than I had ever seen them before or have ever seen them since. The grass was softer than usual, and the sun though as bright as ever, was not too hot as it often is in August. Though it had not rained the air was crisp and had that amazing smell that is usually reserved for just after a summer afternoon shower. Lynn was stunning as she walked down the makeshift isle between the rows of white folding chairs. Her hair was beautiful, her face radiant, and her smile…it was as sweet as usual and seemingly permanent. I had chosen the perfect girl to ask to be my bride and together we had chosen to marry on the best day of the year.
Those are but a small handful of the memories I have from that day. Though I enjoy occasionally perusing the many pictures people took at our wedding, I don’t need them to remind me of a single detail of the day. Those memoirs are forever stored in the archives of my mind, ready to be recalled for a joyful review at a moment’s notice. Why do I have such extraordinary recollection of the events of that day over others? Obviously it is because of its extreme importance in comparison to of any of the other days in my life. That is the day that God joined Lynn and I and made us one. That is the day that the woman of my dreams became my bride. That is the day that has forever changed every day since then for the better.
So what, you might ask is the scriptural connection for this personal story? I could connect it to any number of passages that are about marriage as it pertains to how a husband and wife are to correctly interact with one another. If you want that kind of biblical encouragement, I would urge you to listen to my Monday Marriage Message podcasts. There I cover that subject in great detail. Instead I want to connect this story from my life to a different scripture. 
If you are, or have been married, then perhaps like me, you remember many of the details from your wedding day. It is easy to remember the facts surrounding the day you were joined with the person you were so in love with. Even if the relationship has changed somewhat over the years, the connection you felt on your wedding day likely keeps the memories sharp in your mind. Did you know that God can’t keep His eyes off of you and feels the same way about the day you allowed Him to come live in you through His Holy Spirit? 
In Psalm 139:1-18 it says this about the fact that God loves us so much that He can’t keep His eyes off of us. O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up [each day], you are still with me!
Not only are you the apple of His eye, God loves you so much that He was willing to do whatever it took to restore a wonderful relationship with you. Romans 5:8 tells us, But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. While praying the night before His crucifixion according to John chapter 17, Jesus prayed that He would have the strength to go through the terrible day ahead. Jesus also prayed that His disciples would be emboldened to continue to share the good news of the gospel after He went back to heaven following His resurrection. Finally, He prayed that you and I would hear the message and accept the truth about Him so that we could be with Him in heaven for eternity. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:2 that because of the joy set before Him (the ability to share heaven with us forever) Jesus endured the shame of the cross.
Christ’s love for us shouldn’t ever be in question, He did everything He could do to prove His love for us. In light of all He did, what more could we…or would we ask Him to do? In the Gospel of Luke, it is recorded that Jesus told a well-known parable about a lost sheep. He said that even if a shepherd had 100 sheep, if one got lost, The Good Shepherd would go in search of the lost sheep and bring it back with great joy when he found it. Then it is recorded in Luke 15:4 that as Jesus finished telling that story, He said “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away”! We are the apple of God’s eye, He can’t keep His eyes off of us. He loves us too much for mere words, and when even one person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, they throw an amazing party in heaven.
It’s true that God loves us that much! He created us and knows every detail about our lives…we are that special to Him. Is He that special to us? Do we think about Him all the time? Do we remember everything about the day we realized just how much we needed and wanted Him to be right beside us for the rest of our lives? Is the day we came to Jesus emblazoned on our memories as deeply as the other not-so-important events we remember so well?
If you aren’t as excited about it as you once were, this isn’t designed to bring you shame, allow it to help change you and stir your heart to once again experience the awe of loving Jesus and reveling in His unforgettable love for you. The book of Revelation has the answer to finding that your memories of the day you accepted Jesus’ love for you have dimmed with time. Return to your first love. In other words, fall head-over-heels in love with Jesus again, and have the happiest of anniversaries! His love for you is the greatest you will ever know.
So now, falling completely in love with Jesus all over again, because He first loved you…Go be awesome!







So now, …Go be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7641c7e75df37d88bd7a4b421b2cd28c.mp3" length="6005083" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7641c7e75df37d88bd7a4b421b2cd28c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/happy-anniversary-august-17th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[3rd Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the third edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highl...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the third edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
In the first episode we discovered that compatibility is key to success in marriage. If we aren’t of like mind spiritually, marriage becomes exceedingly problematic. Ultimately the difficulty is the result of not having the same goals for the marriage. By God’s design, the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect who He is. When we choose to ask Him to unequally yoke us with an unbeliever that purpose becomes incredibly challenging to fulfill, and the lack of unified effort to that end will be the cause of much frustration. 
In the second episode I shared the importance of understanding that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse. We looked at Ephesians 5:21-33 where the Apostle Paul wrote about the intricately intertwined connection between the relationship we have with our spouse and the relationship Christ desires to have with us. There, as in no other scripture I am aware of, the Bible illustrates that correct interaction in marriage is congruent with a right relationship with God. Finally, I mentioned that all of the commands concerning the best way to interact with our spouse come from God’s written word to us. It is not our spouse who gives the commands, they come directly from God. As such our obedience should be directed toward God. We interact with our spouse, but we do so in response to our God.
Today I want to focus on the 3rd Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage. When we consider the Great Analogy I just spoke of, it is important to understand that our marriages are the tangible, physical representation of the relationship between mankind and God. God is Holy and tells us in scripture that our response to His holiness is supposed to be our holiness. In Leviticus 20:26 God told the Hebrew People, “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine”. In this scripture, God is saying that He has chosen these particular people as His own, just as a groom chooses a bride to be especially his for an uninterrupted lifetime together. Just a few chapters before, it is recorded that God reminded these same people that He had brought them out of a foreign land where they had been in servitude to another (the Egyptian Pharaoh) and had taken them to Himself, and was now taking them to the promised land. Leviticus 11:45 says, “For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.” This language is incredibly analogous of a contemporary wedding for the time. In the Hebrew custom, just as Isaac, and Jacob had done, a groom would go, sometimes a great distance, find a bride, make her a promise of a home and then bring her back to his father’s house to be his wife. Here God has said that He went to the land of Egypt, claimed the people as His own and was now leading them to their new home that He had promised to them. 
Additionally, God gave the people instruction. He told them that in order for them to be in a right relationship with Him as their Redeemer, they would have to live and act as He lives and acts. So, He told them about Himself and said “I am Holy, so yo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to discover how to experience a highly successful marriage. This is the third edition in our series 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. 
In the first episode we discovered that compatibility is key to success in marriage. If we aren’t of like mind spiritually, marriage becomes exceedingly problematic. Ultimately the difficulty is the result of not having the same goals for the marriage. By God’s design, the primary purpose of marriage is to reflect who He is. When we choose to ask Him to unequally yoke us with an unbeliever that purpose becomes incredibly challenging to fulfill, and the lack of unified effort to that end will be the cause of much frustration. 
In the second episode I shared the importance of understanding that your marriage is more about your relationship with God than it is about your relationship with your spouse. We looked at Ephesians 5:21-33 where the Apostle Paul wrote about the intricately intertwined connection between the relationship we have with our spouse and the relationship Christ desires to have with us. There, as in no other scripture I am aware of, the Bible illustrates that correct interaction in marriage is congruent with a right relationship with God. Finally, I mentioned that all of the commands concerning the best way to interact with our spouse come from God’s written word to us. It is not our spouse who gives the commands, they come directly from God. As such our obedience should be directed toward God. We interact with our spouse, but we do so in response to our God.
Today I want to focus on the 3rd Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage. When we consider the Great Analogy I just spoke of, it is important to understand that our marriages are the tangible, physical representation of the relationship between mankind and God. God is Holy and tells us in scripture that our response to His holiness is supposed to be our holiness. In Leviticus 20:26 God told the Hebrew People, “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine”. In this scripture, God is saying that He has chosen these particular people as His own, just as a groom chooses a bride to be especially his for an uninterrupted lifetime together. Just a few chapters before, it is recorded that God reminded these same people that He had brought them out of a foreign land where they had been in servitude to another (the Egyptian Pharaoh) and had taken them to Himself, and was now taking them to the promised land. Leviticus 11:45 says, “For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.” This language is incredibly analogous of a contemporary wedding for the time. In the Hebrew custom, just as Isaac, and Jacob had done, a groom would go, sometimes a great distance, find a bride, make her a promise of a home and then bring her back to his father’s house to be his wife. Here God has said that He went to the land of Egypt, claimed the people as His own and was now leading them to their new home that He had promised to them. 
Additionally, God gave the people instruction. He told them that in order for them to be in a right relationship with Him as their Redeemer, they would have to live and act as He lives and acts. So, He told them about Himself and said “I am Holy, so you must also be Holy”. This may sound as if it were simply a command for spiritual perfection, but that would be an incorrect understanding. The word holy means many things. It means set apart, or set aside for a specific purpose. It also means to be kept undefiled. Certainly these meanings are congruent with a successful marriage. There are also some important noteworthy characteristics of holiness that are critical in highly successful marriages. God’s unchangeable nature, the fact that He is immutable is a result of His Holiness. Holiness is true. Holiness is faithful. Holiness is unwavering. God is all of these things, and if we are to be in right relationship, with Him, He says we must be these things as well. As God is true to us, we must also be true to Him. As He is faithful to us, we must be faithful to Him. Just as God is unwavering in His devotion to us we also must be unwavering in our devotion to Him. If the marital oneness between a man and a woman is completed by a Holy God, and is the Great Analogy of the relationship that Holy God desires to have with them, then the 3rd Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful marriage is Holiness. 
Marriages that operate at a high level of success understand that the only way to do so is to operate with an uncommon high level of trust. I know full well that I am not the first to say that trust is key to a great marriage. That insight has likely been expressed as long as there have been those offering advice about what makes a marriage tick. Some might even look at my collection of 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage and think that trust should have been listed as #1. 
Correctly placed trust is much more than a high level of confidence. True trust is just that…true. This is because real trust is a two sided coin. On the one side, trust is something we place in someone else. On the other side of the coin, trust is that which has been placed in us. Genuine trust is the relationship between a trustor and a trustee. That being the case, absolute trust is only possible if it cannot fail. It is only obtainable when dealing with someone who is Holy. We know that we can trusty God 100%. God is 100% Holy. He is infallible. He is unchangeable and therefore His word is completely and totally trustworthy. There is nothing that He says that we cannot lean on completely. There is no promise He makes that we cannot trust wholly.
The problem we experience in our marriages is that we are not married to someone who is immutable. Human beings have the capacity, and often, seemingly a propensity for failure. Though we are created in God’s image, we are not perfect in all of our ways as He is. The fact of the matter is that as fallible human beings; we can only really know that someone is keeping their word to us if we can watch them do so with our eyes. If that is the case, and our imperfect nature dictates that it is, and if the 3rd Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful marriage is all about trust, then what are we to do? How can we operate within our marriages with a high level of success if we can’t really trust our spouse unless we are actually watching them? That sounds like a discouraging question but it comes with a truly encouraging answer. 
When God told the Israelite people that they were to be holy as He is Holy, God knew that would only possible for them as a result of the relationship He wanted to have with them. Jesus told us, “There is no good in us”. God is good, but we are evil in and of ourselves. It is only when we invite God to dwell inside us…that we become righteous. God knows that we can only be holy if He indwells us, and so, by saying “I Am Holy, so you must be holy” He was imploring His people to allow Him to come and live with them. Peter wrote of the connection between the Hebrews during their exodus from Egypt and Christians being brought out of slavery to sin. 
1 Peter 1:13-16 say this, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy. Peter was essentially saying that holiness is possible for us because of the redeeming blood of Christ that purchases our freedom from sin. If we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and have invited Him to live in us, we have invited His Holiness to live in and through us. So, Peter says, now we have to live lives on the outside which are congruent with the Holy one who lives on the inside.
You might be asking what that has to do with a successful marriage. Everything. As a Christ follower, Christ lives in me. As a Christ follower, Christ indwells my wife also. I am still a fallible human being as is my wife. We both still have the capacity for sin. Our own ability to fail, leaves our 100% value as a trustee in reasonable question. In other words, as I stated before if she cannot see me with her own two eyes, my wife cannot put her absolute trust in me that I will always keep my word. Those who say that they can do this are either; simply fooling themselves, or they already understand that the 3rd Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage is holiness. If trust is critical for a marriage to operate successfully, and it is, and if absolute trust is not something rightly placed in a fallible human being, and it isn’t, then what can we do? Highly successful marriages place their trust in the holiness of their spouse. Where does that holiness originate? With our indwelling God. Highly successful marriages understand that they do not trust their spouse to never fail them, they trust their God who also dwells inside their spouse to never fail them. 
For this reason, spiritual intimacy within a marriage is crucial. There must be a common understanding that each spouse is giving God the correct place of highest importance in their life. Real trust becomes possible when each spouse can see their counterpart investing heavily in their relationship with God. This necessary component of trust must be built at all costs. No other form of intimacy is more important or should be allowed to supersede the formation of spiritual intimacy in a marriage. How do we build spiritual intimacy? There are a number of ways to do so successfully. Pray together. Worship together. Minister together. Serve God together. Give to God together. Spend time with God together. These are a great start but are not intended to be an exhaustive list.
The last of the spiritual intimacy builders I mentioned was saved for last so that I could expound on its incredibly high importance. Each morning my wife Lynn and I spend personal time with the Lord. Some would call that our daily devotional time. It is the time that we each spend reading God’s word, and asking Him to show us new truths that will impact our walk with Him. The twist that makes it a wonderful spiritual intimacy builder for us, is that we do it at the same time each day and though we are reading in different places in the Bible, we are doing so in each other’s presence. We sit down in adjacent chairs in our living room and use the same parcel of time to press into God. I see Lynn investing in her relationship with her Lord. She observes me doing the same thing. It gives us the opportunity for much that is good for us, and our marriage. We can ask questions of each other as we desire the other’s input about that which we have just discovered. We can share with each other things that excite us from God’s word. Most importantly however, it allows us to see with our own eyes that the trust we have placed in the indwelling holiness in our spouse is secure.
When you recognize that the 3rd biblical principle of a highly successful marriage is holiness…the only source of real trust, you begin to understand why it is 3rd and not 1st. This principle isn’t possible if we don’t first make sure of our spiritual compatibility and second, understand that our marriages are more about our relationship with God than they are about our relationship with our spouse.
So now, trusting completely in the God who dwells in your spouse, and doing everything possible to build the spiritual intimacy in your marriage…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8dbc6a8e059896b120e55186ce5235fb.mp3" length="8803528" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8dbc6a8e059896b120e55186ce5235fb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/3rd-biblical-principle-of-a-highly-successful-marriage</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:51:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>15:06</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Give it to Jesus - August 13th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/cd736a0c1ce0f9bb81f3509628aeb11c.mp3" length="41861418" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/cd736a0c1ce0f9bb81f3509628aeb11c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/give-it-to-jesus-august-13th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Aug 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:08:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blind Eyes - August 6th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares with us some "groundbreaking news" about space.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares with us some "groundbreaking news" about space.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts shares with us some "groundbreaking news" about space.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6b6af3a5e91bb61a67b7974cc19d1e13.mp3" length="36353608" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6b6af3a5e91bb61a67b7974cc19d1e13.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/blind-eyes-august-6th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage - Principle #2 - Your Marriage is More About Your Relationship with God Than it is About Your Relationship with Your Spouse]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
We are continuing today exploring 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
We are continuing today exploring 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. Last time we covered Principle #1 - Compatibility. In that episode I shared with you that God’s word clearly says that in order to enjoy a highly successful marriage a couple must be compatible. Scripture tells us that the most important compatibility marker to consider is that we are equally yoked, meaning that Christians ought to only ask God to join them with another Christ follower.
Today I want to talk about the second Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage – Your Marriage is More About Your Relationship with God Than it is About Your Relationship with Your Spouse. 
This is a concept that eludes most people and yet is crucial to enjoying a highly successful marriage. Even honest Christ followers most often look at their marriages as ancillary to their walk with Christ. This misunderstanding causes them to think that their relationship with God can be a healthy one, even if their marriage is failing. At the risk of offending I will emphatically state that notion is simply not possible. God uses marriage as an analogy for the relationship between Himself and His creation of mankind far and away more than any other in scripture. The sheer number of times it is utilized should squelch any claim that God does not see the two as intricately intertwined. It is my hope that this edition will help us to recognize that our marriages are fundamental to our walk with the Lord. When you consider both the primary purpose of marriage as stated by God…A man and a woman joined as one to reflect Him, and the high level of importance God puts on the connection between His relationship with us and our marriages it becomes clearer why the first principle is so important. We need to be equally yoked with another Christ follower if we are going to fulfill the purpose of marriage successfully.
As I mentioned last time, God is completely and totally holy and righteous. He graciously endows us with righteousness through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, and the redemptive work of His shed blood as the perfect lamb of God. If we ask Him to join us inextricably with an unbeliever, we have asked Him to join righteousness (us joined with Christ) with lawlessness (us joined with an unbeliever). The scripture we looked at then asked the logical questions. …what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14) 
When we look at the scriptural evidence, God clearly draws a connection between Himself and the relationship He desires with us as His people and our marriages, the relationship we experience as husbands and wives. Today we will look at a portion of that evidence. 
As I illustrated in the first episode of this series the primary purpose of marriage is unmistakably expressed in the very first chapter of the first book of the bible. In Genesis 1:26-27 it says, 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God referenced Himse...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
We are continuing today exploring 7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage. Last time we covered Principle #1 - Compatibility. In that episode I shared with you that God’s word clearly says that in order to enjoy a highly successful marriage a couple must be compatible. Scripture tells us that the most important compatibility marker to consider is that we are equally yoked, meaning that Christians ought to only ask God to join them with another Christ follower.
Today I want to talk about the second Biblical Principle of a Highly Successful Marriage – Your Marriage is More About Your Relationship with God Than it is About Your Relationship with Your Spouse. 
This is a concept that eludes most people and yet is crucial to enjoying a highly successful marriage. Even honest Christ followers most often look at their marriages as ancillary to their walk with Christ. This misunderstanding causes them to think that their relationship with God can be a healthy one, even if their marriage is failing. At the risk of offending I will emphatically state that notion is simply not possible. God uses marriage as an analogy for the relationship between Himself and His creation of mankind far and away more than any other in scripture. The sheer number of times it is utilized should squelch any claim that God does not see the two as intricately intertwined. It is my hope that this edition will help us to recognize that our marriages are fundamental to our walk with the Lord. When you consider both the primary purpose of marriage as stated by God…A man and a woman joined as one to reflect Him, and the high level of importance God puts on the connection between His relationship with us and our marriages it becomes clearer why the first principle is so important. We need to be equally yoked with another Christ follower if we are going to fulfill the purpose of marriage successfully.
As I mentioned last time, God is completely and totally holy and righteous. He graciously endows us with righteousness through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, and the redemptive work of His shed blood as the perfect lamb of God. If we ask Him to join us inextricably with an unbeliever, we have asked Him to join righteousness (us joined with Christ) with lawlessness (us joined with an unbeliever). The scripture we looked at then asked the logical questions. …what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14) 
When we look at the scriptural evidence, God clearly draws a connection between Himself and the relationship He desires with us as His people and our marriages, the relationship we experience as husbands and wives. Today we will look at a portion of that evidence. 
As I illustrated in the first episode of this series the primary purpose of marriage is unmistakably expressed in the very first chapter of the first book of the bible. In Genesis 1:26-27 it says, 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God referenced Himself as “Us” giving the first indication of the Triune Godhead we have come to know as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Before the creation of the first man, woman and marriage, God identified that He enjoys intimate union among the three persons of the singular Godhead. He also clearly stated that His desire was to create mankind in His Image and His likeness, in other words, beings that would reflect Him. Verse 27 tells us that the completion of that design was accomplished in the formation of an intimately created male and a female.
When we look at chapter 2 of the book of Genesis we find in verse 23, when the woman was taken out of the man and presented to him, Adam (the man) proclaimed that they were “one flesh”. There was no wedding ceremony necessary, they had been created married. Adam and Eve were one, though they were also two. They were two human beings, of differing genders, but made from the same flesh and bone. In the final book of the Old Testament, Malachi 2:15 tells us that God joined them with himself in their married state. That verse asks, But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. In this scripture we find that God joined Adam and Eve (and subsequently every husband and wife) with a portion of His Own Spirit (the Holy Spirit) so that we could possess innate knowledge of how to act in godly ways within our marriages which were designed to reflect Him. As a result of God making the man and the woman one flesh and by joining them with a portion of His Spirit, He created marriage to be a triune entity illustrating one of the many ways marriage is in fact, reflective of its Creator. If marriage is purposed to reflect God, and by God’s own words it is, and if God is the supreme participant in that union, and He is, then marriage must be primarily about Him. Additionally, the scripture from Malachi points out that the connection marriages share with a remnant of God’s Spirit, is intended to prohibit them from dealing treacherously with one another. God is making the clear connection that He designates poor interaction between a husband and wife as a personal act of contempt against Him.
In Ephesians the Apostle Paul wrote of this connection between our marriages and our relationship with Christ as well. In Ephesians 5:21-33 we read, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Here as nowhere else I am aware of in scripture, the connection between the relationship of God and mankind and the relationship between husband and wife is made abundantly clear. Paul vacillates twelve different times in just thirteen verses, back and forth between the two relationships. My personal view of this passage causes me to proclaim that what Paul wrote here explains how the Great Analogy transcends into the current reality. 
In verses 30-32 Paul wrote 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. The connection God identified between our relationship with Him and our relationship with our spouse could not be made more clear. First, Paul stated in verse 30 that we are members of Christ’s body. If you and your spouse are Christ followers then you are each one with Christ, members of His body. Second in verse 31 Paul wrote that the two of you are also one (one flesh, members of each other’s body) made so by God. (Matthew 19:6) Finally, Paul eluded to the great mystery (I call it a miracle) that God continues to this day to recreate the one flesh condition between a husband and a wife. Paul then immediately says however, he is writing concerning Christ and the church, and is making note of the “one flesh” condition or the marriage between Christ and believers. Again, if Christ is the supreme being in that marital relationship then our marriages are in fact more about our relationship with Him than they are about our relationship with one another. 
Of final note and quite likely greatest importance is this great truth that speaks directly to the 2nd biblical principal for a highly successful marriage. Remember in Genesis 2:23-24, Adam makes the declaration that he and Eve have been created “One flesh” and are therefore married. Then God endorses Adam’s understanding and makes a declaration of His own concerning marriages to come. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This is where we gain the understanding that God recreates that “One flesh” condition enjoyed by Adam and Eve in our marriages. Now, here in Ephesians 5:31 Paul writes of an additional understanding we ought to have. Verse 30 states that we are members of Christ’s body, of His flesh and His bones. Then in Verse 31 Paul says of that truth, “For this reason”, in other words because we are members of Christ’s body, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh”. Here I believe Paul is being quite clear that the importance behind our marriages existing is because God exists. We are made one to reflect who He is. What is the thing of greater importance? The reflectiveness of a mirror or the one being reflected in it? I believe that when Paul writes verse 32 He is reiterating that all important point. After quoting Genesis 2:24, Paul is now using God’s declaration concerning marriage to refer to Christ and believers in Christ. This clearly makes our marriages more about our relationship with God, than it is about our relationship with our spouse. 
Paul concluded with verse 33 which says, 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. This admonition seems to be redundant when compared with verses 22 and 25 but I believe according to 2 Timothy, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit to be placed here for several important reasons relevant to the 2nd Biblical principle for a highly successful marriage. First I will point out that if it were not for verse 33 it might be possible for us to interpret that only if the wife submits (verse 22) then the husband must love (verse 25) but with the order being reversed in verse 33 (husband is to love, wife is to respect) that mistaken interpretation is less likely to occur. More importantly, with the two commands being given in the closing remarks on the subject in this scriptural context, their connection with the marriage between Christ and the believer is easier to see. Who gives the command to a husband to love his wife? Christ does. Who gives the command to a wife to respect her husband? Christ does. So who is it that they are each responding to when they are obedient to the command? Christ. In this scripture as in others throughout the Bible, husbands and wives are given commands as to how to interact with one another. Their obedience (or disobedience) is a response to Christ and His commands. We interact with our spouse but we do so in response to our Lord. 
Biblical Principle #2 for a Highly Successful Marriage - Your Marriage is More About Your Relationship with God Than it is About Your Relationship with Your Spouse.
So now, interacting with your spouse in response to your Lord…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/53f1118fc25a9369cc488165def85926.mp3" length="9048500" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/53f1118fc25a9369cc488165def85926.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/7-biblical-principles-of-a-highly-successful-marriage-principle-2-your-marriage-is-more-about-your-relationship-with-god-than-it-is-about-your-relationship-with-your-spouse</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:29:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>15:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Longing for The Good Old Days]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, July 27th 2023…Longing f...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, July 27th 2023…Longing for The Good Old Days
It is so easy to long for yesterday’s gone by. Sometimes we can wish we had time back so we could remedy some of the mistakes and missteps we have made along the way. It would be nice to be capable of going back in time and avoid the hurts we have caused …or the things that caused us to be hurt. Other times it might be a desire to have back something that time has taken away. I know that I wish I could have some of the strength again that is seemingly reserved for youth. I know that my wife would sometimes love to have our kids back home as children. Though we enjoy watching them be awesome adults, and we wouldn’t trade anything for our grandchildren, occasionally I know she wishes our kids were young again and that she had the opportunity to do the things for them that fulfilled her so as a mom. There are lots of reasons most, if not all of us like to think about what we would do…if we could have just a few yesterday’s back again.
There is another thing that sometimes calls wistfully to us from the past…a simpler time. The very neighborhood my wife and I currently live in regularly calls me back to days gone by. The homes were all built in the 1940’s and even with additions and remodels they still have that vintage Americana look. The streets have not been widened, and a sidewalk still connects each home…like yarn knitting the neighborhood together. The streetlights are the same ones that lit the path for those who took evening strolls along those very sidewalks back in 1945. I have had the thought many times as I stepped out my front door, that if it weren’t for the late model cars in the driveways, one would think they had stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting displayed on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. 
Why is it that we sometimes wish we could live in a simpler time? Why do we call them the Good Old Days? Life was slower for sure. The internet now offers us all the news any time of day and is capable of producing about 15,060,000,000 results in 0.53 seconds, and yes, that is an accurate figure, I just did a search for Today’s news headlines and those were Google’s stats on the results found. Back in the day, we had to wait until 7pm for one the 3 available television networks to tell us what took place during the day or wait for the early morning edition of the newspaper to be delivered to our front step. With those three T.V. networks being the only choices, families waited all week to see what would happen next in their favorite television series. If the episode ended with a cliff hanger (and they almost always did) it would be yet another week before you could rest easy knowing all had turned out well. Binge watching an entire season of a show was not even a thing and would have seemed preposterous. People were courteous (for the most part) at least to the extent that we didn’t watch everyone suspiciously trying to catch them doing something wrong like we do today. Yes, life was simpler back in the good old days and we often long for the Leave It to Beaver world that no longer exists.
Many would say that the advancements in technology have not been a good thing. A bank robber used to have to plan out his caper considering all kinds of continge...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, July 27th 2023…Longing for The Good Old Days
It is so easy to long for yesterday’s gone by. Sometimes we can wish we had time back so we could remedy some of the mistakes and missteps we have made along the way. It would be nice to be capable of going back in time and avoid the hurts we have caused …or the things that caused us to be hurt. Other times it might be a desire to have back something that time has taken away. I know that I wish I could have some of the strength again that is seemingly reserved for youth. I know that my wife would sometimes love to have our kids back home as children. Though we enjoy watching them be awesome adults, and we wouldn’t trade anything for our grandchildren, occasionally I know she wishes our kids were young again and that she had the opportunity to do the things for them that fulfilled her so as a mom. There are lots of reasons most, if not all of us like to think about what we would do…if we could have just a few yesterday’s back again.
There is another thing that sometimes calls wistfully to us from the past…a simpler time. The very neighborhood my wife and I currently live in regularly calls me back to days gone by. The homes were all built in the 1940’s and even with additions and remodels they still have that vintage Americana look. The streets have not been widened, and a sidewalk still connects each home…like yarn knitting the neighborhood together. The streetlights are the same ones that lit the path for those who took evening strolls along those very sidewalks back in 1945. I have had the thought many times as I stepped out my front door, that if it weren’t for the late model cars in the driveways, one would think they had stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting displayed on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. 
Why is it that we sometimes wish we could live in a simpler time? Why do we call them the Good Old Days? Life was slower for sure. The internet now offers us all the news any time of day and is capable of producing about 15,060,000,000 results in 0.53 seconds, and yes, that is an accurate figure, I just did a search for Today’s news headlines and those were Google’s stats on the results found. Back in the day, we had to wait until 7pm for one the 3 available television networks to tell us what took place during the day or wait for the early morning edition of the newspaper to be delivered to our front step. With those three T.V. networks being the only choices, families waited all week to see what would happen next in their favorite television series. If the episode ended with a cliff hanger (and they almost always did) it would be yet another week before you could rest easy knowing all had turned out well. Binge watching an entire season of a show was not even a thing and would have seemed preposterous. People were courteous (for the most part) at least to the extent that we didn’t watch everyone suspiciously trying to catch them doing something wrong like we do today. Yes, life was simpler back in the good old days and we often long for the Leave It to Beaver world that no longer exists.
Many would say that the advancements in technology have not been a good thing. A bank robber used to have to plan out his caper considering all kinds of contingencies, not the least of which might earn him a ride to the jailhouse or the coroner’s refrigerator if he was not-so-lucky. Today a person’s life savings can be wiped out in mere seconds from around the globe by a hacker with a computer. As a pastor and a counselor, I am all too aware of the electronic hiding places that social media offers to those who are tempted to use it that way. Our cell phones were meant to make connecting with other people easier, instead they serve to isolate us from the world around us as we retreat into the blue glow. Furthermore, the fast paced nature of our lives have caused many of us to look as though we were taught how to operate a car but never learned how to drive. We simply to find it too difficult to calmly share the road with others instead we are incredibly impatient thinking only of what we have to do and where we have to go. 
I think all of that is actually a blessing…as crazy as that sounds, let me share why that is my view. If I feel as though I have something physically going on that isn’t right and I go to see the doctor, I don’t want him to walk into the examining room, quickly look at me from the door way and proclaim that I look healthy enough to him. If he were to do that and then dash from the room in haste to see the next patient, I would complain that he had not examined me thoroughly enough to know if there was anything to be concerned about. I might have to endure bloodwork or some uncomfortable tests, but if there is something seriously wrong going on in my body I want to know, so we can do something about it. In that situation I would not interested in being comfortable…I would be interested in being well. After all it might be a matter of life and death. At the time I was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, I didn’t even know I was sick. It was only with the results of a routine thorough physical that the indicators of the disease were discovered. Examination is often a good thing. 
When life is too comfortable, we may not even notice that something has gone seriously awry. If the life we live too closely resembles a Leave It to Beaver world, we might not see the symptoms of sin-sickness that God is desperately trying to make us aware of. There were highly selfish people back in the good old days too, but the culture didn’t always permit them to show it as readily as it does today. When someone was “cut off” while driving in the 1950’s it wasn’t considered acceptable to honk the horn incessantly while cursing the offender and throwing obscene hand gestures in their direction. Today, that is not only accepted…it’s expected. It has become the anomaly to make a misstep while driving and NOT get cursed for doing it. And that is just one example, (though I chose it because of its prevalence). As a people and a society we illustrate just how selfish we are in a myriad of ways on any given day. I think that the “advancements and progression” that encourage our selfishness to rise to the top, are actually good for us. The more they make our sin-sick hearts evident, the easier it is for us to see something is seriously, seriously wrong. 
In James 3:7-17 we are cautioned against allowing selfishness and pride to be the motivations behind our words and actions. In The Remedy, a paraphrase I enjoy reading, the author, Dr. Tim Jennings puts this way. Humans have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea, 8but no one can make their words harmless. The mouth speaks venomous words, expressing the chaos and evil within the heart. 9One moment we praise God our Father, and the very next moment we curse the very men and women created in his image. 10Think about it: Out of the same mouth come both praises and curses. My brothers and sisters, this is wrong, and it must stop. 11Does a spring bring forth fresh water one moment and sewage the next? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a sewer produce fresh water. 13Who of you is wise enough to understand God's methods and principles? Then show it by living in harmony with God's design for life–a life of love in action, giving in humility to bless and uplift others.14But to cherish self-centered, arrogant, mean-spirited, jealous motives in the heart misrepresents God and defames the truth.15Such principles do not originate in God, nor do they come from heaven, but are profane and destructive, and originate in Satan.16For selfishness, envy, and all violations of God's law of love break his design for life and cause chaos, disease, suffering, and everything evil. 17Real wisdom originates in heaven and is always pure, healing, restorative, kind, compassionate, selfless, merciful, peaceful, transformational, unbiased, and sincere.
James said that as Christ followers we have to make sure that our words and actions look like those of the one we are supposed to be imitating. He points out that the things we say and do will illustrate if our selfishness and other violations of God’s law of love are truly being worked out of our lives or not. Our actions will help us to know if we are well or if there is still a lot of transformation that must take place. It is important that we examine ourselves regularly to see if we are acting in accordance with the faith in Jesus that we profess to have. James went on to write that if our faith doesn’t produce action that looks like Jesus then that kind of faith is essentially useless.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Essentially Paul was agreeing with James, If Jesus Christ lives in us, what comes out of us should look like Him. Jesus is the ultimate expression of selflessness, and we are asked to reflect that kind of selflessness to the those we come in contact with every day.
So now, Allowing the selflessness of Christ dwelling in you to be openly illustrated by the way you speak to, and act toward the world around you…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8541c048c4ec80a9e877accee4f41909.mp3" length="6801888" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8541c048c4ec80a9e877accee4f41909.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/longing-for-the-good-old-days</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:21:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[7 Biblical Principles of a Highly Successful Marriage - Principle #1 - Compatibility]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This year I have chosen to offer my Monday Marriage Message podcast in a series format....]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This year I have chosen to offer my Monday Marriage Message podcast in a series format. We have thus far completed a series on Ephesians 5:21-33, and have just completed a series on Marriage and divorce. Though each of these have been expository teaching systematically working through various passages of scripture, my next series is going to follow more of an episodic nature. I am entitling the series 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage, and though each entry will cover an individual principle and its supporting scriptures, each will also contribute to the overall theme. I am looking forward to it this new series, so let’s begin.  
I have used several past episodes presenting the truth that God created marriage for the purpose of reflecting Himself, so I won’t take the time now to repeat that teaching. However, I do think it is important to re-register the principle facts that support that theological position. 
•	God created mankind to reflect His image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26)
•	God created humankind, male and female. (Genesis 1:27)
•	God identified that man alone is in a state of incomplete ability to reflect the image and likeness of God entirely. (Genesis 2:18)
•	Woman was created to perfectly complement the man that together they might be equipped to fulfill their stated purpose of reflecting God. (Genesis 2:21-22)
•	The man made note of the fact that he and the woman were created “One flesh” a term endorsed by God to describe those who are married. (Genesis 2:23)
•	The union and relationship of man and woman in their ‘One flesh’ condition is reflective of the inseparable unity of the trinity which created them. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:23-24)
•	Following Adam and Eve, God decided to mysteriously and miraculously “Join” men and women in marriage and recreate of them a “One flesh” condition like that experienced in the original union. (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31-32, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:7-9)
•	The primary purpose of marriage noted by the Creator and Author of the institution is to reflect God and that same purpose has been expressly continued in every marriage from Adam and Eve to the present. (Genesis 2:24)
If you desire to have a fuller understanding of this teaching it is available in past episodes of this podcast entitled The Oneness Factor, posted Aug 9, 2021 or Marital Conflict #1 What is the Purpose of Marriage? released Aug 8, 2022. A prerequisite understanding of this foundational concept is important to the series we are now beginning, so if you are not familiar with it I hope you will take the time to listen to one or both of the episodes I just mentioned.
With that I want to begin with the first of our 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage. Principle #1 – Compatibility - In order to enjoy a highly successful marriage a couple must be compatible. 
In our western society we place a high level of importance on compatibility in marriage. Most dating websites and Apps garner a great deal of information about a person’s likes and dislikes, habits, beliefs, and personality traits in an attempt to be able to match the user with another with whom they will be compatible. In my practice as a marriage counselor when I am offering pre-marital counseling I ask each couple why they have decided to marry. Almost everyo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This year I have chosen to offer my Monday Marriage Message podcast in a series format. We have thus far completed a series on Ephesians 5:21-33, and have just completed a series on Marriage and divorce. Though each of these have been expository teaching systematically working through various passages of scripture, my next series is going to follow more of an episodic nature. I am entitling the series 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage, and though each entry will cover an individual principle and its supporting scriptures, each will also contribute to the overall theme. I am looking forward to it this new series, so let’s begin.  
I have used several past episodes presenting the truth that God created marriage for the purpose of reflecting Himself, so I won’t take the time now to repeat that teaching. However, I do think it is important to re-register the principle facts that support that theological position. 
•	God created mankind to reflect His image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26)
•	God created humankind, male and female. (Genesis 1:27)
•	God identified that man alone is in a state of incomplete ability to reflect the image and likeness of God entirely. (Genesis 2:18)
•	Woman was created to perfectly complement the man that together they might be equipped to fulfill their stated purpose of reflecting God. (Genesis 2:21-22)
•	The man made note of the fact that he and the woman were created “One flesh” a term endorsed by God to describe those who are married. (Genesis 2:23)
•	The union and relationship of man and woman in their ‘One flesh’ condition is reflective of the inseparable unity of the trinity which created them. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:23-24)
•	Following Adam and Eve, God decided to mysteriously and miraculously “Join” men and women in marriage and recreate of them a “One flesh” condition like that experienced in the original union. (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31-32, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:7-9)
•	The primary purpose of marriage noted by the Creator and Author of the institution is to reflect God and that same purpose has been expressly continued in every marriage from Adam and Eve to the present. (Genesis 2:24)
If you desire to have a fuller understanding of this teaching it is available in past episodes of this podcast entitled The Oneness Factor, posted Aug 9, 2021 or Marital Conflict #1 What is the Purpose of Marriage? released Aug 8, 2022. A prerequisite understanding of this foundational concept is important to the series we are now beginning, so if you are not familiar with it I hope you will take the time to listen to one or both of the episodes I just mentioned.
With that I want to begin with the first of our 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage. Principle #1 – Compatibility - In order to enjoy a highly successful marriage a couple must be compatible. 
In our western society we place a high level of importance on compatibility in marriage. Most dating websites and Apps garner a great deal of information about a person’s likes and dislikes, habits, beliefs, and personality traits in an attempt to be able to match the user with another with whom they will be compatible. In my practice as a marriage counselor when I am offering pre-marital counseling I ask each couple why they have decided to marry. Almost everyone gives me some form of answer that indicates they find themselves compatible. Usually it is the female who will tell me how they share the same interests, or they like to do the same things. I often hear that they feel that they are complete when they are together. As I said these thoughts are most often shared with me by the woman who is the relational thinker of the duo, the man, compartmentalized in his thinking, understands it is in his best interest to agree with her in that moment though I know that if forced to answer prior to her, he would likely say something much more succinct about his thoughts on their compatibility. He would be much more likely to utter something along the lines of, “We love each other and want to spend our lives together”. 
Though we do place a high degree of importance on compatibility in our culture, our compatibility markers are not the same as the one from Gods word that I want to look at today. Throughout the bible, and even in some cultures today, marriages were and still are arranged by the parents, sometimes without the intended spouses having ever met. Biblically speaking the marriage between Isaac and Rebecca comes to mind. You can read about that in Genesis chapter 24. There was no indicator of their compatibility except that of prayer offered and answered. God had been petitioned to direct Abraham’s servant to the woman who was to become Isaac’s wife. God answered that prayer very specifically in the exact way that was requested leaving no doubt as to whom God’s choice for Isaac was. The scripture actually states that by this sign, a willingness to draw water not only for the him but also for His compliment of camels, Abraham’s servant knew that the woman who made the offer was the one appointed by God. This is not a facet of compatibility that should be ignored. I often suggest to teens and young adults that they should be praying for God’s direction to the spouse He desires them to join into covenant with. If we expect and believe that God cares about us enough to meet our needs and we ask Him as our Jehovah Jireh (God our provider) to do so, why would we think we could not or should not ask Him to lead us to our spouse? If marriage is the joining of a man and a woman for the purpose of reflecting God, logic alone would dictate that God would be incredibly interested in pairing us with the best person to compliment us in the fulfillment of that endeavor.
However, there is another compatibility factor stated in God’s word in no uncertain terms. It is found in the scripture that I want to focus on today, 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? This short verse speaks volumes about the necessity of compatibility for a highly successful marriage. 
I have made the following statement many times before. Marriage is a spiritual experience lived out in the physical realm, therefore, it is governed by spiritual principles – not natural ones. Last year in this podcast, I spent several weeks on another series I called Marital Conflict - Worldly Wisdom vs Wordly Wisdom. In that series I pointed out some of the spiritual principles that dictate the marriage experience. 
Marriage is indeed a spiritual experience. It was instituted by God, the supreme spiritual authority. According to Genesis 2:24 each marriage subsequent to Adam and Eve’s literal physical “One flesh” merger, is a recreation of that original union. Jesus stated in Mathew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:7-9 that this redevelopment of the original is accomplished by God alone, and is intended to be respected as an act of God not to undone by mere men. Paul went on to write in Ephesians 5:32 that this “one flesh” condition is still mysteriously or miraculously taking place in the present and is the handiwork of God. Marriage is a spiritual experience indeed.
Marriage is a spiritual experience – lived out in the physical realm, therefore, it is governed by spiritual principles – not natural ones. When Adam and Eve were married it was the result of their creation. On the 6th day God created both Adam and Eve. We don’t know how long it was that Adam was on scene without his counterpart, we only know it was not more than 24 hours. I don’t have the time to lay it all out here today but there is considerable evidence that each of the days of creation were in fact 24 hour periods of time. When Eve was taken out of Adam and presented to him, Adam announced that they were “One flesh” (Genesis 2:21-23). Eve was created from Adam’s flesh and bone. Their marriage was the prototype; and yet also unique. They were literally living in a “one flesh” condition. Their marriage was created by God just as yours and mine were, but theirs was not only a spiritual experience it contained a true physical component to it as well. We live out our spiritual experience of marriage in the physical realm. In other words, a husband and wife in the physical realm are two individual human beings, but they are intended to honor the fact that God has joined them and made of them one thing – their “One flesh” condition…their marriage. Jesus said “And so, they are no longer two - but one flesh, what God has joined together let not man take apart”. 
Since marriage is a spiritual condition established by God it is a Holy creation. What is holy is pure and righteous. As Christ followers, we have been made righteous by the purifying blood of Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:21) This righteousness imparted to us is supposed to have a purifying effect on our lives. As we become aware of the impurities in our lives we are to repent and turn from them. It is God’s desire that we choose to love Him more than our fleshly passions. Therefore, when we ask Him in marriage to join us inextricably with another, it is crucial that we ask Him to join us with one who is also made righteous by Him, being perfected by Him, through the redemptive work of His Holy Spirit. Why? Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 6:14 again…For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 
Holiness is pure, it becomes perverted if lawlessness is invited to mix with righteousness. Darkness isn’t at all compatible with light. Even a little unrighteousness cannot be tolerable by righteousness. [Allow me to illustrate – warning, a graphic gross illustration is about to happen…if you have a weak stomach you may want to stop listening now.] After a big holiday dinner, the trash can is often full of waste from preparing the meal. Hours later when it is removed from the house, at the bottom of the bag is a collection of “juice” that has been released from the various ingredients used to prepare the previously enjoyed feast. 4 or 5 days later when the trash is collected, that “juice” is rotted and disgusting, just as sin is in comparison to holiness. How many drops of that unholy garbage can “juice” would you allow to be put into a glass of pure water that you were supposed to drink and then proclaim how wonderful and refreshing the water was? I hope none! So it is to be in our marriages. We are to reject the idea of being unequally yoked with unbelievers. Righteousness is not compatible with lawlessness and light is not compatible with darkness. 
Does this mean that if you have joined yourself with Christ, that you must now turn your back on your unbelieving spouse? Of course not! The Apostle Paul was clear that if faced with that situation the Christ following spouse is to remain in the union and act in accordance with God’s design for marriage. Paul reminds us that it may be through the righteous action of a believing spouse that the unbelieving one comes to be saved. Only if the non-Christian spouse is unwilling to remain in the marriage because of their spouse’s commitment to Christ, and the unbeliever chooses to leave does Paul say that the Christian spouse is free. (1 Corinthians 7:10-16) 
Compatibility is key to marriage, it is of the utmost importance that we be very careful to ask God to join us with other believers only. As far as I am concerned it is the 1st of the 7 Biblical Principles for a Highly Successful Marriage.
So now, looking to the unity you have with Jesus to increase the compatibility you have with your spouse…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/97989a7d967b583bc26ba2cf137872b4.mp3" length="9367796" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/97989a7d967b583bc26ba2cf137872b4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/7-biblical-principles-of-a-highly-successful-marriage-principle-1-compatibility</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:34:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Interpersonal Relationship Skills 101]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, July 20th, 2023…Interper...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, July 20th, 2023…Interpersonal Relationship Skills 101
I noticed a video in my YouTube feed not long ago where the tagline was “What if you were the last person on earth?” The idea was supposed to address what one would find if they woke up one morning and realized they were the last person living on the planet. That got me thinking, what would it be like if I was tasked with being the last person to turn off the lights and lock the door? 
As a happy, well-adjusted, bonified introvert, the first thought that I had was how peaceful it might be to experience complete isolation…for a while. How long would it take for the peace to morph into a longing for personal contact with others? Depends on who you are I guess. I think I might enjoy it for several days, maybe even a week or two. I know some people who would begin to experience anxiousness brought on by the lack of someone to talk to within a matter of minutes…if it took that long. The fact of the matter is that none of us really know how we would react in a situation like that because no one has a true frame of reference to compare it to. Many of us have some life experience that included solitude that we would draw on to decide how we might react in that scenario, but in each and every one of those experiences…eventually, contact with others was restored. 
The fact of the matter is that none of us regardless of our personal situations can avoid having to figure out how to navigate interpersonal relationships. Even Tom Hanks had to figure out his relationship with Wilson. How successful we are in that endeavor depends on a number of variables not least, our motivation behind maintaining our various relationships. More often than not, we categorize our relationships by the value they bring to us and invest more of ourselves into the ones of higher importance and less into those that we deem to be more expendable. For example, we might put more effort into our relationship with an employer if we really enjoy and want to keep our job, and less effort into our relationship with a former college roommate we rarely see if ever. Immediate family members may get more of our interpersonal relationship efforts that a second cousin we haven’t seen in a decade. While this may be natural for us and we may not often even give it a second thought, our motivation or lack of, illustrates that in the natural we value some people more than others. Scriptures such as we find in the book of James, warn us against doing this. There we read that if we see one person as having higher value than another, we are in the wrong because we are commanded to love our neighbor as our self…all of our neighbors...equally. James points out that breaking any of God’s laws is as bad as breaking all of them. So what to do? We need to improve our interpersonal relationship skills by changing our motivation for maintaining our relationships.
Sometimes it isn’t a matter of how close we feel someone is to us, there are times when our interpersonal relationship skills are driven by how we feel about that person at the time. In other words, we pour into the personal relationships that encourage and uplift us and we pull back from those that we find hurtful in some way. No surprise there, right? If I...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, July 20th, 2023…Interpersonal Relationship Skills 101
I noticed a video in my YouTube feed not long ago where the tagline was “What if you were the last person on earth?” The idea was supposed to address what one would find if they woke up one morning and realized they were the last person living on the planet. That got me thinking, what would it be like if I was tasked with being the last person to turn off the lights and lock the door? 
As a happy, well-adjusted, bonified introvert, the first thought that I had was how peaceful it might be to experience complete isolation…for a while. How long would it take for the peace to morph into a longing for personal contact with others? Depends on who you are I guess. I think I might enjoy it for several days, maybe even a week or two. I know some people who would begin to experience anxiousness brought on by the lack of someone to talk to within a matter of minutes…if it took that long. The fact of the matter is that none of us really know how we would react in a situation like that because no one has a true frame of reference to compare it to. Many of us have some life experience that included solitude that we would draw on to decide how we might react in that scenario, but in each and every one of those experiences…eventually, contact with others was restored. 
The fact of the matter is that none of us regardless of our personal situations can avoid having to figure out how to navigate interpersonal relationships. Even Tom Hanks had to figure out his relationship with Wilson. How successful we are in that endeavor depends on a number of variables not least, our motivation behind maintaining our various relationships. More often than not, we categorize our relationships by the value they bring to us and invest more of ourselves into the ones of higher importance and less into those that we deem to be more expendable. For example, we might put more effort into our relationship with an employer if we really enjoy and want to keep our job, and less effort into our relationship with a former college roommate we rarely see if ever. Immediate family members may get more of our interpersonal relationship efforts that a second cousin we haven’t seen in a decade. While this may be natural for us and we may not often even give it a second thought, our motivation or lack of, illustrates that in the natural we value some people more than others. Scriptures such as we find in the book of James, warn us against doing this. There we read that if we see one person as having higher value than another, we are in the wrong because we are commanded to love our neighbor as our self…all of our neighbors...equally. James points out that breaking any of God’s laws is as bad as breaking all of them. So what to do? We need to improve our interpersonal relationship skills by changing our motivation for maintaining our relationships.
Sometimes it isn’t a matter of how close we feel someone is to us, there are times when our interpersonal relationship skills are driven by how we feel about that person at the time. In other words, we pour into the personal relationships that encourage and uplift us and we pull back from those that we find hurtful in some way. No surprise there, right? If I get burnt touching the stove…who can blame me for wanting to steer clear of the stove when I’m in the kitchen? The problem with that reasoning is that the bible says we are to love those who hurt us and pray for those who are against us. The book of Romans teaches we should repay evil with good. Jesus Himself taught us that we must be forgiving if we are to experience the forgiveness of our Heavenly Father…and we all want His forgiveness. Right? So what are we to do when those who may be close to us are treating us in hurtful ways? We need to improve our interpersonal relationship skills by changing our motivation for maintaining our relationships.
One of the scriptures I find so helpful when I need to tune up my interpersonal relationship skills is found in Colossians 3:12-24. I find that to be helpful to remedy either my errant tendency to value people differently or my propensity to pull away from those who are not treating me as I think I should be treated. Verses 12-15 help me remember what God desires to see in me as I interact with those around me. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Verses 16&17 illustrate for me what it will look like if I allow Him to flow through me in my personal relationships with others. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Verses 18-25 give me the most help though. These assist me in having the right motivation as I interact with other people every day. They help me to correctly view everyone I come into contact with as having equal value as well as resist the tendency to interact positively only when I feel I have been treated well. In order to remind myself that there is one interpersonal relationship skill that its paramount to all others I like to recall these verses in a particular way. The first five of the verses in this section identify individual people in differing roles. The sixth verse tells us how to deal with each of them in a way that will always, always, be successful on our part. That is why I call it the most important interpersonal relationship skill of all. To make sure we keep in mind its importance to each of the relationships mentioned I like to add the sixth verse (vs. 23) after each of the five preceding it (vs. 18-22).
Vs 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. (Now vs.23) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Vs 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. (Now vs.23) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Vs 20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. (Now vs.23) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Vs 21 Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. (Now vs.23) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Finally, vs 22 Slaves [or employees], obey your earthly masters [or employers] in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. (one more time vs.23) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
When we relate with everyone as though we were doing so at Christ’s request, we will do so differently than we often do now. If we look at each new opportunity to interact with someone as a chance to do it for Jesus because He is asking us to, we will likely treat that person with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, just as the verses we looked at a moment ago suggested we should. We will be much more likely to make allowances for each other’s faults and be forgiving of one another. Working willingly at whatever we do, as though we were working for the Lord rather than for people, is the ultimate interpersonal relationship skill, because it leaves no room for miscalculating the value a person should have in our lives. If they are important to Christ (and they are), then they need to be important to us as well. 
With that, we will conclude with verse 24. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. We don’t simply interact with others as if we were doing it for the Lord. Verse 24 points out we are doing it for the Lord. He is our Master, we are His servants. If we get that relationship right, odds are we will get the rest of them more right than we ever have in before.
So now, interacting with those around you in the same way you would if Jesus asked you to personally, because Jesus is asking you to personally, hone up on your best interpersonal relationship skill and…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1688feb42c016a77af8eff19763d1175.mp3" length="6604282" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1688feb42c016a77af8eff19763d1175.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/interpersonal-relationship-skills-101</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:23:39 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage & Divorce Vol. 10]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This will be the final installment in our study of marriage and divorce based on the co...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This will be the final installment in our study of marriage and divorce based on the conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees recorded for us in the 19th chapter of Matthew and the 10th chapter or Mark. I hope this in-depth look at this topic has been both interesting and informative. Most of all I hope it has spurred you on to recommitting to your own covenantal marital relationship. Additionally, if you have been through divorce yourself as I have, I pray you have not found this study to be judgmental or condemning in nature. It is my hope that you have heard what I think Jesus intended even the Pharisees to hear…that there is forgiveness and grace for our failures, but that future blessing relies on our willingness to repent and choose to follow God’s best for us going forward.
Last time we looked to the conclusion of that recorded conversation. Both Mark and Matthew record that after finishing His discussion with the Pharisees, Jesus then spoke privately with His disciples answering some questions they had on their minds after listening to the exchange. 
Mark simply tells us that, In the house, the disciples also asked Him about the same matter. So He said to them, “Whoever divorces His wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:10-12 I believe Jesus was saying several important things here. First we know from what we read a few weeks ago in Malachi 2:15-16 that God is seriously opposed to divorce. In fact, in that study we saw that the original Hebrew text intimated that in the context of that passage divorce actually means to be ‘opposite God’. We certainly know that Jesus would not have spoken contradictory to scripture. In His answer to His disciples, Jesus seems to address two separate issues, both divorce and re-marriage.  First, He speaks concerning if a man or woman divorce…but mentions no consequence as a result of the divorce. I certainly don’t think this indicates Jesus approves of divorce, nor that there are no consequences if someone chooses to divorce. As I just mentioned God’s word found in Malachi already indicates that one of the consequence is being outside the will of God. That will certainly require repentance and will likely be the catalyst for various other natural consequences often including but not limited to broken homes, familial dysfunction, financial difficulty, etc. The next part of Jesus statement to the disciples addresses the second consideration “and marries another”. This does include a stated consequence. Jesus said that if someone divorces and remarries another, they commit adultery against their former spouse. Why did Jesus include this difficult statement? I believe He did so for several reasons. First I think Jesus meant for us to wrestle heavily with the importance God places on marriage. God endorses marriage…not divorce. I believe whole-heartedly that God recognizes divorce as ending a marriage, but that does not alter the fact that He intends only death to conclude the marital relationship, hence, His graphic description of a violent murder scene in Malachi when talking about the matter. I also believe that Jesus response to the Samaritan woman He encountered at Jacob’s well indicates God’s recognition of divorce concluding...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This will be the final installment in our study of marriage and divorce based on the conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees recorded for us in the 19th chapter of Matthew and the 10th chapter or Mark. I hope this in-depth look at this topic has been both interesting and informative. Most of all I hope it has spurred you on to recommitting to your own covenantal marital relationship. Additionally, if you have been through divorce yourself as I have, I pray you have not found this study to be judgmental or condemning in nature. It is my hope that you have heard what I think Jesus intended even the Pharisees to hear…that there is forgiveness and grace for our failures, but that future blessing relies on our willingness to repent and choose to follow God’s best for us going forward.
Last time we looked to the conclusion of that recorded conversation. Both Mark and Matthew record that after finishing His discussion with the Pharisees, Jesus then spoke privately with His disciples answering some questions they had on their minds after listening to the exchange. 
Mark simply tells us that, In the house, the disciples also asked Him about the same matter. So He said to them, “Whoever divorces His wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:10-12 I believe Jesus was saying several important things here. First we know from what we read a few weeks ago in Malachi 2:15-16 that God is seriously opposed to divorce. In fact, in that study we saw that the original Hebrew text intimated that in the context of that passage divorce actually means to be ‘opposite God’. We certainly know that Jesus would not have spoken contradictory to scripture. In His answer to His disciples, Jesus seems to address two separate issues, both divorce and re-marriage.  First, He speaks concerning if a man or woman divorce…but mentions no consequence as a result of the divorce. I certainly don’t think this indicates Jesus approves of divorce, nor that there are no consequences if someone chooses to divorce. As I just mentioned God’s word found in Malachi already indicates that one of the consequence is being outside the will of God. That will certainly require repentance and will likely be the catalyst for various other natural consequences often including but not limited to broken homes, familial dysfunction, financial difficulty, etc. The next part of Jesus statement to the disciples addresses the second consideration “and marries another”. This does include a stated consequence. Jesus said that if someone divorces and remarries another, they commit adultery against their former spouse. Why did Jesus include this difficult statement? I believe He did so for several reasons. First I think Jesus meant for us to wrestle heavily with the importance God places on marriage. God endorses marriage…not divorce. I believe whole-heartedly that God recognizes divorce as ending a marriage, but that does not alter the fact that He intends only death to conclude the marital relationship, hence, His graphic description of a violent murder scene in Malachi when talking about the matter. I also believe that Jesus response to the Samaritan woman He encountered at Jacob’s well indicates God’s recognition of divorce concluding marriage. In John 4:16-18 it is recorded that Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband, in that, you spoke truly.” Jesus was clear that the woman had been married five times and was in fact living in a sixth relationship that had not been consecrated by marriage. The intimation is that this poor woman had been a part of several divorces and remarriages. Jesus called each of those marriages valid. The only one not validated was the current one because according to Christ, no marriage between those two had taken place. God clearly validates divorce, but just as clearly does not endorse it. So, what was Jesus point? I think that the point Jesus was making here is that divorce is errantly seen by mankind as a solution for a ‘problematic marriage’. I think that Jesus is simply trying to point out that instead of solving problems, divorce simply creates an additional set of problems that will also have to be dealt with, and does not solve any that formerly existed. If there are problems in our marriages, the solution is to deal with the problems, not compound them.
I in no way desire to minimize what Christ was expressed so succinctly. Divorce goes against God’s best for us and potentially creates all kinds of unintended consequences. Context is incredibly important here. Let’s not forget that Jesus was speaking with His disciples at this point in a private setting. These were the men that He would rely upon to continue spreading the good news of the gospel as well as to teach the soon to be born church how to walk in righteousness. Jesus is not about what we can get away with and still be considered ok spiritually. Jesus is all about righteousness and the perfecting process of His bride.
The book of Matthew records more information about this private exchange with the disciples. In his account Matthew wrote that Jesus told the Pharisees that if someone divorced for any reason other than sexual unfaithfulness and remarried they would be guilty of committing adultery. Remember this was said to Pharisees who thought they were within the bounds of the law to divorce for any reason at all. Jesus stern response to these men apparently got His disciples thinking that such a strict view of the sanctity of marriage was not only unusual but perhaps too difficult to follow through with. We read their response in Matthew 19:10-12. His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only to those whom it has been given; For there are Eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it. 
Jesus’ disciples were doing what many of us often do when we don’t like direction we have been given. Most of us will counter unwanted guidance with an extreme. We do this because we find what we have just been told to be an extreme, so we respond with one of our own. It is an act of immaturity and is often easy to recognize in our children even if we don’t want to see it in ourselves. A teenager who has just been told they can’t go out with their friends for one reason or another may counter with a statement like “I guess I’ll just have to stay home forever then!” This is essentially what the disciples were doing. Jesus had simply stated a truth concerning the high value God places on His miraculous act of taking a man and a woman and making them one for the purpose of reflecting Himself. The truth Jesus expressed: Unless pornea has impacted marriage there are no grounds for divorce. Essentially Jesus was saying even if a marriage is terrible, if both spouses remain faithful sexually, they should stay put in their “One Flesh” condition and submit to God and look to Him to be the healer of their broken marriage. The disciples responded by saying, “If you have to stay in a marriage that makes you unhappy, maybe it is better to just not get married in the first place!” 
Jesus simply illustrated to them that their thinking on the matter was flawed by taking it a step further. He told them that most people would not be cut out for a life of celibacy. There are those who are born unable to experience sexual union, and there are those who have been made that way by others. This latter statement was likely in reference to the practice of slaves sometimes being castrated by their masters to remove their sexual drive and keep them focused on their work. Finally, Jesus said that there are those who willingly give up their own physical desires to further the Kingdom of God. Paul spoke of this as well in 1 Corinthians chapter seven. Jesus response to the extreme statement made by the disciples pointed out that a life of voluntary celibacy was unrealistic without a specific calling on one’s life to do so, and that it was not a viable way of avoiding sin. Choosing not to marry to avoid sin is useless since the opportunity to sin is equally possible for someone who is single. The disciples had essentially said that if divorce without the pornea exception and subsequent remarriage would constitute adultery then better to not marry. Jesus responded that an unmarried person with normal sexual desire would be at an equal or even greater risk of sexual sin. 
As a marriage counselor, I have had many people challenge Jesus statements about marriage and divorce. Those who question the validity of what He said in the conversation He had with the Pharisees want to use the Pharisee’s sin as the basis for why Jesus made such strict statements and therefore remove from themselves any need to submit to the same standard. I might be able to go down that road except that both Mark and Matthew also recorded the private conversation Jesus had with His disciples afterward. In that exchange, Jesus made no reference to the Pharisees at all. He spoke directly to the disciples. This can only mean that Jesus words did not apply only to the Pharisees but to the disciples as well. That means if we claim to be Christians, disciples of Jesus, they apply to us too. 
I understand that in our society (and we think we have progressed as a society though I believe there is actually much proof to the contrary) there are many reasons good enough for divorce. We believe (as a society) that abuse, physical, emotional, mental, or otherwise is cause for divorce. Jesus does not agree. We think that if our spouse is harsh and we don’t think the way they parent is healthy it is a good enough reason to divorce. Jesus does not agree. We believe that if a marriage is unhealthy for us, (and we alone are the one who can decide if it is or is not healthy), we should be free to divorce. Jesus does not agree. We go so far as to say that if we have irreconcilable differences (whatever they are) it is probably better to divorce. Jesus does not agree. Does Jesus then want us to endure all of the things I mentioned and possibly even other hurtful things in our marriages? Of course not! However, Jesus understands people because He created them. Jesus also understands marriage because He invented it. Jesus understands sin because He died to pay the price for it, none of which had been committed by Him. Jesus understands, and with all of that understanding, Jesus understands something else that your grandmother understood…two wrongs won’t make it right. Having been the one who made people, instituted marriage and died to pay the price for our sin, Jesus understands better than anyone that divorce will not solve any problem…it only complicates it.
So now, understanding more about why it is so important to remain in the one flesh condition God created of us. Trust Him to guide and direct how to work out the problematic difficulties in your marriage…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/291887bf3557d1259a0eb6a475de56d3.mp3" length="8036690" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/291887bf3557d1259a0eb6a475de56d3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-divorce-vol-10</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:20:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:45</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Vacuuming The Pool]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 29th  2023…Vacuumin...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 29th  2023…Vacuuming The Pool
A few days ago I was up earlier than normal and having noticed the day before that the pool needing vacuuming, I decided to do it during the coolest part of the day. Though I don’t enjoy that particular task when the sun is high in the sky and quite hot, I do find it relaxing early in the morning or later in the evening. When my boys and I erected the pool some years ago, in our haste, we didn’t get the bottom of the liner stretched as tightly as we should have. As a result there are now quite a few small folded creases in the pool bottom that cannot be corrected at this point because of the weight of the water keeping them from shifting. As I said these are numerous but small so they don’t really cause any problems…Except that the dirt carried into the pool on the feet of our veritable tribe of grandchildren seems to invariably find its way into those folds and crevasses. Before long, the dirt in those folds begin to look like so many dark lines on the bottom of the pool notifying me that it needs the attention of the vacuum. 
As I was standing there slowly moving the vacuum head back and forth paying close attention to the dark lines of the folds in the liner I began to think about how the task I was engaged in was analogous to the cleaning God does in our lives. I am far from omniscient, but I know the dirt exists even though much of it may be hiding from my sight. It is my pool, I look into it daily, and I am well aware of its contents. Jeremiah 23:24 talks about our inability to hide ourselves or our actions from God. In the New King James Version, it says, Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. There is nothing that takes place in our lives that escapes the oversight of God. As the supreme, all-powerful, Creator He must necessarily be and is greater than all that He has created. God is so immense and all-encompassing that there is nothing He has fashioned that is devoid of His presence. We can look at this in either of two ways. We can choose to see Him as an intrusive authoritarian who is always watching us trying to catch us doing some wrong. Or, we can find Him to be our Heavenly Father whose love for us is so immense and intense that He desires to walk so closely to us that nothing that impacts us, escapes Him. 
When I busy myself cleaning the pool I do so because I know the danger of leaving it uncared for. Much of the dirt in the pool is of an organic kind. Grass clippings, leaf particles, and things of that nature that get into the pool become waterlogged and slowly sink to the bottom. With the constant moving water propelled by the pump and children swimming those seemingly trivial pieces of debris tuck themselves into those small folds I mentioned. Once there, algae spores can attach themselves and if not vacuumed out regularly the dirt will essentially begin to grow and multiply. If I neglect to insert myself into that process by daily inspecting the pool water, soon the water will lose its clarity and become cloudy. If this were to happen and I remained uninterested, it would soon turn green and be unsuitable for swimming in. 
I don’t look at myself as a busy-body...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 29th  2023…Vacuuming The Pool
A few days ago I was up earlier than normal and having noticed the day before that the pool needing vacuuming, I decided to do it during the coolest part of the day. Though I don’t enjoy that particular task when the sun is high in the sky and quite hot, I do find it relaxing early in the morning or later in the evening. When my boys and I erected the pool some years ago, in our haste, we didn’t get the bottom of the liner stretched as tightly as we should have. As a result there are now quite a few small folded creases in the pool bottom that cannot be corrected at this point because of the weight of the water keeping them from shifting. As I said these are numerous but small so they don’t really cause any problems…Except that the dirt carried into the pool on the feet of our veritable tribe of grandchildren seems to invariably find its way into those folds and crevasses. Before long, the dirt in those folds begin to look like so many dark lines on the bottom of the pool notifying me that it needs the attention of the vacuum. 
As I was standing there slowly moving the vacuum head back and forth paying close attention to the dark lines of the folds in the liner I began to think about how the task I was engaged in was analogous to the cleaning God does in our lives. I am far from omniscient, but I know the dirt exists even though much of it may be hiding from my sight. It is my pool, I look into it daily, and I am well aware of its contents. Jeremiah 23:24 talks about our inability to hide ourselves or our actions from God. In the New King James Version, it says, Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. There is nothing that takes place in our lives that escapes the oversight of God. As the supreme, all-powerful, Creator He must necessarily be and is greater than all that He has created. God is so immense and all-encompassing that there is nothing He has fashioned that is devoid of His presence. We can look at this in either of two ways. We can choose to see Him as an intrusive authoritarian who is always watching us trying to catch us doing some wrong. Or, we can find Him to be our Heavenly Father whose love for us is so immense and intense that He desires to walk so closely to us that nothing that impacts us, escapes Him. 
When I busy myself cleaning the pool I do so because I know the danger of leaving it uncared for. Much of the dirt in the pool is of an organic kind. Grass clippings, leaf particles, and things of that nature that get into the pool become waterlogged and slowly sink to the bottom. With the constant moving water propelled by the pump and children swimming those seemingly trivial pieces of debris tuck themselves into those small folds I mentioned. Once there, algae spores can attach themselves and if not vacuumed out regularly the dirt will essentially begin to grow and multiply. If I neglect to insert myself into that process by daily inspecting the pool water, soon the water will lose its clarity and become cloudy. If this were to happen and I remained uninterested, it would soon turn green and be unsuitable for swimming in. 
I don’t look at myself as a busy-body because I check on the condition of my pool daily. I don’t think of my interest in the pool as being motivated by the frustration of potentially dirty water. I invest my time in the condition of my pool because I want the water to be clean so that it can be enjoyed by my children and grandchildren. 
God does not desire to be an intrusion in our lives, He wants His ever-present nature to be a blessing to us. I don’t think He hopes He will have to remove sin found in our lives, I believe He hopes that the righteousness of Christ living in us will keep us clean and seeking increased righteousness in our thoughts, words and actions. His plan is that as Christ increases in our lives our sinful nature decreases. God’s great love for us and our healthy spiritual condition motivates Him to continuously look into, and at the condition of, our hearts and minds.
Psalm 139 is all about God’s constant, loving oversight. The first six verses speak specifically to how close He pays attention to us…O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! God pays such close attention to our lives because He loves us so much.
When I notice the debris accumulating in my pool I have to get the vacuum out because I do not want the dirt to have an adverse effect on the clarity and health of the water. God also is willing to enter our lives and clean us when necessary so that the sin doesn’t find a foothold and multiply. The final verses of Psalm 139 speak to King David’s invitation for the cleansing work of God. Verses 23 and 24 say this, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 
When we invite the Holy Spirit’s conviction into our lives it is intended to be a positive experience. Don’t get me wrong, it is difficult at first, but the more you see the benefits of His redemptive work in your life the more grateful you become for His conviction. I don’t enjoy finding that sin has crept in, and what offends God should offend me, but the fact that sin is being pointed out so that it can be cleaned up should be cause for gratitude. Thankfully if God points our sin out, and we respond with repentance, He will clean us up. 1st John 1:9 says If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That is worth being happy about.
So now, inviting the Holy Spirit’s convicting and redemptive power into your life so that you can be cleansed of the impurities that make their way in, thank God for the close eye He keeps on you and…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e9c2a1dc8f22b2d711bf344c2e6ea13c.mp3" length="4657618" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e9c2a1dc8f22b2d711bf344c2e6ea13c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/vacuuming-the-pool</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage & Divorce Vol. 9]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This will be the ninth installment in our series focusing on the topic of marriage and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This will be the ninth installment in our series focusing on the topic of marriage and divorce based primarily on a conversation Jesus had with some of the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10. Over the past several weeks we have looked at that portion of the law from Deuteronomy the Pharisees were using as evidence for their position in the discussion, as well as scripture found in the book of Malachi that clearly states God’s stance on the matter. This week we will resume with the conversation Jesus was involved in that we stepped away from a few episodes back.
When we last visited their conversation, Jesus had just asked the Pharisees a couple of questions. I will remind you as I have shared in past episodes that I believe Jesus was having a three-way conversation between himself, and two opposing groups of Pharisees. Though it is admittedly only my belief that both of these groups were independently questioning Jesus as a part of the overall conversation, the existence of these differing groups is not in question. The two schools, one of Hillel and the other of Shammai were so named after the sages who founded them. Those who followed Shammai were more conservative when it came to matters of divorce believing based on Deuteronomy 24:1-4 that some indecency must be found in one’s wife to justify divorcing her. I believe the book of Mark records the portion of the conversation that was the exchange with them. The school of Hillel was far more liberal in terms of what they believed Deuteronomy 24:1-4 allowed as grounds for divorce. Their position was that all a man needed was be displeased with his wife, literally for any reason, and He could divorce her. It is my thought that Matthew chapter 19 records Jesus’ interaction with these men.
It is recorded for us in Mark 10:3-4 that Jesus asked the Pharisees, “What did Moses Command you?” to which they replied, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss her.” It is recorded in Matthew 19:4-7 that his question to them was “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh?’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and put her away?” 
In recent episodes I’ve uncovered for you the scripture they were using as the basis for their replies to Jesus. In Volume 6 of this series I went through the portion of the law found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 and broke it down explaining its meaning phrase by phrase. In volume 7, I explained the differences between demonstrable law and case law, along with other facts important to the correct interpretation of the aforementioned scripture. Additionally, I explained why the Pharisee’s sinful actions of the time tempted them to misappropriate this particular scripture. 
Before moving on to the conclusion of the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees, I want to point out why I believe Jesus to have been speaking with delegates of both of these groups. I think that His questions to each recorded by Mark and then Matthew were intentionally prese...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage.
This will be the ninth installment in our series focusing on the topic of marriage and divorce based primarily on a conversation Jesus had with some of the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10. Over the past several weeks we have looked at that portion of the law from Deuteronomy the Pharisees were using as evidence for their position in the discussion, as well as scripture found in the book of Malachi that clearly states God’s stance on the matter. This week we will resume with the conversation Jesus was involved in that we stepped away from a few episodes back.
When we last visited their conversation, Jesus had just asked the Pharisees a couple of questions. I will remind you as I have shared in past episodes that I believe Jesus was having a three-way conversation between himself, and two opposing groups of Pharisees. Though it is admittedly only my belief that both of these groups were independently questioning Jesus as a part of the overall conversation, the existence of these differing groups is not in question. The two schools, one of Hillel and the other of Shammai were so named after the sages who founded them. Those who followed Shammai were more conservative when it came to matters of divorce believing based on Deuteronomy 24:1-4 that some indecency must be found in one’s wife to justify divorcing her. I believe the book of Mark records the portion of the conversation that was the exchange with them. The school of Hillel was far more liberal in terms of what they believed Deuteronomy 24:1-4 allowed as grounds for divorce. Their position was that all a man needed was be displeased with his wife, literally for any reason, and He could divorce her. It is my thought that Matthew chapter 19 records Jesus’ interaction with these men.
It is recorded for us in Mark 10:3-4 that Jesus asked the Pharisees, “What did Moses Command you?” to which they replied, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss her.” It is recorded in Matthew 19:4-7 that his question to them was “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh?’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and put her away?” 
In recent episodes I’ve uncovered for you the scripture they were using as the basis for their replies to Jesus. In Volume 6 of this series I went through the portion of the law found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 and broke it down explaining its meaning phrase by phrase. In volume 7, I explained the differences between demonstrable law and case law, along with other facts important to the correct interpretation of the aforementioned scripture. Additionally, I explained why the Pharisee’s sinful actions of the time tempted them to misappropriate this particular scripture. 
Before moving on to the conclusion of the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees, I want to point out why I believe Jesus to have been speaking with delegates of both of these groups. I think that His questions to each recorded by Mark and then Matthew were intentionally presented because of their varying thought processes. I think Jesus asked each questions that lent themselves specifically to the more conservative or liberal beliefs of the two groups. I also believe that because the Pharisee’s had come to Jesus with only one unified mindset…to test and entrap Jesus in His answers, He turned the tables and allowed their selfish motivations to entrap them in the answers they gave. In doing this, Christ not only avoided the pitfall they were attempting to lay to cause Him a problem, He also exposed the error in both groups thinking, and that it was robbing them of the opportunity to know the fullness of God’s blessing in their own marriages.
Picking up now where we left off, let’s look at what Jesus had to say in response to the Pharisees answers to His questions. Mark 10:5-9 tell us, And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart, he [Moses] wrote you this precept. [Deuteronomy 24:1-4]. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate. In this account given us by Mark and in my belief, spoken to the more conservative group of Pharisees, this is His reply to their answer to What did Moses command you? This reply clearly indicated to them that their error was in the portion of the law they were turning to when considering the topic. Jesus was redirecting them to the correct answer regarding what Moses had commanded them in Genesis 2:24. Christ was clearly saying that the command once married was to remain in the “One Flesh” condition God had created of them and their spouse. Jesus went on to reiterate that what God does, in this case taking a man and a woman and making them one, man does not have the capacity to undo…and shouldn’t even try. 
Matthew 19:8-9 record what Jesus told the Pharisees who asked “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” He said to them, “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” What was Jesus saying to these men? Was He saying it to just them, or was it for all of us? In my belief…both. These were the far more liberal group of Pharisees. These were of the school of Hillel who believed that Deuteronomy 24 gave them license to divorce their wives for any reason they found fit. These men were extremely cavalier when it came to their marriages. For them, marriage was little more than an arrangement that allowed them to have sex with a woman without committing fornication. Because of their incredibly casual valuation of marriage, their hearts had become very calloused and hard toward their relationship with God. They were mutilating scriptural guidance meant to direct them into blessing so they could pervert it, and use it to justify their own wanton selfishness. Historical documents of the time reveal that these particular Pharisees were literally marrying and then divorcing as soon as their desire for a new wife emerged. Their use of marriage had nothing to do with covenant and everything to do with covering up their sinful hearts by ensuring they were married to the current woman of their desire. There was never any intention for their marriages to last a lifetime…only as long as their lust endured. 
With this historical context in mind, it becomes clearer that Jesus was indeed speaking directly to these men. He was pointing out their hypocrisy by telling them that if they divorced for any reason short of pornea, the unfaithful sexual immorality of a spouse, they were committing adultery, and were causing anyone who married their former spouse to commit adultery. Jesus’ answer contained an incredibly interesting parallel to the facts in evidence in the very case law the Pharisees used to justify their freedom to divorce. If you will recall, the circumstances of the case were that if a man found some indecency short of sexual immorality and divorced his wife, it was insinuated that by unjustifiably putting her in a position to remarry another, her former husband defiled her.
What about Jesus statement that Moses had indeed permitted them to divorce…even if because of the hardness of their hearts? Doesn’t that indicate God says we can divorce? Yes…and no. God will let us divorce, but does not offer His express permission to do so. We can’t accurately cherry pick the parts of Jesus statement we like and ignore the existence of the ones we don’t. His words recorded for us in Matthew 19:8 were “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Considering His complete statement there are several things that must be taken into account if we are going to use this scripture to endorse divorce.
1.	“Because of the hardness of your hearts” Jesus is abundantly clear…divorce is a result of a hard heart. While we might think the hardened heart is toward the spouse of the one seeking a divorce, and that might be true, I believe Jesus was pointing out it really reveals a hard heart toward God. Jesus said that short of pornea we shouldn’t try to undo what God has done. To do so is to act in opposition to God. A person in a “bad marriage” who seeks to divorce, is a person who has decided to end the marriage instead of waiting on God to have His will and way. Am I saying that if people will simply remain in difficult marriages longer God will always change the heart of their spouse…I am not. What I am saying is that to remain in the “One Flesh” condition God created is the best setting for necessary change to take place…in both spouses. 
2.	“Moses…permitted you to divorce your wives” first we have to look at the inference in the original text we translate to the English word permitted. Literally it means that Moses suffered them to divorce their wives. the meaning is much the same as when we allow, permit, or suffer our children to make a difficult mistake that we know will have painful consequences. No good parent does this when they might be able to persuade their child to do the right thing. This permission is only given when the child cannot be dissuaded and they are headstrong to do the wrong thing. The parent then stands back, knowing their child is in no uncertain terms headed for a painful outcome, but helplessly remains as close as allowed to help pick up the pieces later. This statement in no way indicated Moses or God had agreed with the people that divorce was a solution to their difficult marriages.
3.	“but from the beginning it was not so” Here Jesus was making the point that divorce has never been the plan when it comes to marriage. Therefore, when we divorce we are acting contrary to God’s plan for us, and we are outside His will. Tough words I know, but Jesus said them, you’ll have to plead for your own exclusion. Or…if you have divorced you can do what should be done, repent. This is one of the most difficult, and freeing things you can do. Ask God to forgive you for stepping outside of His plan for your marriage and your life. If necessary, seek the forgiveness of a former spouse as well. Then regardless of your current marital status, determine in your heart you will never go down that road again. In the future you will allow God to lead and to guide, but you will not seek to undo what He has done.
So now, committing to remain in the “One Flesh” condition God has created of you and your spouse, and seeking His help to make your marriage all He wants it to be…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1b5168a76827a3a6927706b0aa1dfaec.mp3" length="8499979" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1b5168a76827a3a6927706b0aa1dfaec.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-divorce-vol-9</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2023 14:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fresh Baked Bread]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 22nd, 2023…Fresh Ba...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 22nd, 2023…Fresh Baked Bread
When I was a teenager my mom spent one entire day, literally from right after breakfast until the evening mealtime, baking for the week ahead. With three boys as well as her and dad, our family went through about 8 loaves of bread a week along with various other baked goods. She would make homemade English muffins, cookies, cakes, rolls…whatever we needed along with the constant of 8 loaves of fresh bread. With seven days in a week, and the family consuming one loaf a day, the 8th had a special purpose. On baking day, the last items to take their turn in the oven always included that special 8th loaf. That loaf was a blessing. The delicious smell of the house on baking day was phenomenal! The entire house smelled of freshly baked bread and cookies and anything else on mom’s culinary to-do list. Experiencing that aroma without being able to sample its tasty goodness would have been akin to cruel and unusual punishment. Because of that, mom always baked the 8th loaf. We all knew that on that particular day of the week, whatever we had for dinner would be accompanied by a warm delicious loaf of fresh baked bread. Now it is my wife Lynn who on most weeks’ labors in our kitchen to produce homemade bread for the two of us. The old family tradition still stands. On baking day, we enjoy warm freshly baked bread with dinner…what a blessing indeed!
This is the bread we ask for when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”. It is the sustenance for our physical bodies. We need all kinds of various nutrients for our continued health, but I understand that if the flour were ground from whole grains a very basic diet of bread and water would likely sustain life for a very long time…perhaps indefinitely. Certainly we know that the Israelite people survived for the better part of 40 years in the wilderness eating only manna, the bread that fell each day from heaven. The fact that the bible tells us that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1-2) is reason enough to look to God for our daily provision. We absolutely should do as Jesus taught His disciples to do and pray each day that God will supply our needs out of His great love and the abundance of His incredible wealth.  
Jesus had some other things to say about bread though, that were equally, if not more important. The first comes from the gospel of Matthew. There in chapter 4 we read of Jesus during His own wilderness experience He was led into by the Holy Spirit. (vs. 1) Jesus chose to use His time there fasting and spending it close to God the Father. After 40 days of fasting the bible tells us that Jesus was very hungry, and that is when the devil came to tempt Him. Satan suggested that since Jesus was the Son of God, He should turn the stones into bread. This is interesting to me on several levels. First, Satan came to tempt Jesus when He knew would be most vulnerable. Second, Satan knew that it was Jesus who had created the stones, and was therefore tempting Him with His own creative license. What I mean by that is that I think the devil was saying, “Look, you are the one who made the stone, so if you are hungry, is it not within your authority to re-purpose your creation of a stone and now turn it into a...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 22nd, 2023…Fresh Baked Bread
When I was a teenager my mom spent one entire day, literally from right after breakfast until the evening mealtime, baking for the week ahead. With three boys as well as her and dad, our family went through about 8 loaves of bread a week along with various other baked goods. She would make homemade English muffins, cookies, cakes, rolls…whatever we needed along with the constant of 8 loaves of fresh bread. With seven days in a week, and the family consuming one loaf a day, the 8th had a special purpose. On baking day, the last items to take their turn in the oven always included that special 8th loaf. That loaf was a blessing. The delicious smell of the house on baking day was phenomenal! The entire house smelled of freshly baked bread and cookies and anything else on mom’s culinary to-do list. Experiencing that aroma without being able to sample its tasty goodness would have been akin to cruel and unusual punishment. Because of that, mom always baked the 8th loaf. We all knew that on that particular day of the week, whatever we had for dinner would be accompanied by a warm delicious loaf of fresh baked bread. Now it is my wife Lynn who on most weeks’ labors in our kitchen to produce homemade bread for the two of us. The old family tradition still stands. On baking day, we enjoy warm freshly baked bread with dinner…what a blessing indeed!
This is the bread we ask for when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”. It is the sustenance for our physical bodies. We need all kinds of various nutrients for our continued health, but I understand that if the flour were ground from whole grains a very basic diet of bread and water would likely sustain life for a very long time…perhaps indefinitely. Certainly we know that the Israelite people survived for the better part of 40 years in the wilderness eating only manna, the bread that fell each day from heaven. The fact that the bible tells us that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1-2) is reason enough to look to God for our daily provision. We absolutely should do as Jesus taught His disciples to do and pray each day that God will supply our needs out of His great love and the abundance of His incredible wealth.  
Jesus had some other things to say about bread though, that were equally, if not more important. The first comes from the gospel of Matthew. There in chapter 4 we read of Jesus during His own wilderness experience He was led into by the Holy Spirit. (vs. 1) Jesus chose to use His time there fasting and spending it close to God the Father. After 40 days of fasting the bible tells us that Jesus was very hungry, and that is when the devil came to tempt Him. Satan suggested that since Jesus was the Son of God, He should turn the stones into bread. This is interesting to me on several levels. First, Satan came to tempt Jesus when He knew would be most vulnerable. Second, Satan knew that it was Jesus who had created the stones, and was therefore tempting Him with His own creative license. What I mean by that is that I think the devil was saying, “Look, you are the one who made the stone, so if you are hungry, is it not within your authority to re-purpose your creation of a stone and now turn it into a loaf of bread?” Jesus however, quoting scripture, pointed out in His answer that to do so at the whim of Satan, would be to submit to Satan’s authority, and that was exactly what Satan desired. He wanted Jesus to worship him. Jesus knew He was in the wilderness at the behest of God’s Holy Spirit, and should only ever submit to the authority of God. He answered and said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. (Vs. 4) This was a reference to Deuteronomy 8:1-3. There Moses reminded the people of Israel that they had received the commandments of the Lord directly from God and it was those very commandments that would be their strength and sustenance, not simply bread. Moses pointed out that this is why God had provided manna during their wilderness experience. He gave them a bread that was unlike any they had ever known or anyone had ever seen before. God did this so that they could identify that it was He and He alone who was providing for them. In light of His provision, God hoped they would understand that it really is only from every word that comes out of God’s mouth, whether a word of instruction, or a word of provision, that we exist. Acts 17:28 says For in Him we live, and move, and have our being… 
In the Gospel of John chapter 6 we read of another time Jesus spoke about the bread from heaven. At the beginning of that chapter we find the account of Jesus feeding the 5000, where He fed 5000 men along with additional women and children. That passage goes on to record that Jesus began that occasion with just 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish and yet…He divided it up to feed what many estimate to be a crowd of 12,000-15,000 people! The next day those same people found Him and His disciples again and Jesus knowing that they were only looking for Him so He would possibly feed them again, He said this to them.  “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:32-35) Just a moment later He told them again, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.  Yes, I am the bread of life!  Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” (John 6:47-51) 
God is our supplier…end of story. From His great abundance God gives us everything including the bread on our tables, and we should be very grateful for it. Jesus taught us to ask for His provision each day. In the wilderness, God provided for His people even when they were walking out the consequences of their own sin. Every day He spoke into existence the manna that would fall from the sky and came to be known to them as the bread of Heaven. However, physical bread will only get you so far. Each day you need more or eventually you will die. And so, God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to carry the consequences of all of our sin. In doing that He was providing for us the spiritual provision we needed to live with Him for eternity. Because of that Jesus could in fact say that He was the true bread of Heaven. If we will take Him into our lives and accept that His death pays the price for our sin, we can “Eat of Him” and never die.
I love it when I arrive at home after a day at work and can smell from the driveway that it has been baking day. I know from the wonderful aroma that I am going to get to enjoy warm, fresh baked bread with my dinner. I am absolutely grateful for my wife’s labor of love on those special days, and the blessing I am about to receive. However, even warm, freshly baked bread doesn’t begin to compare to the blessing of having received the Bread of Heaven, Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, my Lord and Sweet, Sweet Savior, into my life!
So now, Thanking God daily for His provision for your greatest need, freedom from your sin through the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus …Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/628c14c53a20fa879c102048dc966914.mp3" length="5554614" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/628c14c53a20fa879c102048dc966914.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fresh-baked-bread</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:08:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Running On Reserve]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 15th 2023…Running O...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 15th 2023…Running On Reserve
Yesterday morning, I was driving to work on my motorcycle which is far and away my preferred mode of transportation this time of year. As I left the driveway I failed to look down at the dash on the fairing and after a night’s sleep had completely forgotten the low position of the gas gauge the day before. I can assure you that will never happen again! 
I was riding along enjoying the warm morning air and the sights, and smells of the countryside when all of the sudden…the engine seemed to be losing power. It stuttered, then spit once or twice and finally gave a cough that was intended to inform me I was not going any further on that motorcycle, under those conditions. At first I thought there was something mechanically wrong with the bike…then I realized it wasn’t that at all...it was completely out of gas.
I shifted the motorcycle into neutral so that I could coast as far as possible. The church where I work was in sight, so whatever coasting I might be able to do would make walking (or worse yet) pushing the heavy motorcycle less tedious. As I rolled along the shoulder of the road without power I remembered that motorcycles have a unique feature that was designed for just such an occasion. The fuel valve under a motorcycle’s gas tank features three positions; on – off – and reserve. By rotating the valve 180 degrees from the on position it allows the fuel in the bottom of the tank to be used allowing one who has run out of gas to drive a short distance to a station to fill the tank. Remembering that, I stopped, flipped the valve in the appropriate direction, and in a few seconds had the engine roaring back to life, and I rode the rest of the way to work. I can promise you the next stop when I left there at the end of the day, was the gas station!
The experience reminded me of another that had actually happened earlier that very morning. When My alarm clock sounded and I woke up I was still tired and wanted to lay there just a few extra minutes. Some mornings I just don’t pop out of bed like I did each day in my younger years. I reasoned that it would be alright if I lay there a few extra minutes. However, I don’t get up hours before I have to leave in the morning, I never have. Since I was a teenager, I have set my alarm each day leaving just enough time to get out of bed, do the necessary things to make myself presentable, and walk out the door. I will readily admit though that the amount of time needed to accomplish the same list of things has become increasingly longer the older I have gotten. What was at one time 15 minutes has become an hour and likely will be a few hours before it I go to heaven which I understand to be timeless…so it won’t matter there.
Contemplating laying there for a few extra minutes would necessitate something else be omitted from my morning routine. The dogs were still going to want to eat, and go outside, my appearance would still need the allotted time for dressing and hygiene…so, I figured it might mean less time with my bible in my lap having my devotions. I am a pastor after all…I can read the bible at work and nobody thinks I am doing something I shouldn’t. As I admitted, I wanted to lay there; but a cold dog’s nose nudging me from be...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 15th 2023…Running On Reserve
Yesterday morning, I was driving to work on my motorcycle which is far and away my preferred mode of transportation this time of year. As I left the driveway I failed to look down at the dash on the fairing and after a night’s sleep had completely forgotten the low position of the gas gauge the day before. I can assure you that will never happen again! 
I was riding along enjoying the warm morning air and the sights, and smells of the countryside when all of the sudden…the engine seemed to be losing power. It stuttered, then spit once or twice and finally gave a cough that was intended to inform me I was not going any further on that motorcycle, under those conditions. At first I thought there was something mechanically wrong with the bike…then I realized it wasn’t that at all...it was completely out of gas.
I shifted the motorcycle into neutral so that I could coast as far as possible. The church where I work was in sight, so whatever coasting I might be able to do would make walking (or worse yet) pushing the heavy motorcycle less tedious. As I rolled along the shoulder of the road without power I remembered that motorcycles have a unique feature that was designed for just such an occasion. The fuel valve under a motorcycle’s gas tank features three positions; on – off – and reserve. By rotating the valve 180 degrees from the on position it allows the fuel in the bottom of the tank to be used allowing one who has run out of gas to drive a short distance to a station to fill the tank. Remembering that, I stopped, flipped the valve in the appropriate direction, and in a few seconds had the engine roaring back to life, and I rode the rest of the way to work. I can promise you the next stop when I left there at the end of the day, was the gas station!
The experience reminded me of another that had actually happened earlier that very morning. When My alarm clock sounded and I woke up I was still tired and wanted to lay there just a few extra minutes. Some mornings I just don’t pop out of bed like I did each day in my younger years. I reasoned that it would be alright if I lay there a few extra minutes. However, I don’t get up hours before I have to leave in the morning, I never have. Since I was a teenager, I have set my alarm each day leaving just enough time to get out of bed, do the necessary things to make myself presentable, and walk out the door. I will readily admit though that the amount of time needed to accomplish the same list of things has become increasingly longer the older I have gotten. What was at one time 15 minutes has become an hour and likely will be a few hours before it I go to heaven which I understand to be timeless…so it won’t matter there.
Contemplating laying there for a few extra minutes would necessitate something else be omitted from my morning routine. The dogs were still going to want to eat, and go outside, my appearance would still need the allotted time for dressing and hygiene…so, I figured it might mean less time with my bible in my lap having my devotions. I am a pastor after all…I can read the bible at work and nobody thinks I am doing something I shouldn’t. As I admitted, I wanted to lay there; but a cold dog’s nose nudging me from beside the bed, the strong sense of responsibility instilled by my parents, and a deep love for my Savior caused my head to rise, my body to sit up, and my feet to hit the floor.
I will admit the time I now spend with the Lord each morning has not always been the case. However, in the past 15 years or so, I have come to understand how critical it is for me to do that. It is, simply put, as important to me and my ability to function as God wants me to, as gasoline is to the smooth operation of my motorcycle. The tank on my motorcycle is of a capacity that will allow me to ride to work several days without a fill-up. Not so with my spiritual one, that needs to be refilled every day because as an imperfect vessel, I leak. I need the refreshed input of the Holy Spirit to fill me new each morning. I need to refocus my mind on my Lord regularly…and by regularly I mean daily, if I want to consider things with the mind of Christ. 
Isaiah 26:3 in the New King James Version says You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. There are too many variables in our lives everyday to risk making decisions about; what to do, where to go, who to interact with and how to do that correctly, without considering what Christ would have us do in each of those situations. In fact, the sheer number of decisions we are faced with daily can rob us of a peaceful existence. This scripture tells us that God desires for us to live in perfect peace…no matter what may come our way. It also gives the formula for obtaining that kind of peace. This passage says that perfect peace is a state of being, given to all who have directed their minds and thoughts to what their Lord desires of, and for them. I can’t speak for you, but in my case a What Would Jesus Do? bracelet isn’t going to cut it as I make all those decisions each day. I often wonder…without reading and studying the Word of God, how are we supposed to know what the Word would do? The Apostle John wrote of Jesus In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4 If Jesus is the Word…and He is, how do we determine what Jesus would do, if we don’t know what the Word says? 
Isaiah 26:3 goes on to say that those whose minds are stayed on Him, or in other words those who are continuously in His Word, do so because they have put their trust in Him. There is an important reverse truth here that I don’t think we can afford to ignore. Those who put their trust in Him…allow their minds to be turned toward His words and His thoughts. To put it simply and personally, If I don’t fill my spiritual tank with His word each and every day, when I make decisions they will be illustrative of my thoughts, which will clearly indicate it is me I trust. Think about it, if we trust someone, we follow their lead. If instead we do what we think best, it clearly means we trust ourselves more than we trust them. I have to go to God’s word each day to see His leading. You just can’t follow what you don’t care to look at.
I might be able to fill my motorcycle tank once a week, but not so for my spiritual one. As I admitted earlier, that particular tank has to be refilled each and every day. That isn’t simply a personal assessment…it’s true for all of us. How can I say that? Because Jesus said it. In John 8:31&32 He said to those who believe in Him… and that includes you and me…“If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”. The keyword here is abide. To abide means to live in, just like we abide in our homes. We live every day, so to abide in God’s Word, to abide in Christ, is to live in it every day. If you want to live but only take a breath once a week…it wouldn’t be enough and you would die…even if you took that breath on Sundays. You just can’t run that far on reserve.
Psalm 1:2-3 in the New Living Translation says [Blessed are] they [that] delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 
So now, delighting in the Law of the Lord, living in his word every day and enjoying the peace that comes from trusting Him…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d63dc1aac071b15c1b232434b3e2bbd0.mp3" length="5613822" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d63dc1aac071b15c1b232434b3e2bbd0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/running-on-reserve</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:09:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lover's Leap]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023…Lover’s Lea...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023…Lover’s Leap
Each summer my wife and I vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia. There is simply no other place on the planet that captivates us like those particular hills. One of our favorite activities when we are there is to climb onto my motorcycle and ride. There are oh so many places to ride in those hills, and to say that the views are great would be a gross understatement. There are places you can ride there that offer vistas that normally require an airplane to appreciate, but on some of those winding roads, they simply POP out of nowhere as you exit wooded spaces and round some random curve. 
There is one ride we have not taken in a few years that I hope to enjoy later this summer. It begins on a winding two-lane road headed east out of the small town of Floyd. Route 8 climbs through gentle curves and farmland until it reaches its peak elevation as it crosses under the famed Blue Ridge Parkway. As the road descends, the views disappear as it makes its way down through the wooded landscape. There the road has a special benefit. The curves and switchbacks become so steep and sharp that you can nearly check to see if your own tail lights are working. That road finally intersects with Route 58 which climbs to the top of a mountain where some of the longest-range views in the area can be seen. The place at the top is known as Lover’s leap, and the side of the mountain drops off hundreds of feet but reveals a 40 or 50-mile view. There is a narrow shoulder alongside the road there where people impulsively stop to take some amazing photographs.
While we are there we will stare in silence for a while, as does everyone who sees it, especially for the first time. The view is mostly of wooded mountainsides, and distant ridges rising and falling along the horizon. Along some of the closer hillsides, farms, and fields dot the landscape, and one can’t help but try to see activity even if from such a distance. The hillsides in the foreground are green with trees but each ridge becomes a lighter shade of blue the farther away you look. It is the amazing, breathtaking, yet quintessential Blue Ridge Mountain view.
While my wife and I Stand taking in the astounding sight, there will be several passages from God’s word that will undoubtedly flood my thoughts. Allow me to share some of them with you now.
I’ll begin with the obvious one. Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. When I look at those beautiful mountain ranges I often think of the fact that it was God who placed them there, and the fact that they have been standing right where they are now since the day that God formed them with a word. That brings to my mind Hebrews 11:3, By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Man’s science no longer allows for this truth to go unchallenged. Those who don’t want to recognize God as supreme try to tell us that a large explosion (though they never say what caused the explosion) was the catalyst of all that we can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Those fools…I mean scientists want us to believe that the world existed millions of years before those gorgeo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 8th, 2023…Lover’s Leap
Each summer my wife and I vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia. There is simply no other place on the planet that captivates us like those particular hills. One of our favorite activities when we are there is to climb onto my motorcycle and ride. There are oh so many places to ride in those hills, and to say that the views are great would be a gross understatement. There are places you can ride there that offer vistas that normally require an airplane to appreciate, but on some of those winding roads, they simply POP out of nowhere as you exit wooded spaces and round some random curve. 
There is one ride we have not taken in a few years that I hope to enjoy later this summer. It begins on a winding two-lane road headed east out of the small town of Floyd. Route 8 climbs through gentle curves and farmland until it reaches its peak elevation as it crosses under the famed Blue Ridge Parkway. As the road descends, the views disappear as it makes its way down through the wooded landscape. There the road has a special benefit. The curves and switchbacks become so steep and sharp that you can nearly check to see if your own tail lights are working. That road finally intersects with Route 58 which climbs to the top of a mountain where some of the longest-range views in the area can be seen. The place at the top is known as Lover’s leap, and the side of the mountain drops off hundreds of feet but reveals a 40 or 50-mile view. There is a narrow shoulder alongside the road there where people impulsively stop to take some amazing photographs.
While we are there we will stare in silence for a while, as does everyone who sees it, especially for the first time. The view is mostly of wooded mountainsides, and distant ridges rising and falling along the horizon. Along some of the closer hillsides, farms, and fields dot the landscape, and one can’t help but try to see activity even if from such a distance. The hillsides in the foreground are green with trees but each ridge becomes a lighter shade of blue the farther away you look. It is the amazing, breathtaking, yet quintessential Blue Ridge Mountain view.
While my wife and I Stand taking in the astounding sight, there will be several passages from God’s word that will undoubtedly flood my thoughts. Allow me to share some of them with you now.
I’ll begin with the obvious one. Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. When I look at those beautiful mountain ranges I often think of the fact that it was God who placed them there, and the fact that they have been standing right where they are now since the day that God formed them with a word. That brings to my mind Hebrews 11:3, By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Man’s science no longer allows for this truth to go unchallenged. Those who don’t want to recognize God as supreme try to tell us that a large explosion (though they never say what caused the explosion) was the catalyst of all that we can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Those fools…I mean scientists want us to believe that the world existed millions of years before those gorgeous blue ridges ever came to rise up from flat terrain because of shifts in the tectonic plates under the earth’s crust. Ridiculous! I may not be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon, but I know nothing comes to be without being energized by some pre-existing source of power. Psalm 90:2 tells me what the creative power was. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Jeremiah 32:17 exclaims, Ah Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 
Additionally, as I survey the expanse of the overlook at lover’s leap I will consider that it was all created by a word, and I will be unable to avoid considering just who it was that spoke such an incredible word. John 1:1-2 says that In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Psalm 33:6 says, By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. Furthermore, Colossians 1:16 proclaims For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created through Him and for Him. 
As I allow my eyes to scan the first through the valleys below and then upward to the far reaching ridges of blue mountain tops beyond, my thoughts will go to the words penned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:6 – Yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Eventually, my thoughts will settle on two scriptures from the book of Revelation. First, Revelation 4:11 says “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created”. And second, Revelation 22:13 where Jesus the one who created everything including that incredible view, says of Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last”. 
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth is according to His own unfallable word…Love. Therefore, Love created the heavens and the earth. Love created the mountains and the valleys, love created it all. So as I get to, Lord willing, stand on that particular mountain top later this year and look out over those particular ridgelines painted in various shades of blue…I will acknowledge…it truly is Lover’s leap. 
So now, …standing in awe of all of the marvelous creations of God and His handiwork, be thankful and give Him praise for all He has lovingly done, and…Go be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0557bdde79726ab883e935c41ff4d812.mp3" length="5451064" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0557bdde79726ab883e935c41ff4d812.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/lovers-leap</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:23:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage & Divorce Vol. 8]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. 
We are continuing with our study of Marriage and Divorce from a biblical view utilizin...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. 
We are continuing with our study of Marriage and Divorce from a biblical view utilizing a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10. This will be the 8th episode in this series. We began by dissecting the first part of the conversation I referenced a moment ago. Then I spent two sessions looking at the portion of the law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) that the Pharisees misinterpreted to support their position that they ought to be free to divorce. I shared with you last time several of the reasons I believe their reading of that particular scripture was in fact an intentional misinterpretation. Today I would like to look at another passage from the book of Malachi that I believe goes to further reinforce that their interpretation was severely flawed. 
Let’s begin by reading that passage. Malachi 2:10-16 in the New King James Version reads as follows: 
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! 13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
This scripture passage contains one of the most well-known concepts contained in all the Bible concerning divorce. ‘God hates divorce’ found in verse 16. While this concept is most certainly rooted in truth there are several things that I feel important to point out to broaden our understanding of this passage, and how it relates to the others we have been studying.
The passage begins in verse 10 speaking about something that seemingly has little to do with marriage or divorce, so why include it in our study? As you will recall, I’ve made the case many times that the relationship between God and mankind and the marital relationship between husband and wife is the “Great Analogy”. This scriptural analogy is used by God far and away more than any other to describe the relationship He desires to have with us. Verses 10 and 11 of this passage are just such an analogy. 
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Isra...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. 
We are continuing with our study of Marriage and Divorce from a biblical view utilizing a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10. This will be the 8th episode in this series. We began by dissecting the first part of the conversation I referenced a moment ago. Then I spent two sessions looking at the portion of the law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) that the Pharisees misinterpreted to support their position that they ought to be free to divorce. I shared with you last time several of the reasons I believe their reading of that particular scripture was in fact an intentional misinterpretation. Today I would like to look at another passage from the book of Malachi that I believe goes to further reinforce that their interpretation was severely flawed. 
Let’s begin by reading that passage. Malachi 2:10-16 in the New King James Version reads as follows: 
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! 13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
This scripture passage contains one of the most well-known concepts contained in all the Bible concerning divorce. ‘God hates divorce’ found in verse 16. While this concept is most certainly rooted in truth there are several things that I feel important to point out to broaden our understanding of this passage, and how it relates to the others we have been studying.
The passage begins in verse 10 speaking about something that seemingly has little to do with marriage or divorce, so why include it in our study? As you will recall, I’ve made the case many times that the relationship between God and mankind and the marital relationship between husband and wife is the “Great Analogy”. This scriptural analogy is used by God far and away more than any other to describe the relationship He desires to have with us. Verses 10 and 11 of this passage are just such an analogy. 
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god. To fully understand the analogy, we need to first better understand the meaning of the Hebrew word we translate into English as “Treacherously” The translation is correct but our contemporary understanding of the word has come to mean to treat someone dangerously or with malice. The actual definition is to be maliciously unfaithful and to treat someone deceitfully. 
God was pointing out that the relationship He had previously enjoyed with Judah was now greatly damaged. He said that Judah had been unfaithful to Him by loving another, and in fact that Judah was acting as if it had divorced God and was married or joined to another. He said that an abomination (meaning intermarriage with idolaters in this context), had been committed ruining the sacredness of the union between God and Judah. However, just as it is in the book of Hosea, the unfaithful are God’s people and never God Himself. God says that He is married to the backslider. (Jeremiah 3:14) God is true to His word and remains faithful to His covenants with His people even if His people do not remain faithful to Him. 
The second section of this passage, verses 12 and 13 are God’s complaint against His people and the consequences of their treacherous actions toward Him. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! 13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Here God makes the point that it is unreasonable for an unfaithful spouse who deals treacherously to expect that they would continue to receive favor from their offended spouse. God points out to His people that they have been unfaithful to Him and yet they continue to come before Him asking for His favor, and He has grown weary of their disingenuous attitudes. As a result, God told the people that though He had not abandoned them, he was no longer accepting their hypocritical offerings or listening to their insincere prayers.
The people responded by asking God what they had done to illustrate a disingenuous mindset toward Him. His response: 14 …Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. Now the analogy turns to the reality of their own marriages. God tells His people that the condition of their marital relationships is all the proof He needs that they do not honor Him. This is a striking revelation for us. According to this scripture, we cannot make the claim that we have a good relationship with God if we do not have a good relationship with our spouse. God does not consider our marriages ancillary to our walk with Him. His word clearly indicates that the two are interconnected with the greatest of congruency. 
God goes on to point out the fact that it is He who created our marriages by taking two and making of them one. Additionally, He speaks of His position in those marriages as much more than simply the one who fashioned them. He clarified that He has always intended to be an integral part of each of our marriages. 15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. Here in verse 15 God asks some critical questions. Did He not make them one? Is God not the creator of our marriages? Furthermore, He pointed out that as a part of the formation of our marriages He made a personal investment by joining us with a remnant of His Spirit. Throughout the Old Testament when God would leave a remnant of His people existing it was always for one and only one purpose…to be able to reestablish godliness. Here it is no different. In this context the original word remnant means a residue. God is essentially saying that as the holy and perfect creator of marriage, all marriages contain a residue of its Creator’s goodness. His intent is that the residue or remnant of His Spirit will encourage that marriage to seek what is godly and reject what is not. God then asks, “And why one”? in other words “Why do I marry People”? He answers Himself…“For godly offspring”. In the context of this verse, godly offspring does not mean children but rather moral quality. God was expressly saying that He takes two and makes them one with a remnant of His Spirit so that they can act as one in godly ways, reflecting His character (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, God says clearly, listen to your spirit as to how to correctly interact with your spouse so that your marriage can fulfill all of its full God-given potential.
With that understanding we can now better interpret what God meant when He made the declaration many know from Malachi 2:16 16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.” 
God does indeed state with absolute clarity that He hates divorce. The meaning of this term hates divorce means that it goes against His ways and His will. Literally in this verse it means that divorce is against or opposite of God. God says that divorce covers one’s garment with violence. The context of the word violence in this passage means injurious harm. When you connect the injurious harm to covering the perpetrator’s garments it indicates bloody injury, insinuating a death akin to murder. One of the ways divorce is anti-God is that it ends a marriage by violent death instead of the natural death of a spouse. Divorce is death, God is life. Again God gives the warning that married people must pay attention to their spirit which should desire that which its creator would desire. As a result, we should be faithful to our marriages and never willing to intentionally cause their untimely demise.
When you understand why God hates divorce, that it goes against everything He is, and every desire He has for the marriages He lovingly creates, it becomes clearer that He would then never offer us a formula to dissolve our marriages. In the conversation we have been using as the basis for our study Jesus made this exact point. He said, “Therefore they are no longer two but one, and what God has joined, let not man separate. (Matthew 19:6 & Mark 10:9)
So now…with a newfound understanding of the value God places on your marriage, commit to adopting His standard of care for your oneness…and go be awesome! 
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6a852193526550d4fcb632350a65957f.mp3" length="18901725" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6a852193526550d4fcb632350a65957f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-divorce-vol-8</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Vapor Trails]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 1st, 2023…Vapor Tra...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 1st, 2023…Vapor Trails
A few weeks ago my wife and I were at our little cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As I often do when we are there I took some time to sit on the deck and relax, taking in the warm sunshine, the gentle breezes carrying the fresh mountain air and the sound…of silence. I was basking in my perfect recipe for peaceful relaxation sitting with my feet propped on a small wicker ottoman and my head leaned against the back of the loveseat. My eyes as they often are when I have assumed such a position were closed, until…the silence was interrupted by the faint and far away sound of a jet engine. I opened my eyes scanning the bright blue sky, and sure enough there it was. The airplane was too far away to be seen, but the direction it had come from and that it was headed in, were no mystery. The vapor trail it left behind was as clear as the sky it was traveling through. On one end it kept extending following a silver pinpoint that was in actuality a very large metal fuselage. On the far end the trail widened and became less sharp in the sky. Interestingly, though I knew the plane was traveling through the clear sky at high speed, the vapor trail was not getting any longer, as it extended forward it equally dissipated behind. Then as soon as it had appeared, it was gone, out of my line of sight.
A familiar thought when I see one of those vapor trails appear while I am enjoying a healthy dose of R&R, once again escaped my lips. I turned to my wife and said, “There go important people, traveling to important places, to do important things.”  I always find the contrast of those people’s supposed existence…to mine in those moments…striking. In my mind’s eye those planes are crammed full of business men and women jetting to their next important meeting, where they will either succeed or fail. I imagine the stress they must be under as that metal tube propels them forward toward the next big thing in their lives. I on the other hand am so relaxed in my setting that I wouldn’t trade places with them for any amount of money, fame or success. Everything they are flying toward and working so hard for, could be gone as quickly as that vapor trail disappearing behind them. And, that peaceful mountain view I am taking in…that’s going to be there for a while.
James wrote about the disappearing act we are all engaged in. He reminds us that essentially we are all here today and gone tomorrow. However, He also pointed out that though we will not remain on this planet forever, our existence will continue on…even long after that awesome mountain view I enjoy so much, fades away. Allow me to read James 4:13-17 from my favorite paraphrase, The Remedy. There it is declared this way…
Pay close attention – especially those who say “In the next few days we are moving to a new city and will live there a year, open a business and make huge profits.” You don’t know what the future holds. Your life is like a vapor trail: here one minute and gone the next. You might not even be alive in a year. So stop being so rigid with your preplanning – it only increases your stress. Instead trust God with your future and how things turn out. Learn to say, “If it is in harmony with God’s plan for my life, then that is what I will...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 1st, 2023…Vapor Trails
A few weeks ago my wife and I were at our little cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As I often do when we are there I took some time to sit on the deck and relax, taking in the warm sunshine, the gentle breezes carrying the fresh mountain air and the sound…of silence. I was basking in my perfect recipe for peaceful relaxation sitting with my feet propped on a small wicker ottoman and my head leaned against the back of the loveseat. My eyes as they often are when I have assumed such a position were closed, until…the silence was interrupted by the faint and far away sound of a jet engine. I opened my eyes scanning the bright blue sky, and sure enough there it was. The airplane was too far away to be seen, but the direction it had come from and that it was headed in, were no mystery. The vapor trail it left behind was as clear as the sky it was traveling through. On one end it kept extending following a silver pinpoint that was in actuality a very large metal fuselage. On the far end the trail widened and became less sharp in the sky. Interestingly, though I knew the plane was traveling through the clear sky at high speed, the vapor trail was not getting any longer, as it extended forward it equally dissipated behind. Then as soon as it had appeared, it was gone, out of my line of sight.
A familiar thought when I see one of those vapor trails appear while I am enjoying a healthy dose of R&R, once again escaped my lips. I turned to my wife and said, “There go important people, traveling to important places, to do important things.”  I always find the contrast of those people’s supposed existence…to mine in those moments…striking. In my mind’s eye those planes are crammed full of business men and women jetting to their next important meeting, where they will either succeed or fail. I imagine the stress they must be under as that metal tube propels them forward toward the next big thing in their lives. I on the other hand am so relaxed in my setting that I wouldn’t trade places with them for any amount of money, fame or success. Everything they are flying toward and working so hard for, could be gone as quickly as that vapor trail disappearing behind them. And, that peaceful mountain view I am taking in…that’s going to be there for a while.
James wrote about the disappearing act we are all engaged in. He reminds us that essentially we are all here today and gone tomorrow. However, He also pointed out that though we will not remain on this planet forever, our existence will continue on…even long after that awesome mountain view I enjoy so much, fades away. Allow me to read James 4:13-17 from my favorite paraphrase, The Remedy. There it is declared this way…
Pay close attention – especially those who say “In the next few days we are moving to a new city and will live there a year, open a business and make huge profits.” You don’t know what the future holds. Your life is like a vapor trail: here one minute and gone the next. You might not even be alive in a year. So stop being so rigid with your preplanning – it only increases your stress. Instead trust God with your future and how things turn out. Learn to say, “If it is in harmony with God’s plan for my life, then that is what I will do.”, and you will worry so much less. As it is you focus on yourselves; you brag, boast, and try to control everything in order to advance your own agenda. All selfishness is destructive. Anyone who knows God’s methods of love but chooses selfishness deviates from God’s design for life.
I know that it is incorrect for me to assume every person on those planes in the sky above are headed to their next business meeting, to make their next pitch, and close their next big deal. Undoubtedly some are in route to their own vacation destinations to enjoy a little R&R themselves. No matter who they are, where they are headed or why they are going there, James has some words of wisdom good for us all. 
So often we talk about our plans as if it is completely within our power to see them come to fruition. Are we even aware that if we make plans to do this or that and tell the people what we are going to do, we are putting ourselves in God’s position? We might simply think we are informing others of our plans, but if we express those plans without understanding they may only happen if God wants them to happen, we are speaking about them with authority we do not possess. The bible tells us that it is only in Him we live, move and exist. (Acts 17:28) Literally, that means I don’t even draw my next breath or experience the next pulse of my blood flowing through my veins, without His expressed say-so. Jesus said that without Him we can’t do anything. (John 15:5) In light of those scriptures and others like them, we can see just how foolish it is for us to say what we will do, or where we will go, as if we do so by our own ability or power. To think that way is to claim equality with God. As a result, it is a recipe for adding unnecessary stress to our lives. Anytime we make assertions about what the outcome of something will be, especially if that thing is not completely within our control (and nothing is completely within our control), we create our own stress-filled environment. 
If instead we do as James suggests and say if it is the Lord’s will I will go here and do this or that, we aren’t saddled with the weight of making sure it all goes according to our plan. Does this mean we shouldn’t plan ahead? Of course not. There are all kinds of scriptures that say we should plan, save, and make provision for tomorrow. Proverbs tells us that in the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil. However, we ought to express our plans with this exception…If it is the Lord’s will, I will...dot-dot-dot. The point of this is not as some might think to give God the option of vetoing or endorsing our plans. I think it is more profound than that. I think James is correcting our behavior that we might learn to seek the Lord more regularly for His plans, because that initiates a subtle but necessary change in us. When we seek the Lord’s desires before making our plans, we become outward thinkers. When we seek His will before determining our direction, we are putting Him above us as we should…and that develops selflessness. 
Why is selflessness so important? Because selflessness is godly. When we are focused on where we are going and what we are going to do, the theme is we, which is selfish. If instead our desire is to know where God would have us go, and what God would have us do, the theme becomes He, which is selfless…just like He is. 
So now, Asking God where you should go, and what you should do, before you declare to others…Go be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/da4efacdbd21f757f7d53fe79802f49b.mp3" length="6391730" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/da4efacdbd21f757f7d53fe79802f49b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/vapor-trails</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jun 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage and Divorce Vol. 7]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. 
We are currently looking at the topic of Marriage and Divorce, and what God’s word has...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. 
We are currently looking at the topic of Marriage and Divorce, and what God’s word has to say concerning it. This will be our seventh installment in that series. As I have mentioned previously, I understand this is a complex topic, and even as we search the scriptures for answers, it can be daunting. However, all truth originates with God, and if we are to know how to succeed in our marriages we must be willing to explore His truth. We have been exploring the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees where this topic was discussed at length, and using that as our focal scripture. I mentioned that Jesus, desiring to speak primarily about the righteous subject of marriage, asked the Pharisees about the law hoping they would expound on Genesis 2:24. Rather they chose to focus on Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to defend their perspective concerning their ability to divorce.
 As we made our way through most of that scripture phrase-by-phrase I pointed out some important details relevant to the correct interpretation of it, and mentioned that the Pharisees, as scholars of the law, would have been well aware of each of those truths. 
1.	Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is case law not demonstrable law – it’s structure leaves no question as to its classification.
2.	In Old Testament case law, the directive is given only after the facts of the case are presented and no legislation should be derived from those facts-in-evidence unless it had been presented elsewhere in the law previously.
3.	To conclude that the facts-in-evidence equated to demonstrable law where none had formerly existed was an illegitimate reading of the law. This is important in this situation because several errant conclusions were being drawn (though I don’t believe they were arrived at unintentionally) 
•	Those from the school of Shammai (the more conservative group who I believe Mark wrote concerning) concluded that some indecency had to be discovered in one’s spouse to justify divorce. They errantly determined that the facts-in-evidence presented in the case law in Deuteronomy 24:1 equated to God-ordained grounds for divorce. This is supported by their initial question to Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” I think they knew they had misrepresented case law as demonstrable law and were as Mark stated, asking this question for the purpose of testing Jesus. If He answered that it was not lawful they would have espoused their inaccurate reading of the law to be correct, if He would have said it was lawful, they would have pointed out that He apparently didn’t know case law from demonstrable law and shouldn’t be trusted as a Rabbi. 
•	Those from the school of Hillel (the more liberal group I believe Matthew referred to) also misconstrued the meaning of this scripture. They believed that the example of the second husband detesting his wife without a stated cause should be interpreted to mean that divorce was permissible for any reason a husband found himself displeased with his wife. They too, demonstrated this by their initial question to Jesus recorded for us in Matthew. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” If Jesus had simply said no, He would have begun a heated dispute between the two groups of Pharisees and been the apparent cause of a large public disruption. If He had answer...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message where we search God’s instructions to experience a highly successful marriage. 
We are currently looking at the topic of Marriage and Divorce, and what God’s word has to say concerning it. This will be our seventh installment in that series. As I have mentioned previously, I understand this is a complex topic, and even as we search the scriptures for answers, it can be daunting. However, all truth originates with God, and if we are to know how to succeed in our marriages we must be willing to explore His truth. We have been exploring the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees where this topic was discussed at length, and using that as our focal scripture. I mentioned that Jesus, desiring to speak primarily about the righteous subject of marriage, asked the Pharisees about the law hoping they would expound on Genesis 2:24. Rather they chose to focus on Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to defend their perspective concerning their ability to divorce.
 As we made our way through most of that scripture phrase-by-phrase I pointed out some important details relevant to the correct interpretation of it, and mentioned that the Pharisees, as scholars of the law, would have been well aware of each of those truths. 
1.	Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is case law not demonstrable law – it’s structure leaves no question as to its classification.
2.	In Old Testament case law, the directive is given only after the facts of the case are presented and no legislation should be derived from those facts-in-evidence unless it had been presented elsewhere in the law previously.
3.	To conclude that the facts-in-evidence equated to demonstrable law where none had formerly existed was an illegitimate reading of the law. This is important in this situation because several errant conclusions were being drawn (though I don’t believe they were arrived at unintentionally) 
•	Those from the school of Shammai (the more conservative group who I believe Mark wrote concerning) concluded that some indecency had to be discovered in one’s spouse to justify divorce. They errantly determined that the facts-in-evidence presented in the case law in Deuteronomy 24:1 equated to God-ordained grounds for divorce. This is supported by their initial question to Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” I think they knew they had misrepresented case law as demonstrable law and were as Mark stated, asking this question for the purpose of testing Jesus. If He answered that it was not lawful they would have espoused their inaccurate reading of the law to be correct, if He would have said it was lawful, they would have pointed out that He apparently didn’t know case law from demonstrable law and shouldn’t be trusted as a Rabbi. 
•	Those from the school of Hillel (the more liberal group I believe Matthew referred to) also misconstrued the meaning of this scripture. They believed that the example of the second husband detesting his wife without a stated cause should be interpreted to mean that divorce was permissible for any reason a husband found himself displeased with his wife. They too, demonstrated this by their initial question to Jesus recorded for us in Matthew. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” If Jesus had simply said no, He would have begun a heated dispute between the two groups of Pharisees and been the apparent cause of a large public disruption. If He had answered “Yes, any reason will do” the Pharisees from either group could have pointed out that the Rabbi obviously didn’t understand that case law was not demonstrable law.
•	Both groups of Pharisees were misrepresenting that Moses had specifically instructed them as to how to obtain a divorce. Because the listed circumstances of the case included an accepted societal procedure used to validate divorce, The Pharisees were selfishly misappropriating it as Mosaic law. In order for the facts-in-evidence to contain such law, it would have had to already been “on the books” so to speak. This is not the case. The contents of the book of Deuteronomy have long been agreed to be a “Farewell Sermon” from Moses to the people just prior to his death and their entrance into the Promised Land. It is widely accepted to be a summary of much of the law found in the book of Exodus and does not contain any ‘new’ demonstrable law. As such, any legislation contained in Deuteronomy would need to reinforce law already existing in the Pentateuch. Although Leviticus mentions divorce 3 times, Numbers refers to it once and Deuteronomy makes note of it 2 other times prior to chapter 24 none of those examples give any instruction pertaining to the process for divorce. Without any prior mention of demonstrable or case law legislating the procedural format legitimizing divorce, one cannot be justifiably concluded from Deuteronomy 24:1-4.
With that understanding we can now look at the actual legislation found at the conclusion of this passage and determine what its true meaning is. Deuteronomy 24:4 Then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 
The law given in response to the circumstances of the case is simple; If a man divorces his wife and she remarries, he is not to marry her again later regardless. The stated reason for this law is slightly more complex. Marriage was always intended to be a covenantal relationship that reflected the image and likeness of God. Divorce mutates that design, and is the reason God said He hates divorce in Malachi 2:15, a scripture we will look at more closely in a future episode. This particular scriptural statute however emphatically dictates that once the woman in this situation remarried, her former husband was never to marry her again no matter what may come in the future. It clearly says, that to do so would be an abomination before the Lord. Let’s consider the reasoning for such strong language. 
In Deuteronomy 24:1-4 the reason given for the initial divorce was indecency – this indiscretion would not have been adultery or fornication as the legal remedy for those at the time was death by stoning. The indecency referred to here would have been a lesser offence. The Hebrew word used in the statute is Er-vah and literally means nakedness and might indicate that the wife had shown too much of herself to another man or in a public setting. It’s possible that she have spoken some indecent thing to another man, whatever the case was it was less egregious than the sexual act of adultery, which would have as I said a moment ago carried a penalty of capital punishment. Jesus made it clear in our focal scriptures that anything short of adultery is not considered grounds for divorce in God’s eyes. 
Mark recorded that after the conversation with the Pharisees had presumably concluded His disciples asked Him more about the matter privately. There we read that Jesus said to them that if a man divorced his wife and married another he committed adultery, and that if a woman divorced her husband and remarried that she would be committing adultery. (Mark 10:11-12) I believe that Jesus was reinforcing for His disciples that God considers marriage a life-long covenantal relationship that is not designed to end except by the death of a spouse. Earlier Jesus had told the Pharisees that in marriage a man and a woman are joined and made one by God, and that mere man should not try to undo what God has done (Mark 10:8-9). 
Matthew records that Jesus had more to say to directly to the Pharisees who had asked Him if they could divorce for just any reason. Matthew wrote that Jesus told them that if they divorced for anything short of pornia  - sexual immorality, and remarried they would be committing adultery. He added that if they married a divorced woman they would also be committing adultery. (Matthew 19:9) There are several theories as to why the book of Matthew is the only one of the synoptic gospels that includes the exception clause for pornia. My belief on this distinction centers around the theory that there were two different groups of Pharisees each asking Jesus their own questions. Allowing that to be accurate, the more conservative of them (spoken of in Mark) would have been experiencing a much lower rate of divorce than the more liberal group written about here in Matthew. I shared in previous episodes that there is far reaching belief among biblical scholars that those of the school of Hillel were using their interpretation that any reason for divorce was permissible, to divorce and remarry with regularity. Many of those scholars go so far as to say that this group of men were using their twisted version of Mosaic law to justify rapid divorce and remarriage, exclusively to satisfy their sexual desire for multiple partners. They felt that as long as they were married while having sexual relations it was permissible by the law so long as they divorced one woman before marrying another. I believe that when Jesus addressed these men He specifically said that pornia (adultery) was the only true grounds for divorce for multiple reasons. 
1.	He wanted to drastically narrow and correct the parameters for divorce that these men had so dramatically widened.
2.	He wanted to identify that the condition of their perverse hearts and minds toward the God ordained institution of marriage was indeed sinful.
3.	I believe that He wanted to make the irony clear that the only reason God accepted for divorce was precisely what these sinful men were using a perverted view of the law to accomplish. Jesus had previously stated that if a man even lusted after a woman, God who reads the heart, saw it as the same as if he had actually committed the physical act (Matthew 5:28). I think Jesus was making it abundantly clear to these men that using the law to cover their tracks did not in any way absolve them of the guilt of being adulterers.
4.	Finally, I find it interesting that by making these statements concerning the consequences of marriage, divorce and subsequent remarriage, Jesus was explaining how the woman in the Deuteronomy 24 example became defiled by the 1st husband who divorced her, and why this was an abomination before the Lord!
Next time as we continue our study of Marriage and divorce, we will look at the scripture I mentioned earlier found in Malachi chapter 2.
So now, growing more steadfast each day to honor your marital commitments to your spouse and your God…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5c97174f4e828a772c65d516ba33d761.mp3" length="18890439" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5c97174f4e828a772c65d516ba33d761.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-and-divorce-vol-7</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 23 May 2023 12:52:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage and Divorce Vol. 6]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me yet again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is the sixth edition in our study on the topic of marriage and divorce. Last week we continued to listen in on the conversation between Jesus and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me yet again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is the sixth edition in our study on the topic of marriage and divorce. Last week we continued to listen in on the conversation between Jesus and the two groups of Pharisees as they exchanged questions and responses about marriage and divorce. Jesus was trying to keep the Pharisees on track by speaking in terms of marriage while the Pharisees were trying desperately to focus solely on the subject of divorce . 
When we last examined their exchange it was the Pharisees turn to speak. Jesus had asked them what Moses had written in the law concerning the subject. As I noted, Jesus desired the conversation surround the righteous topic of marriage and so He was referring to Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Jesus then added additional commentary; “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh, Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:8,9 & Matthew 19:6). The first of the two groups of Pharisees, wanting to remain on the topic of divorce responded to Jesus question; “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her” (Mark 10:4) and the second group responded by asking Jesus, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and put her away?” (Matthew 19:7) As I mentioned in last week’s podcast these responses from the Pharisees were an attempt to twist the law so that they could interpret it the way they wanted to and feel justified in divorcing their wives. The portion of the law they were referring to is found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, and today we will look at that scripture, and see what it actually says.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
There are several things that must be taken into account in order to accurately interpret what this portion of the law is dictating. First it must be determined what kind of law this is. What I mean by that is what form does the law take? Basically there are two kinds of laws found in the Pentateuch [ˈpen(t)əˌto͞ok] (the first five books of the Old Testament). The first is demonstrable law, in which we find absolute commands or prohibitions and are simply the statutes of God. We recognize these as the “Thou Shalt…” and the “Thou Shalt Not…” laws. The ten commandments are a widely known example of demonstrable law. The second form of law found in the Pentateuch is case law.  This form of law is given beginning with a description of the conditions under which the law is applicable. These cases usually begin with Hebrew words that are most accurately translated “if” or “when”. Following the conditions where the la...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me yet again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is the sixth edition in our study on the topic of marriage and divorce. Last week we continued to listen in on the conversation between Jesus and the two groups of Pharisees as they exchanged questions and responses about marriage and divorce. Jesus was trying to keep the Pharisees on track by speaking in terms of marriage while the Pharisees were trying desperately to focus solely on the subject of divorce . 
When we last examined their exchange it was the Pharisees turn to speak. Jesus had asked them what Moses had written in the law concerning the subject. As I noted, Jesus desired the conversation surround the righteous topic of marriage and so He was referring to Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Jesus then added additional commentary; “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh, Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:8,9 & Matthew 19:6). The first of the two groups of Pharisees, wanting to remain on the topic of divorce responded to Jesus question; “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her” (Mark 10:4) and the second group responded by asking Jesus, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and put her away?” (Matthew 19:7) As I mentioned in last week’s podcast these responses from the Pharisees were an attempt to twist the law so that they could interpret it the way they wanted to and feel justified in divorcing their wives. The portion of the law they were referring to is found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, and today we will look at that scripture, and see what it actually says.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
There are several things that must be taken into account in order to accurately interpret what this portion of the law is dictating. First it must be determined what kind of law this is. What I mean by that is what form does the law take? Basically there are two kinds of laws found in the Pentateuch [ˈpen(t)əˌto͞ok] (the first five books of the Old Testament). The first is demonstrable law, in which we find absolute commands or prohibitions and are simply the statutes of God. We recognize these as the “Thou Shalt…” and the “Thou Shalt Not…” laws. The ten commandments are a widely known example of demonstrable law. The second form of law found in the Pentateuch is case law.  This form of law is given beginning with a description of the conditions under which the law is applicable. These cases usually begin with Hebrew words that are most accurately translated “if” or “when”. Following the conditions where the law would apply again usually following the word “then” the legislation is laid out. A good example of case law is found in Exodus 21:33-34. There the law dictates that if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey falls into the uncovered pit, then the man who dug the pit must pay the value of the ox or donkey to its owner and he (the one who dug the pit) takes possession of the dead animal. The statute opens with the conditions and closes with the ruling. There is no legislation in the conditions under which the law is to be carried out. In other words, in the example we just looked at there is no law dictating that a man is to dig a pit or refrain from such activity. It is inferred that if a pit is dug it is not supposed to be left open, carelessly creating a hazard for others. However, it is not until after the scenario is fully laid out that the legislation is produced, he will be held liable for damages someone else incurs because of his carelessness.  
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is an example of case law. In order for the Pharisees to make the claims they did in reference to this passage, they had to take the portion they knew full well was the presentation of the particulars of the case and illegitimately conclude them to be demonstrable law. This was an inaccuracy that contained too many interpretive errors to have been committed ignorantly by scholars of the law. These men understood the difference between demonstrable law and case law. They knew the structure of case law and were well aware that the legislation found there was given only after development of the circumstances. I think it important for us to examine where they miss-applied their interpretation. 
Let’s begin with the opening phrase of this example from case law. “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her… The first stipulation offered for the enactment of the legislation is that a man has married a wife. That is quite self-explanatory. The second fact in evidence is that it happens that (in other words, after they are married) she finds no favor in his eyes. The word favor here comes from the Hebrew word [hen] which means grace and is the same word found in the Genesis text “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Continuing on we find out that in this case, the wife has not found favor or grace in the eyes of her husband because he has discovered some uncleanness in her. This translation – uncleanness – comes from the Hebrew word [er-vah] that means nakedness or indecency, and is offered as the reason the husband has found no favor in his wife.
The next phrase is simply a continuation of the circumstances that lead to the prescribed ruling. and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house.  If we are to avoid being confused, or misled by the Pharisee’s attempt at deceit in their conversation with Jesus it is crucial to understand that this is as I said a moment ago, only a continuation of the facts in evidence. It is in no way meant to stand alone as a legislative decree. Why is this important? The Pharisees from the school of Shammai were purposefully and errantly noting the wife’s indecency as God determined grounds for divorce. Furthermore, they were attempting to equate a scripturally mentioned tradition of putting a certificate of divorce in the hand of an undesirable wife and sending her out of the marital home with a God ordained procedure where there is no evidence one ever existed. 
The second verse of this passage offers further information which will ultimately lead to the actual legislation. 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, in this case the wife has been divorced because of some found-out indecency involving her past or perhaps in the present, and it has caused her husband to no longer favor her. Additionally, it becomes apparent that she has remarried.
Verse 3 continues on with further important information about the case. 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,… The circumstances now dictate that one of two alternative scenarios takes place. The first variable would be if her new husband detests her. The original Hebrew text intimates that this husband would have also decided that he no longer is pleased by his wife, but no specific reasoning is offered for his change of heart toward her. The school of Hillel took this to mean that his displeasure with her was (A) open to any cause he deemed valid, and (B) errantly as their counterparts did, determined that because the existing tradition of a certificate of divorce was mentioned the process surrounding it could be interpreted as a God given procedural format for divorce. Again in order to subscribe to this errant exegesis many other accepted rules of interpretation had to have been ignored. 
Lastly, this passage offers the other variable that could lead to the need for a statute at the conclusion of the case. Or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,… This is not only the conclusion of the case requiring a legislation from God, but it also goes to pointing out some of the logical inconsistencies the Pharisees were using to stipulate that earlier described circumstances from the case law were in effect equal to demonstrable law. If their logic was followed to its conclusion, then the death of a husband before that of his wife would also have to be considered demonstrable law. In other words, if we take the first two scenarios and equate the enactment of a divorce with a command from God, then one could conclude that God commanded that husbands must die before their wife.
Next time we will continue with our brief look at this passage that the Pharisees tried to contort to indicate that Moses had commanded them as to how to enact a divorce proceeding. We will look at necessary evidence needed to hold to that belief and the blatant fact that it does not exist. We will also examine some of the other problems the Pharisees had with their own interpretation of this passage and how they ignored those facts. Finally, we will look at the actual legislative portion of this passage from the law and discover the true meaning of the statute.
Questions to Answer:
•	Until now, have you thought that God gave the people of Moses time a prescription for divorcing a spouse?
•	Have your thoughts on that changed any as you look closer at the scriptures used to support it?
•	What do you think about the two different grounds for divorce that were utilized in this case law from Deuteronomy? 
•	Do you think all, either, or neither of them are valid?
Actions to Take:
•	Discuss what you have learned so far in this study with your spouse. 
•	Talk about how you think this is problematic for people in our society
So now, Keeping the focus of your relationship with your spouse on the righteous subject of marriage…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dcc94726b118dbfd8a0e256e0dcd6dd6.mp3" length="8069363" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dcc94726b118dbfd8a0e256e0dcd6dd6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-and-divorce-vol-6</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 15 May 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Are We There Yet?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Are we there yet?
When I was a child we spent a fair amount of time as a family traveling by car. For the better part of the first half of my upbringing we lived in areas far away from our ho...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Are we there yet?
When I was a child we spent a fair amount of time as a family traveling by car. For the better part of the first half of my upbringing we lived in areas far away from our hometown in Western New York State. For several years we lived in Columbia, South Carolina where my father attended Bible College and then we moved to the Susquehanna Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania, where he pastored his first church. Occasionally, we would travel home from either of those far-away places back to visit family in familiar territory. Each of those trips took place in the car. 
In preparation, mom would pack our clothes, sandwiches and drinks, as well as the other necessary things to keep my brother and I busy for the duration of the trip. Dad always had the task of figuring out the puzzle that was required to get all of it to fit in the trunk, so that the back seat could be left free for two boys to play, argue with one another, and sleep during the trip. It really did feel like a journey in those days. The national speed limit back then was still 55 miles per hour, and as much as we complain about the condition of roads now, they were much more difficult to travel then. Many of the four lane highways we use these days were only two lanes during that time. Consequently, the trip from Eastern Pennsylvania back home took 6 to 7 hours and when we were traveling to or from South Carolina…those car rides could last upwards of 18 to 20 hours. Even prior to the constraints of children’s car seats and safety belts, with all those hours to travel, my brother and I would quickly tire of being restricted to confines of the back seat. It usually didn’t take long for one of us to pose the question asked by every kid at one time or another, “Are we there yet?”.
As a parent, I came to understand just how annoying that question can be. I can only imagine the number of times my parents heard it on one of our longer trips. In actuality, it is a good question to ask. Why? Because it indicates a level of trust. The child who poses that question believes they will at some time safely arrive at their destination, they just want to know when. It might be more accurately asked, “How much longer will this trip take?”, but it usually comes out as “Are we there yet?”. There was an occasion recorded in the Bible when I think Jesus would have welcomed the question, “Are we there yet?”.
In Mark 4:35-41 there is an account of one of the many journeys Jesus took with His disciples. Allow me to read it to you from the New Living Translation. 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
As I said a moment ago, I think Jesus would have preferred it i...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Are we there yet?
When I was a child we spent a fair amount of time as a family traveling by car. For the better part of the first half of my upbringing we lived in areas far away from our hometown in Western New York State. For several years we lived in Columbia, South Carolina where my father attended Bible College and then we moved to the Susquehanna Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania, where he pastored his first church. Occasionally, we would travel home from either of those far-away places back to visit family in familiar territory. Each of those trips took place in the car. 
In preparation, mom would pack our clothes, sandwiches and drinks, as well as the other necessary things to keep my brother and I busy for the duration of the trip. Dad always had the task of figuring out the puzzle that was required to get all of it to fit in the trunk, so that the back seat could be left free for two boys to play, argue with one another, and sleep during the trip. It really did feel like a journey in those days. The national speed limit back then was still 55 miles per hour, and as much as we complain about the condition of roads now, they were much more difficult to travel then. Many of the four lane highways we use these days were only two lanes during that time. Consequently, the trip from Eastern Pennsylvania back home took 6 to 7 hours and when we were traveling to or from South Carolina…those car rides could last upwards of 18 to 20 hours. Even prior to the constraints of children’s car seats and safety belts, with all those hours to travel, my brother and I would quickly tire of being restricted to confines of the back seat. It usually didn’t take long for one of us to pose the question asked by every kid at one time or another, “Are we there yet?”.
As a parent, I came to understand just how annoying that question can be. I can only imagine the number of times my parents heard it on one of our longer trips. In actuality, it is a good question to ask. Why? Because it indicates a level of trust. The child who poses that question believes they will at some time safely arrive at their destination, they just want to know when. It might be more accurately asked, “How much longer will this trip take?”, but it usually comes out as “Are we there yet?”. There was an occasion recorded in the Bible when I think Jesus would have welcomed the question, “Are we there yet?”.
In Mark 4:35-41 there is an account of one of the many journeys Jesus took with His disciples. Allow me to read it to you from the New Living Translation. 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
As I said a moment ago, I think Jesus would have preferred it if His disciples had roused Him to ask if they were there yet. Instead they abruptly woke Him up to ask “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”. After Jesus calmed the storm by commanding it to cease, He had a question of His own for His disciples. He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”. 
This was an interesting exchange, one that I think holds some important truths for us to consider. The beginning of this passage is key to understanding where the disciples went wrong, and why Jesus had to ask them if they still had no faith. Verses 35 & 36 say As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). The scripture records that Jesus said Let’s go to the other side of the lake. This statement is very important. The men He said that to had recently seen Him do all kinds of miraculous things. They had been witness to Him enabling a paralytic to walk and completely restoring the skin of a person with leprosy. In fact, they had seen Him heal all kinds of illnesses and infirmities. They had even watched Jesus tell a man with a withered hand to hold it out in front of the entire synagogue congregation and when the man did so, his weakened hand full of atrophied muscles was fully restored and as strong as anyone’s. So when Jesus said, “Get in the boat guys, we are going to the other side of the lake”, they should have known they were going to get to the other side of the lake…come hell or high water! They heard clearly from Jesus what the destination was and there should have been no doubt in their minds about if they would safely arrive. The only question they should have had if any, would have been…“Are we there yet?”.
I firmly believe that the reason Jesus was able to take a nap, and that once aroused by His disciples he asked if they still had no faith, was because Jesus had zero concern they wouldn’t arrive at their destination. He said they were going to the other side and He knew they were going to get to the other side. His question to them was really one of, why they didn’t believe they were going to get to the other side. After all they had witnessed they should have understood…without any doubt…that when Jesus said something would happen, it happened, 100% of the time.
What about us? What do we do when this perfecting journey we are on with Jesus intersects with great trouble? Do we focus on the fact that Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us, or do we wonder where He is in our time of need? Do we remember that He promised that He would turn all things, even the really difficult ones for our ultimate good as He uses them to make us more like Himself, or do we wonder how much more we can take before we break. Do we by faith take joy in our various trials knowing that they produce endurance in us which makes us perfect and complete and leaves us needing nothing? Or instead do we wish we could avoid most of our troubles and just enjoy some smooth sailing?
Jesus’ disciples had to learn a valuable lesson that day. We walk by faith and not by sight, that means that faith is all about focus. Those men should have been focused on the trip, not the travel conditions. Jesus told them what the destination was…that ought to have been enough. I’m not suggesting they should have ignored the storm, only that it ought not have been their highest consideration. True faith would have allowed them to discuss what important ministry they might be doing once they reached the other shore and noting that the high wind and the waves would give them a remarkable story they could tell people about when they got there. 
Paul reminds us that Jesus has determined and pointed out our final destination as well. Philippians 1:6 says, And I am certain that God who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Later in Philippians 3:12 Paul wrote of his own personal journey. I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things, or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race, (the journey) and receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us. 
So now, understanding that life is a trip, keep your focus on the destination instead of the difficulties…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e1422577bafa39643185483d515821ee.mp3" length="6228587" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e1422577bafa39643185483d515821ee.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/are-we-there-yet</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 11 May 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:10</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage and Divorce Vol.5]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, thanks for taking part in the Monday Marriage Message. This is the fifth episode in our series of study concerning marriage and divorce. For those who may be checking in for the first time we are primarily basing our study on a conv...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, thanks for taking part in the Monday Marriage Message. This is the fifth episode in our series of study concerning marriage and divorce. For those who may be checking in for the first time we are primarily basing our study on a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew 19 and Mark chapter 10.
Last week I took time for a sidebar from that conversation we are looking at so closely. I took the time to explain to you why I think it is so important for us to literally break that scripture down phrase-by-phrase. As we move forward my prayer is that the slow and methodical way we are working our way through this will be a blessing and not a frustration. God’s word is so jam-packed with truths, and His ways and thoughts are so much Higher than ours…as high as the heavens are above the earth…that slow and steady is the only way to not leave too much grain in the field.   
The week before last I shared with you the two questions recorded for us in the gospels of Mark and Matthew that Jesus posed in response to the initial questions asked of Him by the Pharisees. There is irrefutable evidence that there were in fact two different factions of the Pharisees who disagreed with each other as to what constituted grounds for divorce. These schools of thought covered far more territory than simply marriage and divorce. They disagreed on matters of ritual practices, ethics and theology. They were known as the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel named for the sages who founded them. Those who followed Shammai’s teaching were the more conservative when it came to divorce and those who subscribed to the teaching of Hillel were the more liberal of the two. I shared with you a few weeks ago that I believe each group came posing a question intended to entrap and discredit Jesus. Mark records the more conservative question and Matthew recorded that the Pharisees asked about a more liberal view of divorce. 
I shared with you in that episode that Jesus answered their questions without taking a side as they had hoped He would. Instead He responded to them with a few questions of His own. He asked the first group, “What did Moses command you?” and essentially asked the second group if they had failed to read what Moses had commanded and then quoted the portion of the law (Genesis 2:24) He was referring to in his question to their colleagues. By doing this Jesus was asserting that their question was actually one of Marriage and not divorce. He was pointing out that marriage was the God ordained institution, divorce was man’s created remedy when marriage became too difficult. Essentially Jesus was redirecting the Pharisees into an honest and truthful conversation.
In this edition we will look at the Pharisee’s responses to Jesus’ follow-up questions. When you look carefully at how they answered, it is quite telling and explains the condition of their hearts. Let’s read now what those recorded responses were. I will read each excerpt including the follow-up question Jesus posed and the answer the Pharisees gave. As before we will begin with Marks gospel where I believe Jesus is speaking with the more conservative group. Mark 10:3-4 says, And He answered and said unto them, “What did Moses Command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her”. Now from Matthew; the question to, and the answer from the more liberal group of Pharisees. Matthew 19:4-7; And He answ...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, thanks for taking part in the Monday Marriage Message. This is the fifth episode in our series of study concerning marriage and divorce. For those who may be checking in for the first time we are primarily basing our study on a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew 19 and Mark chapter 10.
Last week I took time for a sidebar from that conversation we are looking at so closely. I took the time to explain to you why I think it is so important for us to literally break that scripture down phrase-by-phrase. As we move forward my prayer is that the slow and methodical way we are working our way through this will be a blessing and not a frustration. God’s word is so jam-packed with truths, and His ways and thoughts are so much Higher than ours…as high as the heavens are above the earth…that slow and steady is the only way to not leave too much grain in the field.   
The week before last I shared with you the two questions recorded for us in the gospels of Mark and Matthew that Jesus posed in response to the initial questions asked of Him by the Pharisees. There is irrefutable evidence that there were in fact two different factions of the Pharisees who disagreed with each other as to what constituted grounds for divorce. These schools of thought covered far more territory than simply marriage and divorce. They disagreed on matters of ritual practices, ethics and theology. They were known as the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel named for the sages who founded them. Those who followed Shammai’s teaching were the more conservative when it came to divorce and those who subscribed to the teaching of Hillel were the more liberal of the two. I shared with you a few weeks ago that I believe each group came posing a question intended to entrap and discredit Jesus. Mark records the more conservative question and Matthew recorded that the Pharisees asked about a more liberal view of divorce. 
I shared with you in that episode that Jesus answered their questions without taking a side as they had hoped He would. Instead He responded to them with a few questions of His own. He asked the first group, “What did Moses command you?” and essentially asked the second group if they had failed to read what Moses had commanded and then quoted the portion of the law (Genesis 2:24) He was referring to in his question to their colleagues. By doing this Jesus was asserting that their question was actually one of Marriage and not divorce. He was pointing out that marriage was the God ordained institution, divorce was man’s created remedy when marriage became too difficult. Essentially Jesus was redirecting the Pharisees into an honest and truthful conversation.
In this edition we will look at the Pharisee’s responses to Jesus’ follow-up questions. When you look carefully at how they answered, it is quite telling and explains the condition of their hearts. Let’s read now what those recorded responses were. I will read each excerpt including the follow-up question Jesus posed and the answer the Pharisees gave. As before we will begin with Marks gospel where I believe Jesus is speaking with the more conservative group. Mark 10:3-4 says, And He answered and said unto them, “What did Moses Command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her”. Now from Matthew; the question to, and the answer from the more liberal group of Pharisees. Matthew 19:4-7; And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and put her away”? 
The way this conversation is framed is of significance if we want to have a complete understanding of Jesus view (or in other words, God’s view) of marriage and divorce. As I mentioned last week, it is critical to see the different twists and turns the direction of the conversation took. As I said a few moments ago, Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ question with follow-up questions of His own. He did this for two reasons. First, to avoid doing as they wished He might, and take a side that would be then used to discredit Him. Additionally, He did this to redirect the original flawed questions back to a basis of truth. His reasons for answering their questions with questions was to solidify truth rather than to confuse it with falsehoods. They, on the other hand came back at Jesus with retorts designed to drag Him back out into the weeds of their preferred distractions.
 There is an old saying that if you say something with confidence you will fool half the people most of the time. This is what the first group of Pharisees attempted to do. Their answer to Jesus question of “What did Moses command you?”, was, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her”. Notice the effort to deceive. It was meant to be a confident retort that contained a discrepancy they hoped Jesus and those listening in would not pick up on. Jesus asked what Moses’ command had been, they told him what Moses permitted. This realization is central to avoiding a common misunderstanding of this scripture. All too often I find that Christians are still being misled by the Pharisee’s intended deception recorded in this passage. Today it is still being read and simply accepted that the answer the Pharisees gave to Jesus question lines up correctly with the portion of the law they were referring to. They were twisting a scripture found in Deuteronomy 24 which we will look at in greater depth in a future episode. I think their answer was worded the way that it was, so they could skew their interpretation of the law to fit their selfish desires. They wanted to be able to divorce when their marriages did not meet their expectations. These conservative Pharisees may not have been as eager to open the grounds for divorce up as wide as their counterparts were, but they did want to be able to infer that divorce was a God given remedy for a problematic marriage. 
As I have shared already I think this was one conversation that included three positions, the conservatives, the liberals and Jesus. Jesus having received a confident yet elusive answer from the first group asked the second a more direct question that included the correct answer to His question for those He had just been speaking with. He asked them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no Longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate.” This group tried to use Jesus own tactic against Him, and answered His question with another of their own. Knowing the passage of scripture from Deuteronomy 24 that the first group had referred to, and seeing their peer’s attempt at deception, they tried to continue with that same falsehood as if it were a truth. So they asked Jesus, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and put her away”? When we look at their response, the attempt to disguise a lie within an apparent truth is even more blatant than that of their associates. This is not all that surprising when you consider that this response came from those who wanted to be free to end their marriages for any reason they chose. Being further from the truth of God’s design for marriage they were willing to go to even greater lengths to avoid it. They asked Jesus to tell them why Moses had done something he had never done. There was never a command in the law as to how to enact a divorce. The more conservative Pharisees knew this and that is why when Jesus asked what Moses had commanded them, they told Him that Moses had permitted them to do something in terms of divorce. I believe the liberal Pharisees were well aware of that, but because of the condition of their hearts toward their own marriages, they were being overtly being dishonest, even with themselves, about the intent of the law.
If we do not take note of the inconstancies employed by the Pharisees in this passage, we can easily become deluded as well. As I said a few minutes ago, all these years later Christians are still being misled by the intentional inaccuracies the Pharisees were using in their argument with Jesus. What would cause the leadership of the Jewish people of the time to want to stray so far from the intent of the law they claimed to love so much? Why would they be willing to go to such lengths to misrepresent the truths contained in the law? 
Their aim it seems was gaining the ability to extract themselves from unpleasant marriages and have the freedom to try, try again. This motive did not escape Christ as we will see farther along when He addresses that unrighteous mindset. We also have other contemporary non-scriptural writings on the Pharisee’s disagreement with each other concerning the subject. Those illuminate the Pharisee’s motives behind their search for caveats to God’s original intent of lifelong marital covenant. Some commentaries go so far as to suggest that the more liberal minded of the Pharisees were using repetitive divorce and remarriage as a legal loophole for a steady change of sexual partners. They were making a mockery of marriage just to satisfy their own sexually lustful desire for multiple women without breaking any laws. Essentially, the Pharisees wanted to be able to placate their sinful desires while imagining they were sidestepping consequence. Jesus was fully aware of their heart set and spoke to it directly as we will discover in a future episode in this series.
Questions to answer:
•	Have you ever stopped to consider the intent of the Pharisees to circumvent the intent of the law by twisting the letter of the law?
•	Does it surprise you that they were being stubbornly elusive to satisfy their own desires?
•	When you consider the divorce rate today, do you think there is validity in our currently accepted “Grounds for divorce”?
•	How many people do you know who you would say divorced a spouse for the explicit reason of being free in the future to try, try again?
Actions to take:
•	Talk with your spouse about your personal commitment to remaining married for the rest of your lives.
•	Discuss why divorce should never be looked at as an escape clause from an unhappy marriage.
•	Pray that God will preserve your marriage and give each of you the grace necessary to work through your difficulties without walking away from the marriage.
•	Commit to one another right now that no matter what difficulties or troubles lay ahead that you will walk into them hand-in-hand, and you will walk out of them hand-in-hand as well.
So now, recognizing the sanctity of the marital union God has gifted you with, commit yourselves anew to your “One Flesh” relationship…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c859c3b70b03d224954eb055880d7a80.mp3" length="18951249" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c859c3b70b03d224954eb055880d7a80.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-and-divorce-vol5</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 May 2023 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival of the Fittest]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Survival of The Fittest.
Last evening, I was watching a clip from a nature show on YouTube. I’m not sure why this particular video ended up in my feed or why I was intrigued enough to click o...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Survival of The Fittest.
Last evening, I was watching a clip from a nature show on YouTube. I’m not sure why this particular video ended up in my feed or why I was intrigued enough to click on it and watch…but I was. The video was of a fight to the death between a scorpion and a black widow. I don’t know just how long the contest lasted because the video began with the two arachnids already engaged, but I know it didn’t continue longer than a minute or two more. The spider was franticly spinning web material and using its legs to try to secure the scorpion’s tail to its body in order to restrict its ability to sting. While attempting to ensnare the scorpion in its strong sticky silk, the spider was also taking every opportunity to try to puncture the scorpion’s exoskeleton with its fangs and inject a lethal dose of venom, and bring its distant cousin into submission. While this was the Black Widow’s plan, the Scorpion had a strategy of its own, and continued to flick its tail resisting the restraint of the spider’s webbing. Seemingly within the first minute of the video, the spider’s fangs managed to find a weakness in the scorpion’s armor as simultaneously the scorpion wriggled free its tail and the stinger pierced the black widow’s abdomen. In the space of just a few more seconds both had succumbed to their wounds and the venom of the other. Almost as soon as it had begun…it was over…both creatures expired and lying motionless. It was a battle which might have been dubbed “Survival of the fittest”, and though that particular engagement concluded, the question of which was more fit…well that was left unanswered. Both paid the ultimate price and there was no winner, winner scorpion or black widow dinner!
Charles Darwin theorized that human beings arrived on the planet through a process he called evolution which relied heavily on ideas like “Survival of the fittest”. His thought was that God had not lovingly created the universe, our solar system and our planet to provide for the rest of His creation. Darwin didn’t accept that God spoke each of the plants and animals into existence and as the crowning achievement of His immense love formed Adam from the dust of the ground and then offered to him the breath of life. Darwin’s theory couldn’t accept that the first woman would be a gift to the man, taken from the man’s own flesh and blood. The theory of evolution required belief that mankind had evolved along with the rest of creation and had simply won more of the contests of the “Survival of the fittest”, than any other creature. This errant thinking brought forth others like “The process of natural selection”, as well as even farther outlandish, non-scientific conclusions such as “The Big Bang”. With each of these we are supposed to accept that other scientific laws such as the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics are not true at all. We are asked to believe that an initial energy source isn’t actually necessary to input energy into a new process. Furthermore, the theory of evolution requires us to accept that things gain momentum without a renewed input of energy rather than degenerate as we know full well and can prove that they do. I think that it is with innate understanding that theories like evolution can’t possibly be legitimate that we sometimes use references to them with sarcasm and humor. Places like YouTube will also treat you to videos of people doing incredibly d...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Survival of The Fittest.
Last evening, I was watching a clip from a nature show on YouTube. I’m not sure why this particular video ended up in my feed or why I was intrigued enough to click on it and watch…but I was. The video was of a fight to the death between a scorpion and a black widow. I don’t know just how long the contest lasted because the video began with the two arachnids already engaged, but I know it didn’t continue longer than a minute or two more. The spider was franticly spinning web material and using its legs to try to secure the scorpion’s tail to its body in order to restrict its ability to sting. While attempting to ensnare the scorpion in its strong sticky silk, the spider was also taking every opportunity to try to puncture the scorpion’s exoskeleton with its fangs and inject a lethal dose of venom, and bring its distant cousin into submission. While this was the Black Widow’s plan, the Scorpion had a strategy of its own, and continued to flick its tail resisting the restraint of the spider’s webbing. Seemingly within the first minute of the video, the spider’s fangs managed to find a weakness in the scorpion’s armor as simultaneously the scorpion wriggled free its tail and the stinger pierced the black widow’s abdomen. In the space of just a few more seconds both had succumbed to their wounds and the venom of the other. Almost as soon as it had begun…it was over…both creatures expired and lying motionless. It was a battle which might have been dubbed “Survival of the fittest”, and though that particular engagement concluded, the question of which was more fit…well that was left unanswered. Both paid the ultimate price and there was no winner, winner scorpion or black widow dinner!
Charles Darwin theorized that human beings arrived on the planet through a process he called evolution which relied heavily on ideas like “Survival of the fittest”. His thought was that God had not lovingly created the universe, our solar system and our planet to provide for the rest of His creation. Darwin didn’t accept that God spoke each of the plants and animals into existence and as the crowning achievement of His immense love formed Adam from the dust of the ground and then offered to him the breath of life. Darwin’s theory couldn’t accept that the first woman would be a gift to the man, taken from the man’s own flesh and blood. The theory of evolution required belief that mankind had evolved along with the rest of creation and had simply won more of the contests of the “Survival of the fittest”, than any other creature. This errant thinking brought forth others like “The process of natural selection”, as well as even farther outlandish, non-scientific conclusions such as “The Big Bang”. With each of these we are supposed to accept that other scientific laws such as the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics are not true at all. We are asked to believe that an initial energy source isn’t actually necessary to input energy into a new process. Furthermore, the theory of evolution requires us to accept that things gain momentum without a renewed input of energy rather than degenerate as we know full well and can prove that they do. I think that it is with innate understanding that theories like evolution can’t possibly be legitimate that we sometimes use references to them with sarcasm and humor. Places like YouTube will also treat you to videos of people doing incredibly dumb and dangerous things, and dub them “Darwin Awards” or opportunities to watch examples of the “Process of Natural Selection” in progress, as people do stupid things that might have taken them out of the gene-pool if it were not for “dumb luck”.
“Survival of the fittest” is contrary to God on more than one level. This is not simply so because it flies in the faith of the truth of Creation week. It is not “Survival of the fittest” that put humans squarely atop the “Food Chain”, God lovingly placed us there when He created us to have dominion over the rest of His creation, Genesis 1:26-27 makes that abundantly clear. However, there is another consideration in regards to “Survival of the fittest” and how it is in direct opposition to God that I want to examine today. In earlier editions of this podcast I have mentioned a particular paraphrase of the New Testament that I enjoy tremendously. It is entitled The Remedy and was written by Dr. Timothy Jennings a highly respected, nationally known Psychiatrist. He uses the phrase “Survival of the fittest” quite often in The Remedy to illustrate how that mindset goes against God’s plans for our best. 
Allow me to read James 4:1-10 from the Remedy. Why is there so much hostility, fighting, and arguments among you? Because the Survival of the fittest instinct controls you; If you want something but don’t get it, you are willing to kill. You are selfish, coveting what you cannot have, constantly fighting, trying to get for yourselves. You do not obtain because you do not seek God. And when you finally do ask God – because your motives are selfish, and because you focus only on self-gratification – you don’t get what you’re asking for, because God doesn’t use His power to supply you with means to damage yourselves. You disloyal and unfaithful people! Don’t you realize that embracing the me first, survival of the fittest principle of this world is warring against God? Anyone who allies themselves with this selfish world chooses to be an enemy of our God of love. Don’t you get it? The scripture is clear: God longs intensely for you and gives you His Spirit to live in you to graciously heal you. That is why the scripture says: God opposes selfishness, arrogance and pride, but heals the selfless. Surrender yourselves to God and His treatment. Tell the Devil “No”, and you will escape Him. Move closer to God and God will come close to you. You selfish people! Stop choosing to indulge your selfish desires. Stop going back and forth between love and selfishness, and purify your hearts with love. Stop playing around and get real! Let your hearts break: cry over your terminal condition, admit that you are sick, and stop pretending that all is well. Then go humbly to the Lord, and He will heal and restore you.
God is selfless. He has illustrated that from the very beginning of creation. He spent the first five days creating everything we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. Then according to Genesis 1:26 and 27 He lovingly created us and gave us authority over everything he had made, so that we could use it to meet our needs. God further illustrated His selflessness by allowing His own sinless Son to sacrifice His life as payment for the penalty of our wrongdoing and acts of selfishness, The Bible tells us He did this expressly so that we could spend eternity with Him. When viewed through the concept of “Survival of the fittest”, that selfless act of love makes no sense at all. But God didn’t give us what He gave us and Jesus didn’t do for us what He did for us, because it makes sense in human terms…they did it all because it makes sense in terms of the Law of Love. God created everything according to the Law of Love, and so, He was willing to give everything, including the life of His One and Only Son, to restore the Law of Love.
That Law requires selflessness and trust in God’s goodness to operate as it should. That is why God wants to see our selfish desires eradicated. He is not against us…He is for us. His great love for us will not allow for Him to let us go our own way and operate by a “Survival of the fittest” mentality without at least attempting to show us the error of that thinking. God does not want us to operate in such a flawed system. He knows that our selfish behavior must be displaced by His selflessness flowing through us if we are to truly be healed. He has no desire to see what our “Process of natural selection” will bring us. His word says that there is a way that seems right to mankind, but in the end it leads to destruction. (Proverbs 14:12). TOAT230504We need to stop seeking “Darwin Awards” and pay attention to God’s word which tells us that God rewards those who seek Him and trust Him and imitate His selfless ways. (Hebrews 11:6)
So now, experiencing the healing God is attempting to bring to your life through selflessness and complete trust in Him…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/aad1b5361983c422415c63675312b3c9.mp3" length="7043649" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/aad1b5361983c422415c63675312b3c9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/survival-of-the-fittest</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 04 May 2023 08:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage and Divorce Vol. 4]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. We have spent the last several weeks exploring the topic of Marriage and divorce from a biblical view. I mentioned as we began, because of the times...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. We have spent the last several weeks exploring the topic of Marriage and divorce from a biblical view. I mentioned as we began, because of the times we live in, and the frequency that we give up on our marriages, any serious podcast on marriage will have to unfortunately at least consider the topic of divorce. Interestingly enough, because we are using a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10 as the basis for our study it is apparent that divorce was an issue at that time as well. 
I was reviewing what I wanted to talk about in today’s episode when it occurred to me that perhaps it is time for a sidebar. I am a marriage counselor, and a podcaster and a teacher. I recognize (because it has been brought to my attention) that sometimes I seemingly confuse which of my audiences I am speaking to. When I am counseling with a couple that obviously takes place in a private setting where I can speak directly to their questions. There I am able to use the whole counsel of the word of God and the principles contained within to guide my counsel as we delve into specific needs. When I am teaching in the setting of a seminar, I have prepared material that the participants have not only specifically come to engage in, but have chosen to invest their time and money to have the opportunity to learn more about the content. I understand that sometimes I attempt to teach on a subject or scripture in the format of this podcast and that can pose some real challenges for the listener.
I knew as we began this series that my audience might dwindle some. I understand that when we are faced with absolute truths from God’s word they sometimes make us uncomfortable. Because I didn’t want that to be the result of this series, I made sure to remind you that both me and my wife have personally experienced divorce. I wish for the sakes of our children that wasn’t so, but as I said a few weeks ago, perhaps that is what gives me the ability to speak on the subject with authority as well as a complete lack of personal judgement. I am hopeful that the number of listeners who choose not to continue with this study to its conclusion is minimal. The intent is not in any way to cast dispersion on those who have chosen divorce in the past, but instead to illustrate that God desires to bless us as we move forward in decision to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Additionally, I know that there are a myriad of twists and turns in the recorded conversation Jesus had with these men. I also know as a counselor that Christians still today are being confused by the words of the passages we are dissecting in this series. I hope by breaking it down into bite sized pieces we can dispel some of those misunderstandings.
 The nuances of the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees that took place recorded for us in these two scripture passages are many. I truly think that it is because of a lack of understanding of these many distinctions that confusion about these two scriptures remains. Though I have been attempting to bring some of them to light, I think it might be important to point them out in greater detail before we continue with our look at the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. So that as we continue to do that, it will be easier for us to have greater understanding of what was taking place.
Allow me t...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. We have spent the last several weeks exploring the topic of Marriage and divorce from a biblical view. I mentioned as we began, because of the times we live in, and the frequency that we give up on our marriages, any serious podcast on marriage will have to unfortunately at least consider the topic of divorce. Interestingly enough, because we are using a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10 as the basis for our study it is apparent that divorce was an issue at that time as well. 
I was reviewing what I wanted to talk about in today’s episode when it occurred to me that perhaps it is time for a sidebar. I am a marriage counselor, and a podcaster and a teacher. I recognize (because it has been brought to my attention) that sometimes I seemingly confuse which of my audiences I am speaking to. When I am counseling with a couple that obviously takes place in a private setting where I can speak directly to their questions. There I am able to use the whole counsel of the word of God and the principles contained within to guide my counsel as we delve into specific needs. When I am teaching in the setting of a seminar, I have prepared material that the participants have not only specifically come to engage in, but have chosen to invest their time and money to have the opportunity to learn more about the content. I understand that sometimes I attempt to teach on a subject or scripture in the format of this podcast and that can pose some real challenges for the listener.
I knew as we began this series that my audience might dwindle some. I understand that when we are faced with absolute truths from God’s word they sometimes make us uncomfortable. Because I didn’t want that to be the result of this series, I made sure to remind you that both me and my wife have personally experienced divorce. I wish for the sakes of our children that wasn’t so, but as I said a few weeks ago, perhaps that is what gives me the ability to speak on the subject with authority as well as a complete lack of personal judgement. I am hopeful that the number of listeners who choose not to continue with this study to its conclusion is minimal. The intent is not in any way to cast dispersion on those who have chosen divorce in the past, but instead to illustrate that God desires to bless us as we move forward in decision to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Additionally, I know that there are a myriad of twists and turns in the recorded conversation Jesus had with these men. I also know as a counselor that Christians still today are being confused by the words of the passages we are dissecting in this series. I hope by breaking it down into bite sized pieces we can dispel some of those misunderstandings.
 The nuances of the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees that took place recorded for us in these two scripture passages are many. I truly think that it is because of a lack of understanding of these many distinctions that confusion about these two scriptures remains. Though I have been attempting to bring some of them to light, I think it might be important to point them out in greater detail before we continue with our look at the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. So that as we continue to do that, it will be easier for us to have greater understanding of what was taking place.
Allow me to remind you that this conversation took place in front of a large number of Israelite people who were following Jesus and listening to Him teach them as well as taking time to heal the sick and infirmed among them. These people were seeing miracles take place in real time, and so were literally hanging on every word Jesus spoke. Jesus was headed toward Jerusalem for the last time. He knew His death was imminent, and so I believe He was speaking more plainly about God’s desire for their lives than ever before. He was using parables less and less and talking more directly to them about the Kingdom of God.
When the Pharisees came to Jesus they had one thing on their minds. Discredit this teacher who threatened their power structure by telling the large crowds that He was the only way for them to have access to God. So as the Pharisees approached Jesus that day they wanted to make Him look like He didn’t know what He was talking about. They hoped this would cause His followers to begin to dissipate. These Pharisees may have had a singular goal in terms of Jesus, but that didn’t mean they agreed on everything. In fact, it was one of their disagreements that they intended to use to try to trap Jesus in His own words. There was as I have explained a more conservative group of Pharisees who thought that a portion of the law recorded in Deuteronomy 24 indicated that a husband must discover some indecency in his wife to be free to divorce her. Another more liberal group felt this same portion of the law gave the freedom to divorce just as long as a husband was displeased with his wife for any reason. This disagreement was their agreed upon chosen subject matter to try to entrap Jesus. They conspired together to ask Him questions concerning their differing interpretations of Deuteronomy 24 expecting that they might be able to make Jesus look like a fool in front of all of those people who were listening so intently to Him.
We will see as we continue to break the scripture down into small portions, neither of their positions were God’s intent, and they had to use deception to hold to either of their chosen interpretations. This may seem unimportant but it is actually my whole purpose for delving into this topic. The questions they asked Jesus that day were intended to twist the meaning of scripture and the mosaic law. I find that the recording of that exchange continues to deceive Christians even today about God’s truth when it comes to the topic of marriage and divorce. I think this deception continues to be possible because of our lack of understanding of the twists and turns of this conversation as well as a misreading of the portion of the law that was referred to and therefore misinterpreted by the Pharisees. Because of that I wanted to take the time to teach on this subject and offer what I believe to be a correct and valuable exegesis of these and the supporting scriptures that speak about marriage and divorce.
I pray that this side bar will help explain the necessity of breaking the scriptural account of this conversation between Jesus and those Pharisees down almost phrase-by-phrase. I hope that you will hang in there with me as we continue not only to try to glean as much truth as possible from their exchange, but also from the portion of the law that was referenced in it. I look forward to the process and hope that you will to, so that as we go forward your resolve to follow Christ in your marriages will only grow as your understanding of His word expands.
Next time we will continue with our study where we left off last week. God bless as you allow Him to lead and guide in your marriage…and Go be Awesome.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c157b9e6a8f9303dc2455a8258657f1f.mp3" length="11369681" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c157b9e6a8f9303dc2455a8258657f1f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-and-divorce-vol-4</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2023 14:31:39 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself
In an edition of this podcast last year I spoke about the inauguration of the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt that took place on March 4th 1...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself
In an edition of this podcast last year I spoke about the inauguration of the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt that took place on March 4th 1933. I noted then that during his speech, he uttered a phrase which has been repeated countless times in the past 90 years. It is among his more notable and quotable quotes. In that speech he made the bold statement that “We have nothing to fear except fear itself.” Last time I shared my thoughts concerning that quote it took me in one direction, today it has caused me to consider another.
President Roosevelt made that now famous proclamation to be an encouragement to millions of Americans listening in on their radios. It was intended to inspire the discouraged, disheartened and yes fearful minds of the American public as they endured the ravages of the Great Depression. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what new difficulty might lay right around the corner weighed heavily on nearly everyone’s mind. The economic impact of the stock market crash just a few years before coupled with current vast unemployment had many people wondering where their next meal would come from. That impending sense of despair was complicated further by the Dust Bowl that had left much of the agricultural land of the Midwest crippled and unfit to ease the crisis. The outlook for our nation was indeed bleak when President Roosevelt told the entire country that there was “Nothing to fear except fear itself.”
The contemporary condition of the world around us is no less scary. We may not have recently experienced economic collapse, but we are in the midst of what looks suspiciously like moral bankruptcy. The speed of the decline currently taking place especially in western society is ‘wicked fast’. There are days I feel as though I haven’t even begun to comprehend the latest foolishness I am supposed to accept as the new norm, when a whole new class of utter ridiculousness is introduced as (quote…unquote) “progressive thought”. Sometimes it is almost beyond ability to accept that those espousing such imbecilic rhetoric actually believe what they are proposing. Wokeness and Social Justice are anything but, and the direction of our nation and the world around us can seem quite concerning at times…most times, if you have any hopes and desires for those coming along after us. So is it still an encouragement or a comfort to know “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”?
I was approached by someone a short time ago who asked me if I think fear is sin. That’s an interesting question. The person asked the question in light of 1 John chapter 4. There we read in verse 18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. In light of that verse the rest of the question came, “Does fear indicate a lack of faith, and is a lack of faith in the Almighty sinful?” Certainly this verse in its full context is saying that because we have the love of God in us and our relationship with Him is evidenced by our display of His love toward others, we are therefore His children and need not have any fear of the day of His judgment. In that sense, His perfect love, having its intended effect on our lives, drives away our fear of judgement. Perfect love then casts out fear.
Though the context of that particular verse concerning fear is i...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself
In an edition of this podcast last year I spoke about the inauguration of the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt that took place on March 4th 1933. I noted then that during his speech, he uttered a phrase which has been repeated countless times in the past 90 years. It is among his more notable and quotable quotes. In that speech he made the bold statement that “We have nothing to fear except fear itself.” Last time I shared my thoughts concerning that quote it took me in one direction, today it has caused me to consider another.
President Roosevelt made that now famous proclamation to be an encouragement to millions of Americans listening in on their radios. It was intended to inspire the discouraged, disheartened and yes fearful minds of the American public as they endured the ravages of the Great Depression. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what new difficulty might lay right around the corner weighed heavily on nearly everyone’s mind. The economic impact of the stock market crash just a few years before coupled with current vast unemployment had many people wondering where their next meal would come from. That impending sense of despair was complicated further by the Dust Bowl that had left much of the agricultural land of the Midwest crippled and unfit to ease the crisis. The outlook for our nation was indeed bleak when President Roosevelt told the entire country that there was “Nothing to fear except fear itself.”
The contemporary condition of the world around us is no less scary. We may not have recently experienced economic collapse, but we are in the midst of what looks suspiciously like moral bankruptcy. The speed of the decline currently taking place especially in western society is ‘wicked fast’. There are days I feel as though I haven’t even begun to comprehend the latest foolishness I am supposed to accept as the new norm, when a whole new class of utter ridiculousness is introduced as (quote…unquote) “progressive thought”. Sometimes it is almost beyond ability to accept that those espousing such imbecilic rhetoric actually believe what they are proposing. Wokeness and Social Justice are anything but, and the direction of our nation and the world around us can seem quite concerning at times…most times, if you have any hopes and desires for those coming along after us. So is it still an encouragement or a comfort to know “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”?
I was approached by someone a short time ago who asked me if I think fear is sin. That’s an interesting question. The person asked the question in light of 1 John chapter 4. There we read in verse 18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. In light of that verse the rest of the question came, “Does fear indicate a lack of faith, and is a lack of faith in the Almighty sinful?” Certainly this verse in its full context is saying that because we have the love of God in us and our relationship with Him is evidenced by our display of His love toward others, we are therefore His children and need not have any fear of the day of His judgment. In that sense, His perfect love, having its intended effect on our lives, drives away our fear of judgement. Perfect love then casts out fear.
Though the context of that particular verse concerning fear is in regards to judgment, I think it is a building block to our correct position regarding fear overall. Jesus taught additional truths that can help us complete our understanding…of our intended standing. When we consider that perfect love (the love of God in us and flowing through us) removes all fear of His judgment then something Jesus said recorded for us in Luke 12:4 makes even more sense. “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. He went on to say if we are going to fear someone, we should fear God who judges where we will spend eternity after we die. In this seemingly crazy world we now live in, we are threatened with all kinds of retribution if we will not accept the latest idiocy. The propagators of these so called progressive policies warn that if we do not play along with their pretension they will call us out as bigots, racist, hate mongers or worse. In recent days, there have been multiple news reports of physical violence even to the point of death being perpetrated against those who would not bow to the will of the deluded. Jesus was clear, this is not what should be feared. He didn’t mince His words either, there are those who may even want to kill us for standing for what is right. However, He then added, even if they follow through on that threat, that is all they can do to us. Then Jesus went on to say that our real concern should be with the One who will then judge what to do with us for eternity. The choice was clear as far as Jesus was concerned. Stand for righteousness enveloped in perfect love…and you have nothing of real consequence to fear. With that mindset the author of Hebrews was able to write in chapter 13:6; We can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? 
Having Jesus as our Savior allows us to be perfected in His love and to experience no fear of His judgment. In other words, it allows us to be secure in our eternal condition. However, Jesus has two titles and being able to live in total lack of fear requires our understanding and complete acceptance of not only the first, Savior, but more importantly His second, Lord. The whole world has a Savior…Jesus died for the whole world. Someday the bible tells us, everyone will be forced to also admit that He is Lord. Philippians 2:10-11 says that Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! However, for those who willingly trust Him now to be their Lord and Savior, they possess everything necessary to live free of all fear. 
If we believe that Jesus is truly Lord, then we must believe that He is Omniscient (He knows all). We must accept that He is Omnipresent (There is no place outside of his reach). And we must admit that He is Omnipotent (There is nothing He is powerless to do). When you hold those beliefs, the teaching Jesus gave us about worry is easier to understand and apply. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus taught that we have no cause for worry because the Lord knows about everything we need. He pointed out that if the Lord would take such good care of mere birds and ordinary field grass, how much more would He meet the needs of His crowning creation who love Him. Jesus said that God is a good, good father the likes of which no man has ever been, and if we as parents love our children, how much more can we expect that God loves us and will take the very best care of us. 
Additionally, of Himself, Jesus said in Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. This does not mean Jesus was present at the beginning and will be present when the end comes. That line of thinking would lead to the conclusion that Jesus is subject to time, and would therefore mean that time is greater than Him. If Jesus is Lord (and He is) then He is superior to everything, including time. Jesus encompasses time, time does not encompass Him. Therefore, He can rightly say that He is the beginning of everything and the culmination of all things. Knowing that about Him should serve to bolster our faith that we can trust him in all things. It should also help us to trust that…from a position of complete knowledge of every event that has, is or ever will occur in our lives, He and He alone is able to promise that He will use all of them for our good. He intends to use all things to bless us with increased ability to reflect Him more. (Romans 8:28-29)
So, no matter whether it be pressure from the world around us to conform to the latest brand of insanity, or dealing with a personal difficulty, disease or loss, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we learn to trust Him wholly, we have nothing to fear…not even fear itself.
So now, living free of all fear in the confidence of His immense and intense love for you…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8002b721415862f730e5ab2e64ed0050.mp3" length="6204683" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8002b721415862f730e5ab2e64ed0050.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/nothing-to-fear-not-even-fear-itself</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:37:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:11</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Taxing Time]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Taxing Time
Next Tuesday is April 18th, and this year that’s Tax day, the day most Americans are required to file their federal income tax. No one I know of likes to pay their fair or unfai...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Taxing Time
Next Tuesday is April 18th, and this year that’s Tax day, the day most Americans are required to file their federal income tax. No one I know of likes to pay their fair or unfair share as the case may be. I do know this much, if I worked for the IRS (and I would never work for the IRS) I would certainly be loath to tell anyone about my job. I can’t imagine what conversations for those poor souls are like this time of year. 
Disliking paying taxes is as old a dilemma as taxes themselves. I don’t think there has ever been a time when people have truly felt as though their tax burden was what it should be. America’s financial advisor, Dave Ramsey has a solution for keeping taxes as low as they can be that I think is brilliant. He says that all the IRS agents should be required to be at everyone’s place of employment on paydays and cash paychecks for employees and then ask the employee to give back out of their cash-in-hand the amount needed for their taxes. I have to agree with him that people would begin to demand lower taxes if that were the case!
As I said, wishing we didn’t have to pay taxes and having a dislike for those who are charged with collecting them is an age old problem. In Matthew 22:15-22 a conversation where Jesus was asked this His opinion on the matter is recorded for us. In the New Living Translation, it says; 15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
It probably goes without saying that Jesus is the master at determining motive and answering questions perfectly. The Jewish leaders were trying in more than one way to outsmart Him and get Him arrested. The Chief Priests and Scribes didn’t approach Jesus themselves because their relationship with Him had already become contentious. I think they were trying to avoid suspicion by sending others in their place to ask their question. They didn’t send the Pharisees as so many times before, no this time they cunningly sent the Pharisee’s disciples, Pharisees-in-training so to speak, along with some of Herod’s supporters who would be sure to let Herod know of anything Jesus might have said in opposition of taxes or the government. Luke’s gospel tells us that they were sent as spies, meant to blend in with the rest of the multitudes following Jesus. He tells us that they pretended to be righteous people, but only for the purpose of getting Jesus arrested. They even tried using flattery, and prefaced their inquiry telling Jesus they knew He was an honest man who taught people to do what is right and that He treated every person the same as the next. 
Finally when they thought the moment was right, they asked their questio...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Taxing Time
Next Tuesday is April 18th, and this year that’s Tax day, the day most Americans are required to file their federal income tax. No one I know of likes to pay their fair or unfair share as the case may be. I do know this much, if I worked for the IRS (and I would never work for the IRS) I would certainly be loath to tell anyone about my job. I can’t imagine what conversations for those poor souls are like this time of year. 
Disliking paying taxes is as old a dilemma as taxes themselves. I don’t think there has ever been a time when people have truly felt as though their tax burden was what it should be. America’s financial advisor, Dave Ramsey has a solution for keeping taxes as low as they can be that I think is brilliant. He says that all the IRS agents should be required to be at everyone’s place of employment on paydays and cash paychecks for employees and then ask the employee to give back out of their cash-in-hand the amount needed for their taxes. I have to agree with him that people would begin to demand lower taxes if that were the case!
As I said, wishing we didn’t have to pay taxes and having a dislike for those who are charged with collecting them is an age old problem. In Matthew 22:15-22 a conversation where Jesus was asked this His opinion on the matter is recorded for us. In the New Living Translation, it says; 15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
It probably goes without saying that Jesus is the master at determining motive and answering questions perfectly. The Jewish leaders were trying in more than one way to outsmart Him and get Him arrested. The Chief Priests and Scribes didn’t approach Jesus themselves because their relationship with Him had already become contentious. I think they were trying to avoid suspicion by sending others in their place to ask their question. They didn’t send the Pharisees as so many times before, no this time they cunningly sent the Pharisee’s disciples, Pharisees-in-training so to speak, along with some of Herod’s supporters who would be sure to let Herod know of anything Jesus might have said in opposition of taxes or the government. Luke’s gospel tells us that they were sent as spies, meant to blend in with the rest of the multitudes following Jesus. He tells us that they pretended to be righteous people, but only for the purpose of getting Jesus arrested. They even tried using flattery, and prefaced their inquiry telling Jesus they knew He was an honest man who taught people to do what is right and that He treated every person the same as the next. 
Finally when they thought the moment was right, they asked their question, one that may have been on many of our minds lately…“Is it right to pay taxes, or not?” If ever Jesus was asked a loaded question this was it. They knew that the people in the crowd hated paying taxes to their Roman oppressors. If Jesus said yes taxes should be paid, they figured His followers would melt away believing He had been exposed as a Roman supporter and a traitor to the Jews. If He said that taxes shouldn’t be paid, well then, Herod’s supporters would be sure to hurry back and report the insurrectionist talk to the governor. Either way, they were sure they had Jesus right where they wanted Him. 
Jesus however, saw through the whole thing, called them out as the evil people they were and astonished the crowd. Asking whose picture was on the coin that was used to pay taxes was brilliant. Telling them to give the coin back to its rightful owner if requested, made perfect sense…even to people who didn’t like to pay their taxes. But Jesus finished bigger yet. He told them to give to God what is God’s when He requests it. Those evil men where scholars of the Law. They knew full well that Jesus was referencing the fact that we are created in the image of God. His likeness is on us, and He does request that we give our lives to Him. Why do we pay taxes? Because we don’t want to go to jail. Why don’t we give God what is God’s?
Jesus once said that we should not fear what other people can do to us, the worst they could do is kill our body but not our soul. He said that instead we should be concerned with what God wants from us because He is the one who can determine where our body and soul end up for eternity. (Matthew 10:28) His point was that we should be more than willing to give our lives to the One in whose image we are created.
You Know, it’s interesting, we can pay our taxes to our government and never give our lives to our God, but the flip side of that particular  tax coin is not possible. We cannot wholeheartedly give our lives to God, and try to withhold from the government what is rightfully theirs. We are made in the image and likeness of God. God is the embodiment of integrity. He says of Himself that there is not even a shadow of turning with Him, not even a hint of anything anyone could claim lacks integrity. He says He is the absolute same, yesterday…today…and tomorrow. If we are going to look like Him then our integrity must remain intact as well. I get it…I don’t like paying taxes any more than the next guy. But if I really believe that the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof then I have to trust that God can give back to me anything the government might ask for if He has need of me to have it.
No government will ever come within a country mile or the expanse of the universe for that matter of being able to give to us what God has. No matter how high they raise our taxes, government can never develop a social program that will offer forgiveness of sin, redemption, righteousness and reconciliation with God. It’s tax time, give the government some of those pictures of dead presidents you have, but far more importantly, give God all of you…after all you were created in His likeness.
So now, giving all of you to Him with a grateful heart for all He has given to you…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/375ce795a39de5f857b48a89e8909b90.mp3" length="5006808" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/375ce795a39de5f857b48a89e8909b90.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-taxing-time</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 13 Apr 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage and Divorce Vol.3]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is the third installment in our study of Marriage and divorce based on the scriptural references of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees on the...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is the third installment in our study of Marriage and divorce based on the scriptural references of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees on the same topic found in Matthew 19:1-10 and Mark 10:1-10.
Last time we essentially looked at the verses that let us in on the setting of the discussion. Those few verses let us know who was there and when and where it took place. We also covered what question or questions were posed to Jesus by the Pharisees and why they were asking Him about such things. I mentioned that they were not really all that interested in what Jesus’ answer would be, only that they would be able to entrap Him in His words whichever side of their internal difference of opinion He endorsed. 
Today we will begin to look at His answer and why it was so perfect, and how He avoided giving them the ammunition they intended to use against Him. Jesus did give the Pharisees an answer but He was not entrapped, rather He asked them a question that I think caught them off balance. As we did last week we will begin with Mark’s account because it was written first. That doesn’t mean it is more correct, it simply means that some of what Matthew wrote may have been to fill in some more of the story. Or as I suggested last week, it might indicate both the conservative and liberal factions of the Pharisees had questioned Jesus from their differing perspectives. I will begin reading the question or questions posed by the Pharisees for context and then the beginning of Jesus’ answer that I want to focus on today.
Mark 10:2-3 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. And He answered and said unto them, “What did Moses command you?”.
Now from Matthew 19:3-4 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said unto them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh?’”
Because of the way that these two passages are structured by the two writers, I am of the opinion that both factions were posing their own version of the question. Mark seems to be telling it from the conservative Pharisees’ position and Matthew sounds as if he was recording the other side of the question. Mark having written his gospel first would not have known further gospels were coming and might have believed the more complete understanding of Jesus’ teaching would be gained from the more conservative of the questions. Having benefit of knowing what Mark had recorded, Matthew may well then have decided in His gospel He would also speak to the more liberal view and fill in some of those blanks since the more comprehensive approach had already been taken. As a result part of what we look at today may seem repeated in the next episode but I want to pay special attention to how the accounts intersect so that we can glean a complete understanding of Jesus’ teaching on the subject. 
I also want to point out that The Master answered as He did with great intent. To begin, let me point out that Jesus did not answer their question as posed. Jesus was not being elusive; He was being wise. First He was being asked to take a side in a debate for the sol...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is the third installment in our study of Marriage and divorce based on the scriptural references of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees on the same topic found in Matthew 19:1-10 and Mark 10:1-10.
Last time we essentially looked at the verses that let us in on the setting of the discussion. Those few verses let us know who was there and when and where it took place. We also covered what question or questions were posed to Jesus by the Pharisees and why they were asking Him about such things. I mentioned that they were not really all that interested in what Jesus’ answer would be, only that they would be able to entrap Him in His words whichever side of their internal difference of opinion He endorsed. 
Today we will begin to look at His answer and why it was so perfect, and how He avoided giving them the ammunition they intended to use against Him. Jesus did give the Pharisees an answer but He was not entrapped, rather He asked them a question that I think caught them off balance. As we did last week we will begin with Mark’s account because it was written first. That doesn’t mean it is more correct, it simply means that some of what Matthew wrote may have been to fill in some more of the story. Or as I suggested last week, it might indicate both the conservative and liberal factions of the Pharisees had questioned Jesus from their differing perspectives. I will begin reading the question or questions posed by the Pharisees for context and then the beginning of Jesus’ answer that I want to focus on today.
Mark 10:2-3 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. And He answered and said unto them, “What did Moses command you?”.
Now from Matthew 19:3-4 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said unto them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh?’”
Because of the way that these two passages are structured by the two writers, I am of the opinion that both factions were posing their own version of the question. Mark seems to be telling it from the conservative Pharisees’ position and Matthew sounds as if he was recording the other side of the question. Mark having written his gospel first would not have known further gospels were coming and might have believed the more complete understanding of Jesus’ teaching would be gained from the more conservative of the questions. Having benefit of knowing what Mark had recorded, Matthew may well then have decided in His gospel He would also speak to the more liberal view and fill in some of those blanks since the more comprehensive approach had already been taken. As a result part of what we look at today may seem repeated in the next episode but I want to pay special attention to how the accounts intersect so that we can glean a complete understanding of Jesus’ teaching on the subject. 
I also want to point out that The Master answered as He did with great intent. To begin, let me point out that Jesus did not answer their question as posed. Jesus was not being elusive; He was being wise. First He was being asked to take a side in a debate for the sole purpose of entrapping Him. Jesus saw right through that and used a brilliant tactic. He did not ignore the question, which would have illustrated rudeness on His part, He answered their question with a question, that was on topic…sort of. According to Mark He asked them “What did Moses Command you?” According to Matthew He asked them “Have you not read, that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female?” 
To my way of thinking, this is some of the evidence for the theory that both factions each asked their own question. Each author writes that Jesus answered with a question of His own, but records a different question. This is what some people use to call the accuracy of these accounts into question. However, when you consider that Jesus might well have had one conversation but with two different groups of Pharisees, it all makes sense. The overall teaching and answer Jesus offered brings one to the same conclusion but the two questions Jesus asked would lead there by different avenues.
I like to imagine that Jesus looked at the stricter, more conservative Pharisees and asked, “What did Moses Command you?” They gave Him their answer, which we will look at next time. Then I imagine Jesus turned to the more liberal group and in question form, He gave the answer He was hoping to get from the first group. He asked them; “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh?’” I think when Jesus asked the question “What did Moses command you?”, the answer He was looking for was Genesis 2:24…that would have been the correct answer. Instead, the Pharisees began to twist what Moses had written in Deuteronomy chapter 24, a scripture we will look at in great detail in an upcoming episode. Jesus then turned to ask the second group a different question, but not being dissuaded, He asked directly about the portion of the Law He was referring to in His first question. 
Another thing that Jesus was doing in this exchange was redirecting the topic of the initial questions or questions. The Pharisees were asking about divorce, Jesus was going to answer in terms of marriage. He understood that divorce is the result of flawed thinking, and He was not about to engage in a flawed conversation. The first task before Him was to change the topic from divorce to marriage, and He did so expertly by avoiding giving a direct answer to their question and instead asked His own question to them about marriage.
When Jesus asked selfish proud men who were scholars of the law, “What did Moses command you?” He knew they could not resist giving an answer. They were all too eager to show this rabbi with such a crowd of followers, just who it was that knew the law backward and forward, inside and out. Their problem was that they still wanted to talk about divorce, (out of the mouth, the heart speaks) and so they referred to Deuteronomy 24 which has some instruction regarding divorce. When Jesus saw that the condition of the hearts of even the conservative men wanted to be free to divorce their wives, He then asked further, (in my opinion of the more liberal Pharisees) “Have you not read?” Again these were experts of the law, they prided themselves on how familiar they were with the first five books of the scriptures. I think Jesus asked this quite tongue-in-cheek, and then led them directly to the part of the law He was referring to when He asked His initial question. 
The commandment Jesus was referring to was not one of the 10 commandments, nor was it from the mosaic law of do’s and don’ts, it was a precept, a statute of Creator God as to the process He uses to create us in His image and in His likeness. When God decided to make mankind, it is recorded in Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. We know that God made Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him and Adam became a living being (Gen. 2:7) Then later that same day (the sixth day) God put the man to sleep took a rib from his side and created his perfect counterpart. When God woke Adam and presented Eve to him Adam declared: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.” (Gen. 2:23) Adam was essentially recognizing that he and Eve were created “One flesh”. In response to Adam’s recognition, and instituting a way to miraculously endow every married couple thereafter with the same “One flesh” experience Adam and Eve enjoyed, God heralded His mandate, the very one Jesus was referring to in his exchange with the Pharisees. “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh”. (Gen.2:24) 
Questions to answer:
•	Why do you think the Pharisees were so fixated on the subject of divorce?
•	Do you think most people marry today only after considering if there is a way out should they find themselves experiencing extreme difficulty?
•	What do you think that mindset has done to the overall view of the value of marriage in our society?  
Actions to take:
•	Thank God DAILY for your marriage, gratefulness is an immense help in times of trouble.
•	As a couple, thank God right now for your “One Flesh” experience, ask God to help the two of you view your marriage as having such high value that you will never look for a way of escape from His blessing on your lives.
So now, giving God thanks for the miraculous “One Flesh” experience He has endowed you and your spouse with, use it for its intended purpose to reflect the likeness and image of your Creator…and Go Be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/967b1400d447f13cd4637b4fa19a84f8.mp3" length="7107961" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/967b1400d447f13cd4637b4fa19a84f8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-and-divorce-vol3</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:11</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Jesus' Thoughts On A Painfully Necessary Thursday]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.
One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in John...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.
One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in John chapter 17 come directly from the prayer Jesus prayed the evening before his crucifixion. We know that took place at Passover, on the day we call Good Friday, so it stands to reason these words of our Lord were spoken on a Thursday evening.
This prayer of Christs’ is essentially made up of three parts. In the first part He prayed for Himself. In the second section He prayed for His disciples, and finally He prayed for us…for you and for me. It is the final portion I usually find so special because Jesus is literally praying for us, and expressing that the reason He was willing to go to the cross was so that He would be able to spend eternity, being one with us, in heaven, forever! When I recognize the gravity of that it is so moving. Let it hit you for a minute. Jesus loves you so very much that He can’t bear the thought of spending eternity without you. His love for you is so immense…so intense that when faced with the choice of an agonizing death or being separated from you forever…He chose the cross! There is literally no way you or I could be loved more completely. 
Going back to the second portion of Jesus prayer, He prayed for His disciples. He specifically prayed that rather than them being taken out of the world alongside Himself, that they would instead be enabled by God to remain behind and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, offer their testimony to others about The Christ. Again He was willing for their pain to necessarily be endured that we might know through their ministry His great love for us. 
Today however, my thoughts are focused on the beginning of His prayer. Here Jesus prays for Himself. Verse 1 of that chapter tells us that Jesus asked for God’s help with what was coming. We read that He opened his prayer with these words.  “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…” We know that this was an incredibly difficult time for Jesus. In Matthew’s account found in chapter 26 of his gospel it tells us that Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful, to the point of death. There we read that He prayed that if it was at all possible, if there were any other way to get the same result, He asked God to choose that, instead of what He knew was in store for Him. However, we read that He relented, that if there was no other way, He would submit to this one. Why? Again, He was unwilling that we be left without a way to be one with Him forever. You can read other accounts of this same prayer recorded in Mark 14 and Luke chapter 22. 
Why did Jesus need encouragement so badly that Luke’s account tells us God sent an angel specifically to strengthen Him? Why would the Son of God need to pray for Himself? Because He knew that what was coming was going to hurt. Obviously He knew it would hurt physically. Jesus had likely seen crucifixions. It was the barbaric way the Romans executed those they found deserving of capital punishment. It was so brutal that the Jewish people didn’t think a dog deserved to die in that fashion. To their way of thinking it was completely inhumane. The Bible tells us Jesus was well aware that this was the painful way in which He was going to be put to death. It says that He told His disciples that the Son of man would b...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.
One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in John chapter 17 come directly from the prayer Jesus prayed the evening before his crucifixion. We know that took place at Passover, on the day we call Good Friday, so it stands to reason these words of our Lord were spoken on a Thursday evening.
This prayer of Christs’ is essentially made up of three parts. In the first part He prayed for Himself. In the second section He prayed for His disciples, and finally He prayed for us…for you and for me. It is the final portion I usually find so special because Jesus is literally praying for us, and expressing that the reason He was willing to go to the cross was so that He would be able to spend eternity, being one with us, in heaven, forever! When I recognize the gravity of that it is so moving. Let it hit you for a minute. Jesus loves you so very much that He can’t bear the thought of spending eternity without you. His love for you is so immense…so intense that when faced with the choice of an agonizing death or being separated from you forever…He chose the cross! There is literally no way you or I could be loved more completely. 
Going back to the second portion of Jesus prayer, He prayed for His disciples. He specifically prayed that rather than them being taken out of the world alongside Himself, that they would instead be enabled by God to remain behind and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, offer their testimony to others about The Christ. Again He was willing for their pain to necessarily be endured that we might know through their ministry His great love for us. 
Today however, my thoughts are focused on the beginning of His prayer. Here Jesus prays for Himself. Verse 1 of that chapter tells us that Jesus asked for God’s help with what was coming. We read that He opened his prayer with these words.  “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…” We know that this was an incredibly difficult time for Jesus. In Matthew’s account found in chapter 26 of his gospel it tells us that Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful, to the point of death. There we read that He prayed that if it was at all possible, if there were any other way to get the same result, He asked God to choose that, instead of what He knew was in store for Him. However, we read that He relented, that if there was no other way, He would submit to this one. Why? Again, He was unwilling that we be left without a way to be one with Him forever. You can read other accounts of this same prayer recorded in Mark 14 and Luke chapter 22. 
Why did Jesus need encouragement so badly that Luke’s account tells us God sent an angel specifically to strengthen Him? Why would the Son of God need to pray for Himself? Because He knew that what was coming was going to hurt. Obviously He knew it would hurt physically. Jesus had likely seen crucifixions. It was the barbaric way the Romans executed those they found deserving of capital punishment. It was so brutal that the Jewish people didn’t think a dog deserved to die in that fashion. To their way of thinking it was completely inhumane. The Bible tells us Jesus was well aware that this was the painful way in which He was going to be put to death. It says that He told His disciples that the Son of man would be “lifted up” as on a cross, so that they too would know the manner in which He was going to die. Jesus knew that physically speaking the crucifixion was going to hurt, in fact, it was going to be excruciatingly painful.
Jesus also knew it was going to hurt emotionally. Just days before this prayer was being lifted to the Father, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem triumphantly. He had come in riding on the back of a colt. People had thronged to see him and to have the opportunity to wave palm branches and even pave his entrance to the city by throwing their clothes down on the road under His mount. He had received from them a welcome fit for a king! We are told that as He took that ride He looked at the city stretching out before Him and said sorrowfully, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, oh how I would have gathered and cared for you like a hen gathers and protects her chicks…but you would not have it”. As Jesus prayed that evening in the garden, I think He knew that the next day some of those same voices that had heralded His entrance with “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” would soon be following another crowd and vilely spewing the words filled with hatred, “Crucify Him...Crucify Him!”. I think Jesus was also in such distress because He knew emotionally, it was going to hurt beyond belief!
I believe Jesus also knew it was going to hurt almost unbearably, in a spiritual sense. Remember, Jesus was willing to go through all of this because He could not bear the thought of spending eternity without you. If there was any less of a payoff than that…it would not have been worth it to Him. In fact, in the final part of the prayer recorded in John 17 it tells us that He prayed these words, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us…” (John 17:20-21 NKJV) Jesus proclaimed He was doing this entirely to enjoy a oneness with us. Hebrews Chapter 12 tells us that it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross. What was the joy? Oneness with us!
So what was this excruciating spiritual pain that was coming, that needed prayer to enable Him to overcome? Jesus was fully aware that to enjoy that oneness with us, He had to take upon Himself our sin. He understood that to do that was going to mean that His Father who had been one with Him for eternity…was going to be forced to separate Himself from Him. There had never been a time when He and The Father had not been one, but if Jesus were to enrobe Himself with our sin, so that we could wear His robes of righteousness, the Father was going to be forced to turn His face away from His only Son! Just a few hours after this time of prayer, Jesus would be crying out to His Father in agony…”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!?! Let that rest on you for a moment. Jesus was so desirous that we not be separated from Him that He was willing to spend the darkest, most physically, and most emotionally pain filled time of His eternal existence separated from His Father for our sakes. The one who had been with Him forever, was going to turn His back on Him, and that was the plan Jesus was asking for strength to endure…all to have an eternal oneness with you and with me.
Jesus needed prayer that Thursday because He knew that Friday would bring the worst pain imaginable…physically, emotionally and spiritually. The Bible tells us that Jesus desires that no one should perish, but that all would be saved. His prayer on that particularly difficult Thursday and His actions on an awful, and unbelievably painful Friday prove He is all in because He was willing to die for us. In response to that, anything less than being ready and willing to live for Him doesn’t even make sense! We might not have the opportunity to do that except for the resurrection power of God who raised Jesus from the grave just three days later and placed Him on the throne of highest authority in Heaven! Glory to God for the Easter morning miracle that restored our wonderful, sweet, sweet Savior to His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. He deservedly sits on the throne of Heaven, and equally deserves to sit on the throne of our very lives! 
So now, under the weight of His incredible love for You…normally I would tell you to go be awesome…but today I think we should all Go thank Him for being so awesome! 
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4d2f28416494b1b375b317a2d6c87b5c.mp3" length="5776013" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4d2f28416494b1b375b317a2d6c87b5c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/jesus-thoughts-on-a-painfully-necessary-thursday</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:55:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Light of The World - April 2nd, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us For Palm Sunday at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Brings us a Message this Palm Sunday.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible st...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us For Palm Sunday at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Brings us a Message this Palm Sunday.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us For Palm Sunday at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Brings us a Message this Palm Sunday.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9404a44b404690334b8c5dcbfb205f60.mp3" length="55929317" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9404a44b404690334b8c5dcbfb205f60.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-light-of-the-world-april-2nd-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 13:15:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:32:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage and Divorce Vol. 2]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message Podcast. This will be the second installment in our series on Marriage and Divorce. Last time I read for you both of our focal passages for this subject, Matthew...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message Podcast. This will be the second installment in our series on Marriage and Divorce. Last time I read for you both of our focal passages for this subject, Matthew 19:1-10 and Mark 10:1-10. Today we will begin to look more closely at those scriptures. Mathew and Mark are considered synoptic gospels. In other words, those two gospels along with the gospel of Luke all cover much of the same ground. Often in those books, we read of the very same occurrences, but from the differing perspectives of the individual writers. The gospels of Matthew and Mark share the most common material and literally hundreds of verses in the two are nearly verbatim. Because of that we will study the conversation these two passages outline in parallel. I believe this will give us the most accurate understanding of Jesus’ position in this exchange between He and the Pharisees. Because the book of Mark was actually written first, I will begin there and then move to Matthew’s gospel.
Mark 10:1-2 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
Matthew 19:1-3 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
In both accounts, the first of these verses simply set the stage. They let us know who, when and where. The – who – Jesus, multitudes or large crowds presumably mostly if not all Jewish people, and the Pharisees, Jewish leaders who were scholars of Mosaic law. Next we have the – when – after Jesus finished teaching in Galilee. Finally, the – where – The region of Judea beyond the Jordan river. While we do know that when Jesus left Galilee He was going to Jerusalem, we don’t know the exact route He took. We do know however that both Matthew and Mark agree that Jesus traveled south to Perea, the district that lay on the east side of the Jordan river across from Judea and Jerusalem. It is likely that the Pharisees were also there because of the multitudes which gave away the fact that Jesus was among them. Matthew is clear in his gospel that Jesus was healing the multitudes, as well as teaching them of which news would have quickly spread and the Pharisees would have known they could find Jesus among the multitudes seeking healing. 
The – what – and the  - why -  come in the following verses. First the what. Mark records it as follows; The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. Matthew put it this way; The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Finally the – why- why were they asking Jesus their question? Both Mathew and Mark agree, the Pharisees were testing Jesus. They were not testing Him in the sense of wanting to know if Jesus knew the correct answer, the Pharisees didn’t even agree among themselves what the right answer was. One sect of the Pharisees was more conservative and believed the only righteous reason for divorce was sexua...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message Podcast. This will be the second installment in our series on Marriage and Divorce. Last time I read for you both of our focal passages for this subject, Matthew 19:1-10 and Mark 10:1-10. Today we will begin to look more closely at those scriptures. Mathew and Mark are considered synoptic gospels. In other words, those two gospels along with the gospel of Luke all cover much of the same ground. Often in those books, we read of the very same occurrences, but from the differing perspectives of the individual writers. The gospels of Matthew and Mark share the most common material and literally hundreds of verses in the two are nearly verbatim. Because of that we will study the conversation these two passages outline in parallel. I believe this will give us the most accurate understanding of Jesus’ position in this exchange between He and the Pharisees. Because the book of Mark was actually written first, I will begin there and then move to Matthew’s gospel.
Mark 10:1-2 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
Matthew 19:1-3 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
In both accounts, the first of these verses simply set the stage. They let us know who, when and where. The – who – Jesus, multitudes or large crowds presumably mostly if not all Jewish people, and the Pharisees, Jewish leaders who were scholars of Mosaic law. Next we have the – when – after Jesus finished teaching in Galilee. Finally, the – where – The region of Judea beyond the Jordan river. While we do know that when Jesus left Galilee He was going to Jerusalem, we don’t know the exact route He took. We do know however that both Matthew and Mark agree that Jesus traveled south to Perea, the district that lay on the east side of the Jordan river across from Judea and Jerusalem. It is likely that the Pharisees were also there because of the multitudes which gave away the fact that Jesus was among them. Matthew is clear in his gospel that Jesus was healing the multitudes, as well as teaching them of which news would have quickly spread and the Pharisees would have known they could find Jesus among the multitudes seeking healing. 
The – what – and the  - why -  come in the following verses. First the what. Mark records it as follows; The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. Matthew put it this way; The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Finally the – why- why were they asking Jesus their question? Both Mathew and Mark agree, the Pharisees were testing Jesus. They were not testing Him in the sense of wanting to know if Jesus knew the correct answer, the Pharisees didn’t even agree among themselves what the right answer was. One sect of the Pharisees was more conservative and believed the only righteous reason for divorce was sexual impurity, either as a result of unfaithfulness resulting in adultery or misrepresenting virginity, having formerly committed fornication. Another more liberal faction of the Pharisees believed any reason for divorce was good enough. One only needed to find their wife unpleasing in any way to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. Like I said, the Pharisees weren’t testing Jesus to see if He knew the correct answer. They simply wanted to force Jesus to take a side of a heated topic so that He would be open to their criticism. They weren’t trying to test Him so much as entrap Him in His own words.
The two accounts we have here might seem somewhat to be contradictory. Mark says the Pharisees only asked if it was lawful to divorce while Matthew records that they wanted to know if it was lawful to divorce for just any reason. One explanation is that Matthew wrote his account after Mark’s so knowing what facts Mark had included, Matthew may have wanted to add more information about the Pharisees question in his gospel. Another possibility is that perhaps both factions of the Pharisees formulated their own question to Jesus in a way that would lead Him to answer that their view was right and the other was incorrect. Essentially this possibility suggests both were asked and Mark recorded the question of the more conservative group while Matthew added that the question from the liberal Pharisees was also posed to Jesus. Either way, they are not contradictory questions and Jesus’ answer which we will look at next time answered both or either perfectly.
It would be easy to be self-righteous and condemn the Pharisees for even bringing these questions to Jesus…except that here in America we couldn’t be more cavalier about the sanctity of marriage if we tried. The United States has the 3rd highest rate of divorce in the world. In the time that it takes one couple to recite their wedding vows 3 marriages are dissolved and 430 additional divorces will take place in the time the guests spend with the newlyweds at their reception. These statistics are a examples of the staggering 747,000 marriages that are dissolved in our divorce courts each year. Experience is supposed to be a good teacher, and one would hope that when we attempt something and fail, next time we would do better, not so in the case of marriage and divorce. According to the last U.S. Census, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. 60% of second marriages fail and a full 73% of third marriages end in divorce. We aren’t getting better with experience…we are getting worse!
Make no mistake, divorce is a life altering event. I just spoke of the increased risk of future marital failure it produces for those who go through it. Maybe of greater importance, we need to ask what the peripheral impact will be. Statistics tell us that a person is 75% more likely to divorce if they have a friend who is divorced. Let that rest on you for a moment. When we divorce, we lower the chance of our friends remaining married. What about the children? Children of divorced parents have a 60% chance of divorce themselves when they marry. If they marry someone who also comes from a broken marriage (and statistically speaking children of divorce tend to marry children of divorce) their chances diminish even further. Unfortunately, the damage doesn’t stop there. Children of divorce have lower test scores and are twice as likely to drop out of school as are children of intact marriages. They have a much higher suicide rate, and are much more likely to live in poverty than are children whose parents remain married. There are many studies that indicate there are all kinds of negative impacts to the children of broken homes, enough that we should be willing to try to avoid them at all costs…even if it means staying and working on a difficult marriage.
Why are we getting divorced? What could be so critical that we are willing to take such high risks of future calamity to escape? Multiple studies have been done on the top ten reasons for divorce in America today. While there are some differences in the placement, there is agreement on what the top ten are and positioning of numbers 1through 3 as well as what comes in last at number 10. Affairs and unfaithfulness is first. Second is troubles with finances and third place goes to difficulty communicating. Each of the studies had physical and emotional abuse coming in at the bottom of the top ten reasons given for divorce.
When you take all of it into consideration, the question or questions posed by the Pharisees to Jesus weren’t beyond understanding even if they weren’t really all that interested in His answer. That is where we are going to differ as we walk through our study of these scriptural passages. We are going to pay very close attention to what Jesus had to say, because contained in His answer was healing and life. His answer provided the ability for the Pharisees, the multitudes, and yes, even us to experience healing and life in all of our marriages, no matter what difficulties may be plaguing them.
Questions to Answer:
•	What things if any do you think should be considered grounds for divorce?
•	Do you think most people are aware of the ramifications their divorce will have on others around them?
•	How much weight should be given to the damage others will suffer when deciding to end a marriage?
Actions to Take:
•	Discuss together your level of commitment to your marriage and family.
•	Pray daily asking God to guide your thoughts, words and actions toward your spouse so that your marriage can remain strong and be a witness of God’s grace and mercy.
So now, trusting Jesus to have the answers for the difficulties in your marriage, listen to what He has to say to you in His word…And Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/058554a8537cc99e3494bfec571e4eea.mp3" length="6726140" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/058554a8537cc99e3494bfec571e4eea.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-and-divorce-vol-2</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 03 Apr 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Stinking Irony]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Stinking Irony.
I took a trip this past week that traversed seven states to purchase a motorcycle, and yes before anyone asks…it was still a good deal when I included the gas it took to go get...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Stinking Irony.
I took a trip this past week that traversed seven states to purchase a motorcycle, and yes before anyone asks…it was still a good deal when I included the gas it took to go get it. However, this podcast isn’t about motorcycles or the price of gas though I am sure I could make some connection between those things and some biblical truth. This episode is about something I stepped on while stopping at one of the many rest stops I visited on my trip. As I walked along one of the concrete sidewalks that led to the bathrooms at one particular location, I stepped on a round metal lid placed in the concrete. Cast into the iron lid were the words “Sanitary Sewer”. I have seen these words many times in the past. Prior to entering full-time ministry I worked for a heavy equipment construction company that placed many of those particular lids in sidewalks and streets during my tenure there.
For those of you who may not know there are two kinds of sewer lines underground. There are “Storm Sewers” which are conduits made of concrete, metal or plastic which convey rainwater runoff from impermeable surfaces like buildings, parking lots and roadways, ultimately to places where it can be introduced safely into natural bodies of water. The other kind of sewer lines are called “Sanitary Sewers” and they are anything but…sanitary. These are the lines that carry the sewage from our sinks, showers and toilets to the waste water treatment plant. When I was in the business of installing new portions of these so called “Sanitary Sewer” lines to existing infrastructure I was always somewhat amused by the name stamped into the manhole covers. “Sanitary sewer” just seemed like such an oxymoron to me. It is a “Stinking Irony” indeed.
As I stepped on that manhole last week and read those words cast in iron, “Sanitary Sewer” it made me think of a few verses I had been reading recently in my devotional time. In his Epistle, James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote about a “Stinking Irony” that we all need to be aware of lest we find ourselves reeking of that very condition. In James 3:7-11 we read the following from the New King James Version. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? I also really like the way Dr. Tim Jennings put it in his paraphrase The Remedy there it says; 7Humans have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea,8but no one can make their words harmless. The mouth speaks venomous words, expressing the chaos and evil within the heart.9One moment we praise God our Father, and the very next moment we curse the very men and women created in his image.10Think about it: Out of the same mouth come both praises and curses. My brothers and sisters, this is wrong, and it must stop.11Does a spring bring forth fresh water one moment and sewage the next?
Last week in this podcast I eluded to what I am talking about today. If we are not ever vigilant about the condition of our hearts, we risk acting out of selfishness. When you mix...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Stinking Irony.
I took a trip this past week that traversed seven states to purchase a motorcycle, and yes before anyone asks…it was still a good deal when I included the gas it took to go get it. However, this podcast isn’t about motorcycles or the price of gas though I am sure I could make some connection between those things and some biblical truth. This episode is about something I stepped on while stopping at one of the many rest stops I visited on my trip. As I walked along one of the concrete sidewalks that led to the bathrooms at one particular location, I stepped on a round metal lid placed in the concrete. Cast into the iron lid were the words “Sanitary Sewer”. I have seen these words many times in the past. Prior to entering full-time ministry I worked for a heavy equipment construction company that placed many of those particular lids in sidewalks and streets during my tenure there.
For those of you who may not know there are two kinds of sewer lines underground. There are “Storm Sewers” which are conduits made of concrete, metal or plastic which convey rainwater runoff from impermeable surfaces like buildings, parking lots and roadways, ultimately to places where it can be introduced safely into natural bodies of water. The other kind of sewer lines are called “Sanitary Sewers” and they are anything but…sanitary. These are the lines that carry the sewage from our sinks, showers and toilets to the waste water treatment plant. When I was in the business of installing new portions of these so called “Sanitary Sewer” lines to existing infrastructure I was always somewhat amused by the name stamped into the manhole covers. “Sanitary sewer” just seemed like such an oxymoron to me. It is a “Stinking Irony” indeed.
As I stepped on that manhole last week and read those words cast in iron, “Sanitary Sewer” it made me think of a few verses I had been reading recently in my devotional time. In his Epistle, James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote about a “Stinking Irony” that we all need to be aware of lest we find ourselves reeking of that very condition. In James 3:7-11 we read the following from the New King James Version. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? I also really like the way Dr. Tim Jennings put it in his paraphrase The Remedy there it says; 7Humans have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea,8but no one can make their words harmless. The mouth speaks venomous words, expressing the chaos and evil within the heart.9One moment we praise God our Father, and the very next moment we curse the very men and women created in his image.10Think about it: Out of the same mouth come both praises and curses. My brothers and sisters, this is wrong, and it must stop.11Does a spring bring forth fresh water one moment and sewage the next?
Last week in this podcast I eluded to what I am talking about today. If we are not ever vigilant about the condition of our hearts, we risk acting out of selfishness. When you mix selfishness with the most difficult thing in all humanity to control…the tongue…the risk of stinking irony rises dramatically. James says that 9One moment we praise God our Father, and the very next moment we curse the very men and women created in his image. This can happen in so many ways and seemingly in the blink of an eye. As I noted last week we can be singing along to the Christian radio station in the car one minute and be yelling at the person who so irreverently cut us off in traffic the next. While that may be an easy one for many people to relate to, it certainly isn’t the only example. What about when we smile and say “Sure thing boss!” to our employer and then take every available opportunity to tell our co-workers what a jerk the boss is? How about spending Sunday morning in quote-unquote “Worship” and then gossiping all the way home about others in church and all of the inconsistencies we perceive to exist in their lives? How about the way we use our moral high ground as Christians to justify verbally crucifying our political opponents? The fact of the matter is that these examples I have noted simply scratch the surface of all of the ways we come up with to fulfill the verse above and praise God out of one side of our mouth while we curse His creation out of the other.
I think James was right to ask us to consider this uncomfortable truth about our “Stinking Irony”.10Think about it: Out of the same mouth come both praises and curses. My brothers and sisters, this is wrong, and it must stop.11Does a spring bring forth fresh water one moment and sewage the next? None of us would be willing to go down into a sewer manhole, fill a cup and drink its contents. No one among us would consider it no matter how sanitary the manhole lid said it was. You can’t get fresh water from a sewer. Nor can pure water come from a place that allows even a little bit of sewage in. If I had a 5 gallon bucket of water and added only one cup of raw sewage into it…would you drink it? I hope not. Because even a little sewage allowed into the water contaminates the whole bucket.
What can help us overcome allowing sewage to contaminate our spring meant only to produce fresh water? Conforming to the image of Christ. One of the things we know about Jesus is that though He was reviled…He reviled not. That means that though he had every justification in the world for lashing out, for having bad things to say about His own stinking creation beating, torturing and finally executing their own Creator, (Talk about stinking irony) He didn’t do it. Jesus didn’t think or act selfishly, He allowed His outward thinking to selflessly lead Him to the cross. The bible says that for the joy set before Him, in other words for the opportunity to pay for our sin once and for all and to be able to set all of His creation right again, He endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2)
So now, removing the sewage from the stream where only fresh, clean, clear water is supposed to flow…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5fbb07f62f7cb8dbaaf6041a85f72b75.mp3" length="4710832" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5fbb07f62f7cb8dbaaf6041a85f72b75.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/stinking-irony</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Seed Planters - March 26th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and the Gideons Bring us a message.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and the Gideons Bring us a message.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts and the Gideons Bring us a message.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9adc7a7be21849ae6a077e5f101ca1dc.mp3" length="40498528" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9adc7a7be21849ae6a077e5f101ca1dc.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/seed-planters-march-26th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Mar 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Choose Life!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Choosing Life
In past episodes of this podcast I have occasionally shared lessons I learned from experiencing cancer. I say that I experienced cancer because the disease did not cause me all o...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Choosing Life
In past episodes of this podcast I have occasionally shared lessons I learned from experiencing cancer. I say that I experienced cancer because the disease did not cause me all of the pain and difficulty I have witnessed it cause others. Lynn and I have a dear friend who is at this moment battling cancer in a way I never had to, she is literally fighting for her life. When you pray today…please pray for Leasa and her family. As I said, the fight I had with cancer was not as intense as hers and others have been, so I feel it unfair for me to categorize my struggle with theirs. 
Unfortunately, my cancer was not discovered until it had already engulfed my prostate. The cancer had a rather aggressive nature and according to my doctors should really only be treated by a complete removal of the affected organ. Other treatments were discussed but only as options for those where the cancer was less aggressive or the disease had not progressed to the extent mine had. Though each alternative treatment was explained, it was made abundantly clear to us that surgery was really the only way to go…if I wanted to live.
With that information in mind, my wife Lynn and I made one of the easiest, weighty decisions we ever have…I would have the surgery. It was weighty because any decision to have an organ removed, even a diseased one, should come only after a healthy dose of consideration. It was easy because choosing to keep the cancerous organ, would lead to death, while choosing to have it removed, would lead to life. When given the opportunity to choose life…choose life!
I have been spending some time reading in the book of James lately in my personal time with the Lord. In James 1:12-17 it says this in the New King James Version: 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
The spiritual decision before all of us is really no different than the one Lynn and I faced in that hospital room. To make one choice will lead to death, to choose the other will result in life…abundant life.
We are all tempted from time to time. In our current state, we are still subject to being called out to by our own evil selfish desires. We may even know that certain things are not good for us…and yet we can sometimes crave those very things. We can be fully aware that to act in one way toward another would be godly and selfless but still struggle to not look out for number one. We can, as James goes on to write about later say that we love God and even sing aloud his praises flowing into our cars via the Christian radio station…and then curse His creation out of the other side of our mouths when we get cut off in traffic. Examples abound, though I don’t think it necessary to name each one here. The fact of the matter is that when we are faced with those choices and other...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Choosing Life
In past episodes of this podcast I have occasionally shared lessons I learned from experiencing cancer. I say that I experienced cancer because the disease did not cause me all of the pain and difficulty I have witnessed it cause others. Lynn and I have a dear friend who is at this moment battling cancer in a way I never had to, she is literally fighting for her life. When you pray today…please pray for Leasa and her family. As I said, the fight I had with cancer was not as intense as hers and others have been, so I feel it unfair for me to categorize my struggle with theirs. 
Unfortunately, my cancer was not discovered until it had already engulfed my prostate. The cancer had a rather aggressive nature and according to my doctors should really only be treated by a complete removal of the affected organ. Other treatments were discussed but only as options for those where the cancer was less aggressive or the disease had not progressed to the extent mine had. Though each alternative treatment was explained, it was made abundantly clear to us that surgery was really the only way to go…if I wanted to live.
With that information in mind, my wife Lynn and I made one of the easiest, weighty decisions we ever have…I would have the surgery. It was weighty because any decision to have an organ removed, even a diseased one, should come only after a healthy dose of consideration. It was easy because choosing to keep the cancerous organ, would lead to death, while choosing to have it removed, would lead to life. When given the opportunity to choose life…choose life!
I have been spending some time reading in the book of James lately in my personal time with the Lord. In James 1:12-17 it says this in the New King James Version: 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
The spiritual decision before all of us is really no different than the one Lynn and I faced in that hospital room. To make one choice will lead to death, to choose the other will result in life…abundant life.
We are all tempted from time to time. In our current state, we are still subject to being called out to by our own evil selfish desires. We may even know that certain things are not good for us…and yet we can sometimes crave those very things. We can be fully aware that to act in one way toward another would be godly and selfless but still struggle to not look out for number one. We can, as James goes on to write about later say that we love God and even sing aloud his praises flowing into our cars via the Christian radio station…and then curse His creation out of the other side of our mouths when we get cut off in traffic. Examples abound, though I don’t think it necessary to name each one here. The fact of the matter is that when we are faced with those choices and others, it is a life and death decision. Don’t misunderstand. I am not saying that a Christ follower who momentarily exercises poor judgement is in danger of hell-fire. What I am saying is that when given choices like those I mentioned a moment ago, we are making a choice bigger than the particulars of the one at hand. 
According to James, if we endure the temptations and make the right choices, the loving, selfless ones, we are blessed, become approved and can look forward to the gift of life, promised to those who love God. He goes on to say that we should understand where the choices come from in the first place. God does not implant in us a longing to do the wrong thing, it would go against His righteous nature. Temptations come from our own selfish desires, and if we give into those cravings, they become sin in our lives. Practicing sin, or in other words, making sinful action a regular and accepted way of life for us, brings death if it is not dealt with. We are all born in a fallen state, and that means we have a sin-nature that has to be controlled. Thank God He has provided the Holy Spirit who offers the ability to apply self-control to our sin nature. 
When James says that every good gift, and every perfect gift comes from the Father, he is reminding us that God is good and therefore only offers to us what is good. In fact, He gave us the perfect gift, Jesus, who as the Lamb of God was the only sacrifice sufficient to forgive us of and erase the record of our sinfulness. James wanted us to know that this good, good Father never changes His position, He always loves us and always wants to give us everything we need to be able to choose life.
God is life. Choosing God’s Son, Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only choice that can bring life by eradicating and curing the cancerous sinful condition we all suffer from. James said it and I’ll say it again. When given the opportunity to choose life…choose life!
So now, choosing to live for Jesus because He died for you to cure your sin sickness…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d90f8ed0bed475cfd55eeede9a47a0e8.mp3" length="4033933" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d90f8ed0bed475cfd55eeede9a47a0e8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/choose-life</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 23 Mar 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:33</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marriage & Divorce Vol. 1]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. Last week we concluded our study of Ephesians 5:21-33. That scripture is wonderful for teaching us as husbands and wives how to prefer one another and submit our own words an...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. Last week we concluded our study of Ephesians 5:21-33. That scripture is wonderful for teaching us as husbands and wives how to prefer one another and submit our own words and actions to be used to selflessly build up the one who God has given to us as a spouse. I love that passage as well because it is such a clear reminder that our marriages are intended to reflect God and the relationship He desires to have with each and every one of us. I really enjoyed taking the opportunity to break that scripture down in a methodical way and attempt to glean from it many of the truths that help us to be better husbands and wives, and to enjoy more effective marriages.
Unfortunately, in our society it would be difficult to have a serious discussion about marriage without at the very least confronting the troublesome subject of divorce. When almost half of all marriages end in divorce, it is a topic that must be addressed. According to the most recent Census, 45% of American marriages end in divorce. Nearly 80% of those who divorce will re-marry and of those who do, the divorce rate for second marriages rises to 60%. The failure rate for subsequent marriages only increases from there. I wish it were not so, but as a podcaster focused on the strengthening of marriages through scriptural teaching I understand that a substantial portion of my audience has personally experienced the effects of divorce. I have never hidden nor tried to disguise the fact that my wife and I have both been through divorce. Though it is a tragedy that I wish had not befallen our lives and the lives of our dear children, I understand that one of the purposes God has resurrected from the pain and difficulty of those broken marriages, is our ability to speak authoritatively on the subject. Our ability to do so however, does not come from any knowledge our experience taught us but rather from the knowledge God’s word reveals and our experiences have simply reinforced.
Over what will likely turn out to be the next several months we will open up two scriptural accounts of the same event. Those accounts are the written record of two different disciples. Mark and Matthew, as they recalled a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees. Both accounts are individual perspectives, but are inspired by one Holy Spirit. As such, each will add important information to the discussion but will not contradict each another in any way. Those accounts are central to our discussion on the subject because the question brought to Jesus that day by the Pharisees was essentially this; Can people rightly get divorced for any reason they see fit? Jesus’ answer to those men was complex and informative far beyond their simple question, and I believe that as we dive into it deeply we will uncover many wonderful truths. 
As I did when we began our study of Ephesians chapter five, I will read for you both of these passages in their entirety this first week and then as we move forward I will break each down verse by verse, or concept by concept. I will as before use supporting scriptures whenever possible to further our understanding of the play-by-play of these two focal passages. Because we will be looking at the two synoptic gospel accounts of Matthew and Mark, I will refer to them in parallel offering the account of each together to gain fuller understanding of Jesus’ comments. Let’s take a few minutes now though to read...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. Last week we concluded our study of Ephesians 5:21-33. That scripture is wonderful for teaching us as husbands and wives how to prefer one another and submit our own words and actions to be used to selflessly build up the one who God has given to us as a spouse. I love that passage as well because it is such a clear reminder that our marriages are intended to reflect God and the relationship He desires to have with each and every one of us. I really enjoyed taking the opportunity to break that scripture down in a methodical way and attempt to glean from it many of the truths that help us to be better husbands and wives, and to enjoy more effective marriages.
Unfortunately, in our society it would be difficult to have a serious discussion about marriage without at the very least confronting the troublesome subject of divorce. When almost half of all marriages end in divorce, it is a topic that must be addressed. According to the most recent Census, 45% of American marriages end in divorce. Nearly 80% of those who divorce will re-marry and of those who do, the divorce rate for second marriages rises to 60%. The failure rate for subsequent marriages only increases from there. I wish it were not so, but as a podcaster focused on the strengthening of marriages through scriptural teaching I understand that a substantial portion of my audience has personally experienced the effects of divorce. I have never hidden nor tried to disguise the fact that my wife and I have both been through divorce. Though it is a tragedy that I wish had not befallen our lives and the lives of our dear children, I understand that one of the purposes God has resurrected from the pain and difficulty of those broken marriages, is our ability to speak authoritatively on the subject. Our ability to do so however, does not come from any knowledge our experience taught us but rather from the knowledge God’s word reveals and our experiences have simply reinforced.
Over what will likely turn out to be the next several months we will open up two scriptural accounts of the same event. Those accounts are the written record of two different disciples. Mark and Matthew, as they recalled a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees. Both accounts are individual perspectives, but are inspired by one Holy Spirit. As such, each will add important information to the discussion but will not contradict each another in any way. Those accounts are central to our discussion on the subject because the question brought to Jesus that day by the Pharisees was essentially this; Can people rightly get divorced for any reason they see fit? Jesus’ answer to those men was complex and informative far beyond their simple question, and I believe that as we dive into it deeply we will uncover many wonderful truths. 
As I did when we began our study of Ephesians chapter five, I will read for you both of these passages in their entirety this first week and then as we move forward I will break each down verse by verse, or concept by concept. I will as before use supporting scriptures whenever possible to further our understanding of the play-by-play of these two focal passages. Because we will be looking at the two synoptic gospel accounts of Matthew and Mark, I will refer to them in parallel offering the account of each together to gain fuller understanding of Jesus’ comments. Let’s take a few minutes now though to read through both of the passages we will be looking at so closely.
Matthew 19:1-10 in the New King James Version says: 
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
Now let’s read Mark 10:1-10 in the New King James Version it says:
10 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. 3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” 5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. 11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
These are going to be the two focal scriptures for our discussion of marriage and divorce. It is my hope that as we work our way through these you will be encouraged no matter if you have experienced the trauma of divorce or not. If you have not, it is my prayer that this study will help you to see God’s boundless grace and mercy. It is my hope that you will glean from this study inarguable truths that will assist you to finish well the ministry of marriage that God has entrusted you with. If you are like Lynn and I and you have experienced the difficulty that divorce brings I pray that you will also find encouragement in this exposition of God’s word. I hope that you will come away from this study understanding the overwhelming truth that though God does hate divorce for reasons we will discover, He loves divorcees without limits! In most cases, divorce is not the right thing to engage in, and it is my belief for reasons I will share in later editions that it is never His desire for us, but that does not preclude divorced people from experiencing the best of His love and blessing in their lives. Additionally, I hope to be able to successfully illustrate from God’s own word that His forgiveness is for all, and is complete no matter which of His precepts we have acted contrary to. Finally, it is my hope that as we move into this discussion that for those who have remarried after divorce or are considering doing so, that there are instructions in His word that will lovingly guide us into the blessing of successful marriage that is in no way, shape or form…second rate.
I look forward to this time together just as I did our time in Ephesians 5. I hope you will be eager to join in as well and continue to the conclusion of our study of these passages no matter what your current marital standing.
So now, looking to Christ, listening to His Holy Spirit and investigation God’s Word for all of your instruction as you live your life as unto Him…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/64fcab2a64def863576d3f433dfc9d6f.mp3" length="13374006" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/64fcab2a64def863576d3f433dfc9d6f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marriage-divorce-vol-1</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Where's My Phone !?!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Where’s my phone!?!”
The other day I got up and did all of the things I do on any other day. I dressed, went downstairs and let the dogs out into the back yard. While they were outside, I st...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Where’s my phone!?!”
The other day I got up and did all of the things I do on any other day. I dressed, went downstairs and let the dogs out into the back yard. While they were outside, I started a pot of coffee, put food and water down for them and then let them back in so they could eat their breakfast. Finally, it was time for my wife Lynn and I to settle into our chairs with our steaming cups of coffee and our bibles. We spend this time the same way every morning. We really enjoy getting to see each other invest in our personal relationship with Jesus. Beyond the confidence and spiritual intimacy that instills in our marriage, it offers us the opportunity to share with one another what we are reading about and learning from God’s word. We rarely find that we are reading in the same places in the scripture. As a result, the ability to share with one another what we are personally learning affords us the gift of encouraging each other before we begin our day, each of us going our separate ways to meet daily responsibilities.
As that sweet time came to its unavoidable conclusion that morning, I arose from my chair, filled my travel mug with its prescribed dose of coffee, grabbed my keys and headed out the front door toward my car. I got in as I have done countless times before, turned the key and backed out of the driveway. I was nearly halfway through the 20-minute drive to church when I thought of something I wanted to check on and reached into my pocket for my cell phone…it was not there. I patted my other jean pockets…not there either. I put my hands on my jacket pockets expecting I had simply deposited it there as I grabbed my keys on the way out the door…nope. Surely, it had to be there somewhere. Right? A quick scan of the console and front passenger seat confirmed my suspicions…I had left my cell phone at home. 
I felt somewhat unsure what to do. Should I return home to retrieve it and simply be late for work? I decided that wouldn’t be possible because I had a meeting scheduled as soon as I arrived and needed to be there on time. I decided to continue on to my office, email Lynn that I had left it behind, and ask her to bring it to me later in the day.
In the past, I have observed people discover their cell phone missing. Some become perturbed or frustrated without it, knowing that necessary tasks will be more difficult minus their phone in hand. I have watched others exhibit signs of full-blown separation anxiety at the realization that they are detached from their phone. They show visible signs of concern that quickly turn to worry and sometimes even verge on panic that their electronic device is not in their immediate possession. On occasion, I have seen this displayed to the point that you would think the person in question had left some life saving device behind!
Why do we react in those ways when we find that our cell phones are missing albeit temporarily? I believe we have become so dependent upon them that no matter the level, most of us feel some sense of discomfort when we become disconnected from our phones. Many daily activities have become intertwined with the presence of a cell phone. We make and take calls, send and receive texts. With smartphones we have access to social media, news and weather forecasts for literally anywhere on the planet. Just today, I used my phone to play games, take pictures, create a PDF, send emails, listen to a book,...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Where’s my phone!?!”
The other day I got up and did all of the things I do on any other day. I dressed, went downstairs and let the dogs out into the back yard. While they were outside, I started a pot of coffee, put food and water down for them and then let them back in so they could eat their breakfast. Finally, it was time for my wife Lynn and I to settle into our chairs with our steaming cups of coffee and our bibles. We spend this time the same way every morning. We really enjoy getting to see each other invest in our personal relationship with Jesus. Beyond the confidence and spiritual intimacy that instills in our marriage, it offers us the opportunity to share with one another what we are reading about and learning from God’s word. We rarely find that we are reading in the same places in the scripture. As a result, the ability to share with one another what we are personally learning affords us the gift of encouraging each other before we begin our day, each of us going our separate ways to meet daily responsibilities.
As that sweet time came to its unavoidable conclusion that morning, I arose from my chair, filled my travel mug with its prescribed dose of coffee, grabbed my keys and headed out the front door toward my car. I got in as I have done countless times before, turned the key and backed out of the driveway. I was nearly halfway through the 20-minute drive to church when I thought of something I wanted to check on and reached into my pocket for my cell phone…it was not there. I patted my other jean pockets…not there either. I put my hands on my jacket pockets expecting I had simply deposited it there as I grabbed my keys on the way out the door…nope. Surely, it had to be there somewhere. Right? A quick scan of the console and front passenger seat confirmed my suspicions…I had left my cell phone at home. 
I felt somewhat unsure what to do. Should I return home to retrieve it and simply be late for work? I decided that wouldn’t be possible because I had a meeting scheduled as soon as I arrived and needed to be there on time. I decided to continue on to my office, email Lynn that I had left it behind, and ask her to bring it to me later in the day.
In the past, I have observed people discover their cell phone missing. Some become perturbed or frustrated without it, knowing that necessary tasks will be more difficult minus their phone in hand. I have watched others exhibit signs of full-blown separation anxiety at the realization that they are detached from their phone. They show visible signs of concern that quickly turn to worry and sometimes even verge on panic that their electronic device is not in their immediate possession. On occasion, I have seen this displayed to the point that you would think the person in question had left some life saving device behind!
Why do we react in those ways when we find that our cell phones are missing albeit temporarily? I believe we have become so dependent upon them that no matter the level, most of us feel some sense of discomfort when we become disconnected from our phones. Many daily activities have become intertwined with the presence of a cell phone. We make and take calls, send and receive texts. With smartphones we have access to social media, news and weather forecasts for literally anywhere on the planet. Just today, I used my phone to play games, take pictures, create a PDF, send emails, listen to a book, look something up in a bible commentary, and check on the prices of a plane ticket to Orlando, Fla. We use our phones for nearly everything. They have become such an integral part of our daily lives it is no wonder we want them close at hand.
The bible talks about something we should be even more careful with than we are our cell phones. Something that we should be far more certain to never let out of our sight and consideration. Interestingly, the way that it speaks about it, one could almost imagine in our day and age that it is in fact, a cell phone that is being referred to. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 reads as follows in the Good News Translation:  4 “Israel, remember this! The Lord—and the Lord alone—is our God. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 Never forget these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working. 8 Tie them on your [hands]and wear them on your [heads] as a reminder. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
These verses speak of the most important thing we can remember to keep nearby at all times…and it isn’t our cell phone. Verse 4 reminds us that there is only one God, and He is supposed to be our Lord. Understanding full well I risk offending someone, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take today, I have a question. This isn’t a public challenge, and no one but you will know how you answer, so be honest. What would you say your actions indicate is more important to you, your bible or your cell phone? Which do you pay closer attention to? Which would you be more anxious if you didn’t know where it was for a full day? The answers to those questions beg the next. Who is your God? Is it the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or the god of At&T, T-Mobile and Verizon?
I like the way this scripture covers all of the bases. It reminds us that there can be but one god in our lives, and He ought to be The Lord God. It tells us how we will know who our god is, because who (or what) we love with ALL our heart, ALL our soul and ALL our strength will identify that. Verse 6 gives very important instruction as to how to keep putting God in His rightful place in our lives. We must always remember His instructions to us. We are to find every way possible to remind ourselves daily how He wants us to interact with Him and with those around us. In verse 7 we’re told to teach His ways to our children. We pass on to our kids many things. We illustrate regularly through our words and actions the things we think are most important, and what they should find important as well. The things we give the greatest value to, they will as also. If we want our kids to find God most important, we have to make it evident that nothing could be more important to us than God is in our life. 
It goes on to say God’s praise and instruction should always be in the forefront of our conversations. Everywhere and all the time. When we are at home or when we are away. When we are at work or taking it easy. There is no time or place inappropriate to consider what God would have us do. I especially like verse 8. It says we should tie or bind God’s word to our hands and our heads. I like this because it is intended to be symbolic of attaching His written direction to our actions (the hand) and our thoughts (the head), and how we should let Him guide both. However, it is a bit amusing that it is prophetically analogous of the contemporary competition for our attention. Our cell phones are seemingly always either in our hands or held up to our heads.
Finally, in verse 9 we read the closing suggestion. Write them on your doorposts and your gates. This concluding statement is meant to indicate that we should allow God’s word to both define our homes as well as be the reminder of who and whose we are before we leave there each day. 
So forget your cell phone from time to time…the world won’t come to an end, that was proven earlier this week while I was a work and mine was at home on my chair. But, don’t go anywhere without the One true God…He holds your world in the palm of His hand.
So now, with God’s word continually on your mind, heart, and lips…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/feba676db5cff1739409cd0c6ece463a.mp3" length="5960434" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/feba676db5cff1739409cd0c6ece463a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/wheres-my-phone</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 11]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to this week’s Monday Marriage Message. This will be the 11th and final installment in our series focusing on Ephesians 5:21-33.
We finally have reached the last verse of this chapter and this passage conc...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to this week’s Monday Marriage Message. This will be the 11th and final installment in our series focusing on Ephesians 5:21-33.
We finally have reached the last verse of this chapter and this passage concerning marriage. I hope this expository look has been as enjoyable and eye-opening for you as it has been for me. Just as I did as we began this study nearly three months ago, today I will read the passage in its entirety, and we will conclude with today’s focal verse.
Ephesians 5:21-33 in the New King James Version reads as follows.  21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Last week I made two statements that I want to take a moment to repeat here. Based on verses 30-32 I said that, “The analogy has become the reality”, and that “Marriage between a man and a woman is no longer utilized to simply describe the relationship between us and God but rather has come to define that relationship”. I feel that perhaps those statements need some clarification. In verses 30-32 Paul made three important points.
1.	As Christ followers, we are one flesh with Christ. (Verse 30)
2.	He connected the previous statement with God’s design for marriage to recreate a “One flesh” condition between a husband and a wife reminiscent of the literal “One flesh” condition shared between Adam and Eve. (Verse 31)
3.	Paul reiterated that the fact that God continues to make every man and woman joined in marriage “One flesh” is “mysterious” and in my estimation, miraculous, and is only possible by the all-powerful creative hand of God, but that he was in fact writing that Christ and the church enjoys such a relationship. (Verse 32)
In light of those facts placed into evidence by the Holy Spirit as He inspired Paul to write these words, I made the aforementioned statements. In nearly every book of the Old Testament God used marriage in one form or another as an analogy of the relationship He desired to enjoy with His people. In Christ, the analogy has become the reality. No longer is marriage used by God to describe the connection He longs to have with us, marriage can now be defined by the personal relationship we enjoy with Jesus Christ. As I shared just two weeks ago, according to Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus takes ve...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to this week’s Monday Marriage Message. This will be the 11th and final installment in our series focusing on Ephesians 5:21-33.
We finally have reached the last verse of this chapter and this passage concerning marriage. I hope this expository look has been as enjoyable and eye-opening for you as it has been for me. Just as I did as we began this study nearly three months ago, today I will read the passage in its entirety, and we will conclude with today’s focal verse.
Ephesians 5:21-33 in the New King James Version reads as follows.  21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Last week I made two statements that I want to take a moment to repeat here. Based on verses 30-32 I said that, “The analogy has become the reality”, and that “Marriage between a man and a woman is no longer utilized to simply describe the relationship between us and God but rather has come to define that relationship”. I feel that perhaps those statements need some clarification. In verses 30-32 Paul made three important points.
1.	As Christ followers, we are one flesh with Christ. (Verse 30)
2.	He connected the previous statement with God’s design for marriage to recreate a “One flesh” condition between a husband and a wife reminiscent of the literal “One flesh” condition shared between Adam and Eve. (Verse 31)
3.	Paul reiterated that the fact that God continues to make every man and woman joined in marriage “One flesh” is “mysterious” and in my estimation, miraculous, and is only possible by the all-powerful creative hand of God, but that he was in fact writing that Christ and the church enjoys such a relationship. (Verse 32)
In light of those facts placed into evidence by the Holy Spirit as He inspired Paul to write these words, I made the aforementioned statements. In nearly every book of the Old Testament God used marriage in one form or another as an analogy of the relationship He desired to enjoy with His people. In Christ, the analogy has become the reality. No longer is marriage used by God to describe the connection He longs to have with us, marriage can now be defined by the personal relationship we enjoy with Jesus Christ. As I shared just two weeks ago, according to Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus takes very seriously the way we interact with our spouse, and considers it the way we are interacting with Him personally. 
With that understanding, let’s move on to verse 33, Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. As we interact with one another, God gives each spouse specific instruction as to how to do so. Interestingly He finishes precisely where He began in verse 21. There, the instruction is to submit to one another out of respect for God. Here in verse 33, we are told how to do that. In previous episodes of the Monday Marriage Message, I have mentioned that men and women have differing primary relational needs. As revealed before, these principal needs of love and respect are the same needs God has in order for our oneness with Him to be in good standing. In Deuteronomy 6:5 and 5:7 He commands us to love Him with all we have and to respect Him above all others. Coincidently, women are always searching to find out if they are loved and cared about for what they think, say, believe and do. On the other hand, men are created to consider at all times if they are respected for the very same things. As a result, when God mysteriously and miraculously creates of a man and a woman a “One flesh” condition, that marriage now has the same two primary relational needs as its Creator. In this way among others, that marriage now has greater capacity to fulfill its purpose and reflect the image and likeness of God.
Because God knows intimately that which He has created, He is well aware of our differing primary relational needs, He is after all, the one who wisely so endowed us. He also knows our propensity to offer to others that which would be pleasing to us. He knows that a man will have a natural tendency to show his wife his respect, because he would so highly value it if he knew beyond any doubt, that in all circumstances she respected Him. Likewise, God knows that He has created every woman in a way that will propel them to show love to their husbands. Love is the one thing above all else that she desires her husband to share with her unconditionally. God is not surprised that we will each offer that which we desire to receive. However, God wants us to submit to the other in fear of Him. Therefore, He commands the man to love and the wife to respect. In a very real sense, He is saying, “Husbands, because you love and respect me, submit to your wife and give her what she needs most. Love her by meeting her specific needs. Additionally, God implores the wife to respect her husband, to submit to him by continually meeting his primary need for respect. This action of hers is possible because of her deep love and respect for her Lord.
When husbands and wives meet the principal need their spouse possesses, they are in fact saying several important things congruent with this passage. They are recognizing that their spouse is simply different than they are and more importantly, that dissimilarity does not indicate a deficiency on their spouse’s part. Second, they are illustrating that they are willing to submit their words and actions to fulfill their spouse’s primary relational needs. Finally and likely most importantly, they do these things out of a deep love and respect for the One giving the command. Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” and “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do the things I say?”  
Correct action has little value without correct motivation. When we do the right thing but for the wrong reasons, we generally find that our inappropriate motivation either blemishes the final outcome, erodes our longstanding desire to act as we should, or both. It is crucial to understand that concept when it comes to our marriages. As people we often ask questions that illuminate a wrongly placed motive for a rightly completed action. “What’s in it for me?” this question indicates that while the action may appear to be selfless, in truth, the motivation is selfishness. “How long do I have to do this?” illustrates a selfish mindset as well as a distrust in God that His prescriptions are for our best. When I offer counsel to address a marital difficulty by submitting to God’s precepts clearly written in His word, people often tell me “I tried that and it didn’t work”. I understand they may have tried the particular action in question, but their motivation obviously wasn’t what it needed to be. When carried out with a pure motive, one of genuine selflessness and a deep trust that God knows best regardless of what worldly wisdom would suggest, a desirable result will undoubtedly be the outcome personally, in the spouse…or more likely in both.
It is God who says “Husband, love your wife…wife, respect your husband”. Do so in response to Him. Submit to one another’s needs, in the fear of God.
Questions to answer:
•	Have you ever considered that when you give your spouse what they need from you, you are giving God what He wants from you?
•	What does that understanding do to motivate you to act in the right ways?
•	What differences do you feel correct motivation makes to your ability to carry our correct action?
•	How do the above mentioned factors of motivation vs. action affect the overall outcome?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss each of your differing primary relational needs and why they are each so important to you personally.
•	Talk about some of the noteworthy things each of you have learned as the result of this expository look at Ephesians 5:21-33.
•	Commit to reading this passage together at least once a month and discuss its continued effect on your marriage and be willing to consider what additional changes God wants to see it bring going forward. 
So now, submitting to one another by making your spouse’s primary relational need your primary concern, and doing so for the best reason in all history, because the one who died for you asked you to…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/33cee707b19ea3d9b9b673949b664441.mp3" length="16975135" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/33cee707b19ea3d9b9b673949b664441.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-11</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Mar 2023 15:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Truth - March 12th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues from last week's message.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues from last week's message.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Continues from last week's message.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d96096f9527619204f39f7c4e6148f73.mp3" length="36708445" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d96096f9527619204f39f7c4e6148f73.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-truth-march-12th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Mar 2023 10:35:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[First Steps - March 9th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…First Steps
At the very least, I have paid close attention to well over a dozen people’s first steps. As a father and a grandfather, I have watched and celebrated many first steps. When I thin...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…First Steps
At the very least, I have paid close attention to well over a dozen people’s first steps. As a father and a grandfather, I have watched and celebrated many first steps. When I think of the term first steps, several things come to my mind. There are the first steps I just mentioned. We might call those a child’s very first steps. They could be described as the tenuous actions of a toddler who has a desire to move from one place to another in a more efficient manner than can be managed on hands and knees. They begin taking steps while maintaining balance holding onto firm objects with their hands. I remember when my son took the first of those steps “cruising” along the front of the couch or making laps around the coffee table or ottoman. Eventually he let go of the security of his props, extended his little foot out and away from safety, and headed toward whatever had caught his attention. First one foot, then the other and he tottered in his chosen direction one step…a first step…and then found himself sitting on the floor. Had he reached his destination upright? Not at all. Was it a success worth joyous celebration?  Absolutely!
Those weren’t his only first steps, and they wouldn’t be the last ones that presented him with challenges. There would be his first steps into a preschool, a kindergarten class, middle school, high school and then college. There would be others as well. Steps into his first job, as well as subsequent new ones. First steps as a husband, first steps as a father where he has had opportunity to watch his own children take their first steps. None of us run out of opportunities to take first steps, and no first steps come without challenges. 
Didn’t I recognize when my children or grandchildren took those first steps that they were difficult? Did I not realize that it would be easier for them if I would simply pick them up and take the steps for them as I have done so many times before? If carrying them had been successful to that point, why not just continue? Certainly it isn’t because I don’t enjoy carrying a child…I absolutely love doing that. Some of my fondest memories as a dad and a papa are of carrying my children and grandchildren. In fact, I do recognize their difficulty in taking their own steps. They know it’s hard too, and sometimes have sat down and cried out in frustration when it wasn’t all working out according to their plans. I deny my desire to hold them, and I let them take their own steps, in spite of the challenges that loom because I know those very trials will strengthen them and allow them to move freely. Carrying them might be satisfying for me, but seeing them go through life with underdeveloped muscles and the disabilities that would surely follow, would break my heart.
The book of James opens up talking about the challenges we face. When a child begins taking first steps there are trials and it is easy for the child to look at them as negative experiences. However, that outlook may not be accurate, and I think that is what James wanted to share with us. James 1:2-4 say this; My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. (NKJV) I also like the way my friend Dr. Timothy Jennings writes it in his paraphrase The Remedy. There, those verses read as f...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…First Steps
At the very least, I have paid close attention to well over a dozen people’s first steps. As a father and a grandfather, I have watched and celebrated many first steps. When I think of the term first steps, several things come to my mind. There are the first steps I just mentioned. We might call those a child’s very first steps. They could be described as the tenuous actions of a toddler who has a desire to move from one place to another in a more efficient manner than can be managed on hands and knees. They begin taking steps while maintaining balance holding onto firm objects with their hands. I remember when my son took the first of those steps “cruising” along the front of the couch or making laps around the coffee table or ottoman. Eventually he let go of the security of his props, extended his little foot out and away from safety, and headed toward whatever had caught his attention. First one foot, then the other and he tottered in his chosen direction one step…a first step…and then found himself sitting on the floor. Had he reached his destination upright? Not at all. Was it a success worth joyous celebration?  Absolutely!
Those weren’t his only first steps, and they wouldn’t be the last ones that presented him with challenges. There would be his first steps into a preschool, a kindergarten class, middle school, high school and then college. There would be others as well. Steps into his first job, as well as subsequent new ones. First steps as a husband, first steps as a father where he has had opportunity to watch his own children take their first steps. None of us run out of opportunities to take first steps, and no first steps come without challenges. 
Didn’t I recognize when my children or grandchildren took those first steps that they were difficult? Did I not realize that it would be easier for them if I would simply pick them up and take the steps for them as I have done so many times before? If carrying them had been successful to that point, why not just continue? Certainly it isn’t because I don’t enjoy carrying a child…I absolutely love doing that. Some of my fondest memories as a dad and a papa are of carrying my children and grandchildren. In fact, I do recognize their difficulty in taking their own steps. They know it’s hard too, and sometimes have sat down and cried out in frustration when it wasn’t all working out according to their plans. I deny my desire to hold them, and I let them take their own steps, in spite of the challenges that loom because I know those very trials will strengthen them and allow them to move freely. Carrying them might be satisfying for me, but seeing them go through life with underdeveloped muscles and the disabilities that would surely follow, would break my heart.
The book of James opens up talking about the challenges we face. When a child begins taking first steps there are trials and it is easy for the child to look at them as negative experiences. However, that outlook may not be accurate, and I think that is what James wanted to share with us. James 1:2-4 say this; My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. (NKJV) I also like the way my friend Dr. Timothy Jennings writes it in his paraphrase The Remedy. There, those verses read as follows. My brothers and sisters in God's family, I want you to rejoice and keep a positive attitude whenever you face troubles of various kinds, because every trial exercises your trust in God–which overcomes fear and selfishness–and builds a confident, steadfast application of the Remedy. And this steadfast engagement in God's treatment must be completed so that you may be fully healed, mature, and like Christ in character–not lacking anything.
This scripture has caused challenges of its own for more than one Christ follower. The idea of “Counting it all joy when we fall into various trials” is a difficult idea to embrace. It almost seem to be non-sensical. It is not. I believe James is in fact trying to tell us that we need to keep a positive attitude about what we perceive to be negative experiences. Why? Because every experience we consider negative, is not necessarily so. We often deem an experience to be negative if it doesn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, or if the result of it are emotions we don’t enjoy. My son did not enjoy it when he lost his balance and fell to the floor while trying to navigate his way toward his favorite toys. At times, he fell against other objects, sometimes hard objects, that left him temporarily sore and uncomfortable. He never liked those experiences, and yet, as a result of the frustrations, bumps and bruises, he now walks freely and uses that skill daily to accomplish almost everything of value that he does. They were not negative experiences…only unenjoyable ones. If he would have had the foresight, he could have taken joy in those trials knowing they would produce an amazing and useful skill! James is trying to help us understand what we may not in the moment…these experiences are all meant to be good for us!
As Christ followers we not only need to know how to walk, we need to be able to trust the one who leads and guides us on the journey. Dr Jennings says it this way.  I want you to rejoice and keep a positive attitude whenever you face troubles of various kinds, because every trial exercises your trust in God. As those who follow Christ, hopefully we have already come to the conclusion that God is good. Not sometimes…not once-in-a-while…He is always good. Therefore, He is always being good to you and to me. If that is so, and it is…then anything He allows into our lives He has a perfect plan to use for our good. Romans 8:28-29 declares that to be true. I think that sometimes we want to look at all of the negative experiences we have and claim they are the work of the devil. Undoubtedly, some of them are, but let’s not give Satan total credit for all of the experiences we want to call negative. Certainly, God will never cause evil to take place, His word is clear, He never tempts us or anyone else to do evil…It would go against his very nature to do so, and as a holy God full of integrity that would be impossible for Him to do. But, consider that some of our so-called negative experiences may be intended by God to allow us to grow and become strengthened. The fact of the matter is that in either case, His word promises that He will use all of our experiences, the good, the bad…and the ugly to make us more like Christ if we will trust Him to do so. Every trial exercises our trust in God. 
As our trust in God or faith as the New King James Version puts it is tested and developed it produces patience, or in the words of Dr. Jennings, “overcomes fear and selfishness–and builds a confident, steadfast application of [Christ’s] Remedy” [in our lives]. When we take the position of total faith in God, we can rest in the fact that His goodness to us won’t allow for any experience to result in our destruction. In fact, we can trust that if we accept His desired work in our lives, every experience will be utilized to increase us. We no longer need to try to maneuver situations to work out to our benefit; we can trust Him to do that. We no longer have to live in fear that our experiences will tear us down…He desires to use them to build us up. Trust Him, that in whatever you may be facing today…He is being very, very good to you. 
Finally, James instructs us to let patience have its work. Let it do what it is designed to do. Let your trust in God perfect you. When will you know that perfecting is well under way? When you can have a difficult experience, even an excruciatingly painful one, and still know that God is going to use it to develop your faith muscles and strengthen you…and you will stand and step forward lacking nothing. 
The perfecting process is an interesting one indeed. It does not mean that the outcome of our circumstances are going to look perfect…It means God will utilize our circumstances to make us look more and more like Him every day. First steps come with challenges. Those very challenges are awesome tools for perfecting us as Christ's followers.
So now, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience…let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing …and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/005b0a654640f8ea65e307b9f53e776e.mp3" length="6687852" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/005b0a654640f8ea65e307b9f53e776e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/first-steps-march-9th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Mar 2023 13:45:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Way (John 14:1-6) - March 5th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts sheds light on the importance of The Holy Spirit.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studie...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts sheds light on the importance of The Holy Spirit.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

2:08 - John 14 : 1-6
5:08 - Luke 9 : 23
13:29 - Acts 9 : 1-2
15:17 - Acts  19 : 8-9
16:57 - Acts 19 : 23
18:11 - Acts 24 : 13-14
19:13 - Acts 19 : 18-20
38:40 - Galatians 5 : 16 - 6 : 10]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts sheds light on the importance of The Holy Spirit.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

2:08 - John 14 : 1-6
5:08 - Luke 9 : 23
13:29 - Acts 9 : 1-2
15:17 - Acts  19 : 8-9
16:57 - Acts 19 : 23
18:11 - Acts 24 : 13-14
19:13 - Acts 19 : 18-20
38:40 - Galatians 5 : 16 - 6 : 10]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/29205603ea7f64918bd3a79f33c625aa.mp3" length="42968555" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/29205603ea7f64918bd3a79f33c625aa.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-way-john-141-6-march-5th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol.10]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This is episode # 10 in our study of Ephesians 5:21-33 
Today we will focus on verses 31 and 32, but I will begin reading with last week’s focal point, verse 30 fo...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This is episode # 10 in our study of Ephesians 5:21-33 
Today we will focus on verses 31 and 32, but I will begin reading with last week’s focal point, verse 30 for context. For we are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh” This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  
You will recall that last week I spoke of the truth from verse 30 that as Christ followers we are considered by God to be one with Christ just as we are one with our spouse. In that verse, the analogy used throughout the entirety of God’s word is described as having become our current reality. We are married to Jesus! Ephesians 5:31 is a direct quotation of God in the Garden of Eden as He endorsed the goodness of the “One Flesh” condition He had created between Adam and Eve. We can find His original statement recorded in Genesis 2:24. Jesus also quoted the same truth when speaking to the Pharisees in a conversation recorded for us in both Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10. In that exchange Jesus was attempting to help the Pharisees understand that marriage is something only constructed by God and so, mere men do not posses the necessary understanding to be able to successfully undo it. He not only quoted Genesis 2:24 but added His own commentary as well. In Matthew 19:6 and Mark 10:9.It is recorded that Jesus concluded His thoughts of what God miraculously does at every marriage between a man and a woman with the following statement. “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate”.  
The Greek word Jesus used in that conversation was suzeugnumi (sood-zyoog'-noo-mee), and it means to join two for a singular united purpose. It is only used in the New Testament to reference a man and a woman joined in marriage. It’s literal meaning is to glue together in a manner that will not allow for successful future separation. One intimation is that of homogenization, where two similar yet different substances are mixed with such finality that they no longer attempt to separate. A wonderful example being milk. Prior to homogenization, the cream will rise to the top and separate itself from the milk. After milk is homogenized, in its new thoroughly mixed state it will no longer separate. I also like to use an illustration of making bread. Though separate ingredients make up the dough, once baked it has become joined in a way that separation of those ingredients is no longer possible. 
Jesus was making the point that when God joins a man and a woman he does so to give two different people one united purpose, simply stated that purpose is to reflect the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). Furthermore, He was reiterating that what God joins, man cannot fathom how to unjoin. Just as a person enjoying a slice of bread produced by a baker, can perceive the different flavors and textures of the original ingredients but has no ability to reduce the bread back to its original components. 
If we are in fact “One Flesh” with Jesus as we saw last week from verse 30 then this joining of us to Christ has indeed taken place as well. When we accept Christ as both Lord and Savior, we join ourselves with Him. We become as Paul wrote, members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. As I...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This is episode # 10 in our study of Ephesians 5:21-33 
Today we will focus on verses 31 and 32, but I will begin reading with last week’s focal point, verse 30 for context. For we are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh” This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  
You will recall that last week I spoke of the truth from verse 30 that as Christ followers we are considered by God to be one with Christ just as we are one with our spouse. In that verse, the analogy used throughout the entirety of God’s word is described as having become our current reality. We are married to Jesus! Ephesians 5:31 is a direct quotation of God in the Garden of Eden as He endorsed the goodness of the “One Flesh” condition He had created between Adam and Eve. We can find His original statement recorded in Genesis 2:24. Jesus also quoted the same truth when speaking to the Pharisees in a conversation recorded for us in both Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10. In that exchange Jesus was attempting to help the Pharisees understand that marriage is something only constructed by God and so, mere men do not posses the necessary understanding to be able to successfully undo it. He not only quoted Genesis 2:24 but added His own commentary as well. In Matthew 19:6 and Mark 10:9.It is recorded that Jesus concluded His thoughts of what God miraculously does at every marriage between a man and a woman with the following statement. “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let not man separate”.  
The Greek word Jesus used in that conversation was suzeugnumi (sood-zyoog'-noo-mee), and it means to join two for a singular united purpose. It is only used in the New Testament to reference a man and a woman joined in marriage. It’s literal meaning is to glue together in a manner that will not allow for successful future separation. One intimation is that of homogenization, where two similar yet different substances are mixed with such finality that they no longer attempt to separate. A wonderful example being milk. Prior to homogenization, the cream will rise to the top and separate itself from the milk. After milk is homogenized, in its new thoroughly mixed state it will no longer separate. I also like to use an illustration of making bread. Though separate ingredients make up the dough, once baked it has become joined in a way that separation of those ingredients is no longer possible. 
Jesus was making the point that when God joins a man and a woman he does so to give two different people one united purpose, simply stated that purpose is to reflect the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). Furthermore, He was reiterating that what God joins, man cannot fathom how to unjoin. Just as a person enjoying a slice of bread produced by a baker, can perceive the different flavors and textures of the original ingredients but has no ability to reduce the bread back to its original components. 
If we are in fact “One Flesh” with Jesus as we saw last week from verse 30 then this joining of us to Christ has indeed taken place as well. When we accept Christ as both Lord and Savior, we join ourselves with Him. We become as Paul wrote, members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. As I said a few moments ago, Paul clearly indicated in this verse that the analogy has become the reality. This is no longer an attempt to describe, but rather to define the relationship between Christ and us. As “One Flesh” with Jesus, we are to be inseparable from Him. We are to be joined in such a way that we can no longer become un-joined. It is intended to be a covenantal relationship that has no end. 
The implications of this relationship are in a sense then unending. Everything we do, we do sood-zyoog'-noo-mee’ed to Jesus. We no longer posses the ability to successfully separate ourselves from Him. All of our words, thoughts and actions are fully exposed before Him. We should understand this is not because He is a far-a-way God who sees across time and space because of omniscience, it is because we have willingly been joined to Him, Married to Him, and His omnipresence allows for individual, intimate relationship with each and every one of us. This is a glorious thing! Weddings are something to celebrate! It could be a daunting thing as a fallible being to consider that we are joined in a “One Flesh” relationship with a perfect groom. The weight of that has the potential to limit our joy when we realize that though created in His image and likeness, we are not perfect in all of our ways as He is. However, our joy can be restored when we consider that Paul reminded us that in the past Jesus gave Himself for us. In the present He is setting us aside especially for Himself, and is washing us by the water of the Word. And in the future, He intends to present us to Himself a perfect bride, just as He presented Adam with Eve. On that glorious day, Jesus will look at us and see nothing but perfection! I imagine The Last Adam will do just as the first Adam did and joyfully exclaim…Finally! Flesh of my flesh and Bone of my bone! 
Additionally I think it important to recognize that Verse 31 contains a noteworthy formula. Originally in Genesis 2:24 it was given as the formula for how this amazing “One Flesh” relationship between Adam and Eve would be duplicated and passed on throughout the rest of human history. I believe God was saying that the oneness He had given to Adam and Eve by literally creating Eve from the flesh and bone of Adam was perfect for the singular purpose of reflecting His attributes and character. I think that God was expressing that He would use the process of marriage to recreate that oneness between a man and a woman going forward throughout time. He would not put each man to sleep and take a rib and fashion for that man a wife. Instead, He purposed that a man would choose to leave the comfort of his father and mother’s home a product of their one flesh condition. God would then join that man to his wife, and they would become a newly formed marriage that would miraculously experience their own “One Flesh” condition reminiscent of the one Adam and Eve enjoyed. (Matthew 19 & Mark 10) 
Furthermore, I think that When Paul was inspired to add that quotation in his letter to the Ephesians it was because the parallel requires our consideration. Jesus left His Father’s home, Heaven, to seek out His bride, the church…us, so that we could be members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. The process was the same. Through His death on the cross, the penalty for all of our sin was placed upon His righteous shoulders. Our sin forced a separation of Jesus from God His Father. Why did this have to happen? Because through the miracle of resurrection, our sin could be exonerated, and He could finally be made one with us, His bride. When Jesus went to the cross, the analogy became the reality indeed! 
I think Jesus gave this voice in His prayer for us in the Garden of Gethsemane. In John chapter 17:20-23 that portion of His prayer to His Father the night before His crucifixion is recorded for us. He prayed; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word; that they may be one, as you Father are in Me, and I in You; That they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the Glory which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one; I in them and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them as You have loved Me”.  
Jesus was clear, He was going to the cross so that we could be redeemed for the express purpose of freeing us so that He would be free to take us as His bride! Hebrews 12:1-2 says this of the way that Jesus sees us and the response we should have as we look back at Him. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. It kind of sounds like the description of a beautiful wedding and a perfect marriage doesn’t it? 
Questions to answer:  
What does it mean to you that Jesus places such high importance on being one with you? 
Now that it is obvious that the analogy has indeed become the reality, what differences does that inspire you to make in your marriage with your spouse? 
Actions to take: 
Take some time to meditate on what Jesus did for you and why He was so glad to do it. 
Thank Him personally for being so desirous to go to such lengths to make you His bride. 
So now, in gratitude to a Lord and Savior who loves you so much that He was willing to do whatever it took to make you one with you eternally, spend each day in this life living expressly for Him and…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/edb8dc73fd4bdcbd9bffc42f3c0f6c53.mp3" length="16540036" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/edb8dc73fd4bdcbd9bffc42f3c0f6c53.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol10</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Mar 2023 09:25:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:29</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sometimes You Just Need A Bigger Funnel]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Sometimes you just need a bigger funnel.
Lynn and I have been doing a lot of canning lately. If the empty store shelves just a few years ago showed us anything, it illustrated that when our g...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Sometimes you just need a bigger funnel.
Lynn and I have been doing a lot of canning lately. If the empty store shelves just a few years ago showed us anything, it illustrated that when our grandparents told us to save for a rainy day, they knew what they were talking about. Both of our grandmothers canned fruits and vegetables. My mom canned even more than that. Lynn and I have decided that those ladies knew what they were doing. They enjoyed the convenience of going to the store to buy what they needed, but they had each, as we recently did, lived through times of restricted access to many of those conveniences. In wisdom, they chose to preserve enough to get by in times of less-than-plenty.
My thoughts today are not about being prepared, though as I say that I recognize there is no shortage of spiritual truth that could be illustrated by putting food up in jars. They are also not about storing up things of value now to be enjoyed later, though that could also be easily extrapolated from the illustration. On this Thursday my thoughts are about the funnel my mom used when she canned. You should have seen it, it was huge! As we have been taking our turn preserving the skill of canning, I have wished on several occasions I had some of the tools mom used when she “put food up” as she used to describe it. Most of all I wish I had her canning funnel. It would fit into both regular and wide mouth jars at the bottom, but in my memory, it was about a foot across at the opening. I actually purchased a funnel of my own to accomplish the same task, but it isn’t the same. It is cheap plastic and is not made small enough on the narrow end to fit inside the rim of a regular mouth mason jar. I really wish I had a sturdy bigger funnel, like the one mom had. More on that later…after all this is supposed to be a podcast to help increase faith, not one on canning talk.
Let’s talk about faith then shall we?
 Mark 6:4-6 (NIV)  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”  He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  He was amazed at their lack of faith.
I now live a little more than five hundred miles from my hometown where I remember mom doing all that canning. Hometowns are an interesting phenomena. One can live far away for many years and yet...somehow...return decades later and be instantly transported back in time to a plethora of memories from yesteryear. I don’t return to that town in Western New York State very often, but when I do, and drive by the old “homeplace” I am once again a teenager talking to mom in the kitchen while she canned, baked fresh bread or did any number of things she practiced as a part of her daily life in our home.
Our scripture this morning is of a homecoming of sorts. Jesus returning to His hometown with His disciples in tow, found a different reaction to memories. Not of His memories, but rather those of His former friend’s and neighbor’s. They marveled at His wisdom and powerful works, but couldn’t get past their recollection of who they had always thought Him to be. They marveled not at the wisdom, and the works...but at the fact that it was Jesus displaying the wisdom and performing the great deeds they were hearing about. After all, wasn’t this the same guy that was a simple carpenter when He left town? Wasn’t this the same Jesus t...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Sometimes you just need a bigger funnel.
Lynn and I have been doing a lot of canning lately. If the empty store shelves just a few years ago showed us anything, it illustrated that when our grandparents told us to save for a rainy day, they knew what they were talking about. Both of our grandmothers canned fruits and vegetables. My mom canned even more than that. Lynn and I have decided that those ladies knew what they were doing. They enjoyed the convenience of going to the store to buy what they needed, but they had each, as we recently did, lived through times of restricted access to many of those conveniences. In wisdom, they chose to preserve enough to get by in times of less-than-plenty.
My thoughts today are not about being prepared, though as I say that I recognize there is no shortage of spiritual truth that could be illustrated by putting food up in jars. They are also not about storing up things of value now to be enjoyed later, though that could also be easily extrapolated from the illustration. On this Thursday my thoughts are about the funnel my mom used when she canned. You should have seen it, it was huge! As we have been taking our turn preserving the skill of canning, I have wished on several occasions I had some of the tools mom used when she “put food up” as she used to describe it. Most of all I wish I had her canning funnel. It would fit into both regular and wide mouth jars at the bottom, but in my memory, it was about a foot across at the opening. I actually purchased a funnel of my own to accomplish the same task, but it isn’t the same. It is cheap plastic and is not made small enough on the narrow end to fit inside the rim of a regular mouth mason jar. I really wish I had a sturdy bigger funnel, like the one mom had. More on that later…after all this is supposed to be a podcast to help increase faith, not one on canning talk.
Let’s talk about faith then shall we?
 Mark 6:4-6 (NIV)  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”  He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  He was amazed at their lack of faith.
I now live a little more than five hundred miles from my hometown where I remember mom doing all that canning. Hometowns are an interesting phenomena. One can live far away for many years and yet...somehow...return decades later and be instantly transported back in time to a plethora of memories from yesteryear. I don’t return to that town in Western New York State very often, but when I do, and drive by the old “homeplace” I am once again a teenager talking to mom in the kitchen while she canned, baked fresh bread or did any number of things she practiced as a part of her daily life in our home.
Our scripture this morning is of a homecoming of sorts. Jesus returning to His hometown with His disciples in tow, found a different reaction to memories. Not of His memories, but rather those of His former friend’s and neighbor’s. They marveled at His wisdom and powerful works, but couldn’t get past their recollection of who they had always thought Him to be. They marveled not at the wisdom, and the works...but at the fact that it was Jesus displaying the wisdom and performing the great deeds they were hearing about. After all, wasn’t this the same guy that was a simple carpenter when He left town? Wasn’t this the same Jesus they had watched grow up among them?
Jesus understood it was because they quote-unquote ‘knew’ Him so well that they had such trouble ‘recognizing’ who He really was...The Son of God. Because of that He said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”
Their treatment of Him was not surprising, actually, it was somewhat foreseeable. A common reaction even in our day to those returning home from lesser professions than Christ’s ministry. Our attitudes are similar when a writer, athlete, actor or some other person of notoriety returns home…”Isn’t that the guy that…?” or “I remember when he was just a kid who…” 
That perceived familiarity resulted in a dismissal of knowledge. Those Nazarene’s had the same potential to know Jesus for who He really was as did the people from any other town. Jesus wanted to do miraculous things for them and display the very Power of God in their lives, but they dismissed what they were seeing because of what they had seen in the past…a young boy playing with all the other young boys. They saw a skillful carpenter who could create things; but they didn’t see The Creator who could redeem people both physically and spiritually. Their view of Jesus was incredibly limited…by them, and we must be careful not to do the same thing today. The bible tells us that because of their self-imposed limitations…He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. It says, He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Enveloped in this scripture is an important spiritual truth. God can only do for us what we believe He can. Don’t mistake what I am saying...God is omnipotent and is not restricted in any way in terms of what He has the power to do by me, only in what He can do for me. I like to think of it like the power the electric company has in regards to my house. The utility company has nearly immeasurable amounts of power surging past my home in its transmission lines. I have a home in need of electricity. I can plug into that power source if I choose to, but how much power they can transmit into my home will be directly impacted by the size wire my home is connected to their lines with. Many older homes must ‘upgrade’ their electric service connections to handle their greater need for power. My faith is to God’s power, what the size of the entrance wires of my home are to the electric company. I don’t restrict the amount power God has, only the amount of it He can share with me. 
The above verses illuminate that spiritual truth. So what power of God’s do you need to see displayed in your life today? Are you believing Him for it? Are you praying expectantly? Are you looking at that huge need you have as a big thing or a little thing in comparison to Almighty God’s power? Too much focus on our problem’s size tends to cause a distorted perception of God’s ability. Look too closely at the difficulty and God seems smaller. However, with spiritual eyes correctly positioned on God, it is the adversity that pales in comparison. 
So what do you need God to do for you? What power do you need Him to display in your life? Is there disease? He wants to bring healing. Is there difficulty in marriage? He wants to bring reconciliation. Is your family in need of restoration? He wants to make that a reality. He has the power to do these things and more. Jesus said, “With God all things are possible”. I don’t know about you, but I want Jesus to marvel because of the presence of my faith…not the lack of it. God can only do for you what you believe He can do for you and as the apple of His eye…He wants desperately to give you what you need. 
When I think about it, it seems like faith is the funnel by which God is able to pour His power into our lives. Aside from wishing I had some of mom’s old canning tools, sometimes I just recognize I need a larger funnel...how about you?
So now, asking Jesus to give you the largest faith funnel possible while trusting Him to provide you with all that you need, thank Him in faith-filled advance for His goodness to you and…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/75a8c529f059b82888ee1fdcd199ade8.mp3" length="5505046" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/75a8c529f059b82888ee1fdcd199ade8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/sometimes-you-just-need-a-bigger-funnel</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 02 Mar 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 9]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message Podcast. Today is our ninth installment in our discovery of what God wants us to know about the interaction He desires to see in our marriages based on Ephesians 5:21...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message Podcast. Today is our ninth installment in our discovery of what God wants us to know about the interaction He desires to see in our marriages based on Ephesians 5:21-33.
Today’s edition will focus on verse 30. This is a short verse indeed, but full of potential marriage changing truth…so let’s get started shall we? Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.
Last week I laid some groundwork for our discussion from the book of Genesis. Today I will again reference two of those scriptures because they are so crucial to our understanding of this one. In Genesis 2:23 it is recorded for us that when Adam was presented with Eve, the woman God had made specifically for him, from a rib God had taken from him, he made the following declaration. “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man”. Essentially Adam was saying, “This woman and I are one flesh, we are joined to one another by God…we are married. 
In the next verse we read God’s response to Adam’s statement. Genesis 2:24 says Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh. Here we find that God is giving us some incredible information. He is saying that because He has created a marriage of two people by literally creating one from the flesh of the other, and has found it to be very good (Genesis 1:31) for the purpose of reflecting Himself, He purposed to continue that arrangement forevermore. In this verse God indicated that going forward from that moment in time, although He would not put every man to sleep, take a rib and fashion for that man a wife, He would continue to join a man and a woman and make them one. He made the plan clear. When a man grew up he would leave his father and mother (the result of their “one flesh” relationship) and be joined by God to his wife, and that new couple would live in a newly formed “one flesh” condition resembling that which Adam and Eve enjoyed. Jesus reiterated this truth to the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew 19:4-6. There Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate”. 
Adam declared that he and Eve were “one flesh”. God Endorsed Adam’s understanding and said that the plan going forward would be that He would continue to join a man and a woman and make them “one flesh”. Jesus reminded us that it is God, not man who joins a man and a woman in marriage and that as a result, they “are no longer two, but one flesh”. Now we come to scripture found in Ephesians 5:30 where by the inspiration of the third part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones”. What is Paul saying? He is saying what he has been saying throughout this entire passage from verses 21through 33. As followers of Christ, we are a part of the church. The church is the bride of Christ. You and I are considered by God to be in a “one flesh” relationship with Jesus!
That information alone is staggering and reason for immense praise and gratefulness to...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message Podcast. Today is our ninth installment in our discovery of what God wants us to know about the interaction He desires to see in our marriages based on Ephesians 5:21-33.
Today’s edition will focus on verse 30. This is a short verse indeed, but full of potential marriage changing truth…so let’s get started shall we? Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.
Last week I laid some groundwork for our discussion from the book of Genesis. Today I will again reference two of those scriptures because they are so crucial to our understanding of this one. In Genesis 2:23 it is recorded for us that when Adam was presented with Eve, the woman God had made specifically for him, from a rib God had taken from him, he made the following declaration. “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man”. Essentially Adam was saying, “This woman and I are one flesh, we are joined to one another by God…we are married. 
In the next verse we read God’s response to Adam’s statement. Genesis 2:24 says Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh. Here we find that God is giving us some incredible information. He is saying that because He has created a marriage of two people by literally creating one from the flesh of the other, and has found it to be very good (Genesis 1:31) for the purpose of reflecting Himself, He purposed to continue that arrangement forevermore. In this verse God indicated that going forward from that moment in time, although He would not put every man to sleep, take a rib and fashion for that man a wife, He would continue to join a man and a woman and make them one. He made the plan clear. When a man grew up he would leave his father and mother (the result of their “one flesh” relationship) and be joined by God to his wife, and that new couple would live in a newly formed “one flesh” condition resembling that which Adam and Eve enjoyed. Jesus reiterated this truth to the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew 19:4-6. There Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate”. 
Adam declared that he and Eve were “one flesh”. God Endorsed Adam’s understanding and said that the plan going forward would be that He would continue to join a man and a woman and make them “one flesh”. Jesus reminded us that it is God, not man who joins a man and a woman in marriage and that as a result, they “are no longer two, but one flesh”. Now we come to scripture found in Ephesians 5:30 where by the inspiration of the third part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones”. What is Paul saying? He is saying what he has been saying throughout this entire passage from verses 21through 33. As followers of Christ, we are a part of the church. The church is the bride of Christ. You and I are considered by God to be in a “one flesh” relationship with Jesus!
That information alone is staggering and reason for immense praise and gratefulness to God for giving us this great privilege! The fact that He was willing to send His own Son to earth to pay the penalty for our sin, which had separated us from Him is too much for me to imagine sometimes. When I consider that He did this so that we would be able to spend eternity in heaven, that alone is so much more than we deserve. However, that overwhelming loving action of God was not only chosen so we could stand before Him blameless. It was not simply so we could someday go to, and enjoy heaven. It was accomplished so that we could be married to the one who died to make it possible. Would you be willing to watch your only child be brutally murdered so that you could gain a daughter-in-law? That is what God did for us! If there were no further truth that could be gleaned from this single verse…it would be more than enough. But wait…there is more!
According to Ephesians 5:30, if you are a Christ follower, you are one flesh with Christ. According to verses 25-27 which we looked at a few weeks ago; in the past, Jesus gave Himself for you, so that in the present He could set you aside for Himself and wash you by the water of the word. Finally, we read that in the future He plans to present you to Himself holy and without blemish, a perfect bride! What a wonderful plan! If you are part of a “one flesh” relationship with someone who is also a Christ follower, then the plan is the same for them! You are each one with Christ. That is a beautiful thing…but it also reveals an awesome responsibility. 
What would happen if I were away from home and my wife was in our yard doing some gardening and one of our neighbors came up to her and began to be mean to her? What if he started verbally berating her? What if he told her that she was a terrible neighbor? What do you think would be the result when I got home and became aware of what had transpired? Do you think that our neighbor who felt he had a problem with my wife would now have a more serious problem with me? I can assure you he would! If someone treated my bride, the one I am “one flesh” with in that way…I would take it very personally. I would react toward that person as if He had done those things directly to me. God’s word tells us that when we interact negatively with others Christ is “one flesh” with He takes it personally as well!
In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus described what the day will be like when He comes again. In the New Living Translation it says He described it as follows. “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
Jesus takes the way we treat those who are “one flesh” with Him very personally. So personally in fact that He said, He counts it as if it had been done to Him. This is important for us to understand because it means that if I am one with Christ, and I am, and my wife is one with Christ, and she is…then how I interact with her, Jesus says is how I am interacting with Him! It is not an indication of how I interact with Him. It is not a shadow or a picture of how I interact with Christ. Jesus is clear. The way that I interact with my wife is how I am interacting with Him. I cannot say that I have a good relationship with Jesus if I do not have a good relationship with my wife. Period. On the other hand, if I have a wonderful “one flesh” relationship with her, Jesus is pleased that I am treating her as He wants to be treated.
Questions to answer:
•	Have you ever considered the correlation between the way you treat your spouse and the way Jesus feels you are treating Him?
•	What things do you want to see change in that regard?
•	What reminders can you offer yourself that will help you remember this great truth when interacting with your spouse?
Actions to take:
•	Talk together about how you want to move forward in your “one flesh” condition in a way that will also take good care of your “one flesh” relationship with the Lord.
•	Take some time to seek God’s forgiveness for times you have not treated Christ well when interacting with your spouse.
•	Take time to seek your spouse’s forgiveness for not treating them as Christ wanted you to.
So now, recognizing that the way you interact with your spouse is the way Jesus says you are interacting with Him…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/121cf3ad8307c2402cf74da0dc388f07.mp3" length="16457280" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/121cf3ad8307c2402cf74da0dc388f07.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-9</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:25</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Elisha Vision (2 Timothy 2 : 3-4) - February 26th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts helps us understand the attacks of the enemy.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts helps us understand the attacks of the enemy.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

3:17 - 2 Timothy 2 : 3-4
5:17 - 2 Corinthians 10 : 3-4]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts helps us understand the attacks of the enemy.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

3:17 - 2 Timothy 2 : 3-4
5:17 - 2 Corinthians 10 : 3-4]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c63433b51955af035610439e2dc9a10a.mp3" length="39270135" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c63433b51955af035610439e2dc9a10a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/elisha-vision-2-timothy-2-3-4-february-26th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 8]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This is the 8th installment in our series dedicated to unpacking the truths found in Ephesians 5:21-33.
This week we will conclude with the example from this passa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This is the 8th installment in our series dedicated to unpacking the truths found in Ephesians 5:21-33.
This week we will conclude with the example from this passage given to a husband as to how to love his wife. 
Ephesians 5:28-29 in the New King James Version says;  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
As with all scripture there is much more to unpack in these two simple verses than meets the eye upon first glance. The words seem plain enough, but the basis for them is founded on an incredible complexity. As I have eluded to many times in past Monday Marriage Messages, the primary purpose of marriage is to complete the process of the creation of mankind, enabling it to accurately reflect its Creator. Genesis 1:26 indicates that as His crowning accomplishment of creation week, God desired to create a being that could take charge of and manage all that He had created. As the grand finale, God desired to create someone in His own image and likeness, someone who would reflect His attributes and character in everything they did. The next verse, verse 27 tells us God did just that. And so God created man in His own Image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Thankfully we have access to the context Genesis chapter two offers which explains the complexity of these two verses. 
Genesis chapter two helps us to understand that even though Adam was created first, the moment God created him, he also created the need for Eve, and provided everything necessary for her delivery on scene. Genesis 2:18 informs us that God understood that Adam was not a complete representation of Himself in a singular state. That verse says, And the Lord God said, “It is not Good that man should be alone, I will make a helper comparable to him”. I have shared in past episodes that the original Hebrew text means that Adam was merely a singular part of a complete set, both of which would be critical to their ability to fulfill their primary purpose of being in God’s image and likeness. In Genesis 2:21-22 we learn of the process by which the comparable helper came to be. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Upon being presented with Eve, Adam made a profound declaration which we read in verse 23. And Adam said; “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man”. When God created Adam, He created everything necessary to reflect Himself, but Adam was not capable of accessing everything that was God-like that was inside him. Adam was only a man, and as such he was limited in his ability to accurately reflect the totality of the attributes of God. Some of the characteristics of God are found predominantly in man, some are more easily displayed in woman. When the two are made One, the entirety of God’s image and likeness are possible. Adam declared in verse 23 that he and Eve were one flesh, that she had in fact been taken out of him, eluding to the point that at the moment “God created him, male and female He created them”(Ge...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This is the 8th installment in our series dedicated to unpacking the truths found in Ephesians 5:21-33.
This week we will conclude with the example from this passage given to a husband as to how to love his wife. 
Ephesians 5:28-29 in the New King James Version says;  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
As with all scripture there is much more to unpack in these two simple verses than meets the eye upon first glance. The words seem plain enough, but the basis for them is founded on an incredible complexity. As I have eluded to many times in past Monday Marriage Messages, the primary purpose of marriage is to complete the process of the creation of mankind, enabling it to accurately reflect its Creator. Genesis 1:26 indicates that as His crowning accomplishment of creation week, God desired to create a being that could take charge of and manage all that He had created. As the grand finale, God desired to create someone in His own image and likeness, someone who would reflect His attributes and character in everything they did. The next verse, verse 27 tells us God did just that. And so God created man in His own Image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Thankfully we have access to the context Genesis chapter two offers which explains the complexity of these two verses. 
Genesis chapter two helps us to understand that even though Adam was created first, the moment God created him, he also created the need for Eve, and provided everything necessary for her delivery on scene. Genesis 2:18 informs us that God understood that Adam was not a complete representation of Himself in a singular state. That verse says, And the Lord God said, “It is not Good that man should be alone, I will make a helper comparable to him”. I have shared in past episodes that the original Hebrew text means that Adam was merely a singular part of a complete set, both of which would be critical to their ability to fulfill their primary purpose of being in God’s image and likeness. In Genesis 2:21-22 we learn of the process by which the comparable helper came to be. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Upon being presented with Eve, Adam made a profound declaration which we read in verse 23. And Adam said; “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man”. When God created Adam, He created everything necessary to reflect Himself, but Adam was not capable of accessing everything that was God-like that was inside him. Adam was only a man, and as such he was limited in his ability to accurately reflect the totality of the attributes of God. Some of the characteristics of God are found predominantly in man, some are more easily displayed in woman. When the two are made One, the entirety of God’s image and likeness are possible. Adam declared in verse 23 that he and Eve were one flesh, that she had in fact been taken out of him, eluding to the point that at the moment “God created him, male and female He created them”(Genesis 1:27). Adam and Eve were created married. They were from their beginning in a “One Flesh” condition. In the next verse God said that in response to their perfect union which was capable of accomplishing the goal of reflecting Himself, He would replicate it in every marriage that would follow theirs. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
I review all of that here because it is the basis for the two verses from Ephesians 5 that I am focusing on today. Without this starting point, the statement from verse 28, So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself; really makes no sense. Here, Paul was reminding us that as married couples we are in a “One flesh” relationship with our spouse. In just a few short verses Paul went on to state that though it is a mystery how God does this, He is still today in the business of taking a man and a woman and making them one flesh just as He did with Adam and Eve. Obviously, we are not physically one flesh as they were, but mysteriously or as I like to say, miraculously we are one flesh spiritually which has an effect on us in the physical and emotional realms as well. What Paul is saying is that a husband should care for his wife just like He cares for his own needs, because in light of their “One Flesh” condition when he cares for her needs he is caring for his own needs. Additionally he says when husbands love their wives, they are loving themselves. 
Verse 29 adds to the motivation for the command in verse 28. It says; For no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. In other words because we love ourselves, we ought to love our wives. Those looking for the loophole have asked me from time to time…some people are always looking for the loopholes…“But Pastor Ken, What if you don’t love yourself?”. Paul addressed these people here in this verse; I guess people in his time were looking for the loopholes as well. Here he makes it abundantly clear that we care for those we love…and we instinctively care for ourselves by meeting our basic needs, so…we do love ourselves…everyone loves themselves enough to eat when hungry, dress when cold, seek shelter when exposed to the elements, etc. Those loophole seekers then settle into the idea that in order to love their wives correctly and authentically, they need only supply the needs their wife has that they agree should be needs. If it is not a need of their own, then they have license to deny their wife of said need. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In order to drive that particular point home, Paul addressed it in his final remarks on the subject in verse 33.
When husbands are good to their wives, they are being good to themselves. When Husbands love their wives, they in effect love themselves. When husbands meet the relational needs their wives have, they find their own relational needs met. This motivation in and of itself would suffice…except it has the propensity to be misused, abused, and manipulated for personal gain. We need a higher motivation to aspire to in able to successfully avoid the temptation to allow selfish desire to enter our marriages. Without it we might love well, to be loved well. Be good to our wife to be treated good in return. We might even agree to meet her needs so that ours will be met. Each of these an intended outcome, but never meant to be the motivation. With that in mind, Paul penned the final phrase…Just as the Lord does the church.
As I noted a few weeks ago, Jesus did not do what He did for the church because he had personal need to. He was sinless…He did not need to die to live eternally with God. That was already His. Jesus did what He did for us because we had need of Him to do so. He came and lowered Himself to elevate His bride, because it was a critical need His bride had. We are His creation…essentially an extension of Himself. We had a need so He illustrated His love for us by meeting our need. In the same way, we are to instinctively meet our bride’s needs regardless if it is a personal need of ours or not. In this way we show our love for our wife… Just as the Lord does the church.
Questions to answer:
•	How do husbands love themselves by loving their wives?
•	What does that look like in a practical sense?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss why you think this is so important to God.
•	Ask God to help you make the things he prioritizes in your marriage the most important to you.
So now, giving the utmost value to the purposeful circle of love and respect that God has designed to be in the very DNA of the “One Flesh” condition…Go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/428fa35ff65ea7c670f5df5c4bf3d883.mp3" length="14386501" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/428fa35ff65ea7c670f5df5c4bf3d883.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-8</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2023 13:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do We NEED Revival? (2 Chronicles 7:14 ) - February 19th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts encourages us to seek God's face to experience true revival.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts encourages us to seek God's face to experience true revival.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
1:55 - Start of Sermon
11:04 - 2 Chronicles 7 : 14
55:20 - Deuteronomy 4 : 29











#asburyrevival]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts encourages us to seek God's face to experience true revival.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
1:55 - Start of Sermon
11:04 - 2 Chronicles 7 : 14
55:20 - Deuteronomy 4 : 29











#asburyrevival]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4852511cabe5356872b99df631f0d1fd.mp3" length="36613726" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4852511cabe5356872b99df631f0d1fd.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-we-need-revival-2-chronicles-714-february-19th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 7]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. Today will be the seventh installment in our series on Ephesians 5:21-33.
I will begin today with the verse we focused on last week and lead into the next two verses for thi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. Today will be the seventh installment in our series on Ephesians 5:21-33.
I will begin today with the verse we focused on last week and lead into the next two verses for this installment. Beginning with verse 25 and ending with verse 27.
Ephesians 5:25-27 says; 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 
The command given in verse 25 as we discovered last week is for Husbands to love their wives. This is notable as it follows the command for wives to be subject to their husbands in all things (verse 24). Worldly wisdom would dictate, it is not necessary for a husband to love one who is subject to him. Rather, he need only rule her utilizing her subjugation to him to control and limit her words and actions to those he finds pleasing and profitable for meeting his needs. However, the command to the husband is to love his wife. Love being actionable will necessitate that he be careful with his words and his actions to ensure that they are found loving by her. If adhered to, this command will remove any submission motivated by fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. The argument has rightfully been made that a wife would likely be more than willing to submit to a husband whom she found to be loving to her in all ways and at all times. 
So if the command to husbands is to love…and it is, how is he to accomplish the instruction given him? The answer: As Christ loves the church. In these three verses, there are three different examples of how Christ loves the church. They are listed in order of accomplishment, past, present, and future. Verse 25 lays out how Christ did this in the past tense. He gave Himself for her. We dissected this verse last week and I spoke as to how a husband can lay down his life for his wife short of and yes, including the ultimate sacrifice if necessary. I spoke far more about how we are to lay down our lives for them in ways less than sacrificing our physical lives, because it is in these “lesser” ways that we have greater possibilities of correctly and authentically following this instruction. 
Verse 26 indicates a way that Christ is loving the church presently. 26 “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word”. This means that Christ is currently busying Himself with our sanctification. He is setting us apart. Giving us His own special attention. He is providing for us through the work of the Holy Spirit the ability to fulfill our potential and be all that He has created us to be. He is accomplishing this through the perfecting process of washing us with the cleansing agent of the word. In His prayer for us in the Garden, Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified by God’s truth and then stated that God’s word is truth. (John 17:17) Through the application of His word, Christ is even now cleansing us of our fleshly desire which our enemy attempts to use in order to separate us from our bridegroom. 
Verse 27 follows with the futuristic example of Christ’s love for His bride. 27 “that He might p...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. Today will be the seventh installment in our series on Ephesians 5:21-33.
I will begin today with the verse we focused on last week and lead into the next two verses for this installment. Beginning with verse 25 and ending with verse 27.
Ephesians 5:25-27 says; 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 
The command given in verse 25 as we discovered last week is for Husbands to love their wives. This is notable as it follows the command for wives to be subject to their husbands in all things (verse 24). Worldly wisdom would dictate, it is not necessary for a husband to love one who is subject to him. Rather, he need only rule her utilizing her subjugation to him to control and limit her words and actions to those he finds pleasing and profitable for meeting his needs. However, the command to the husband is to love his wife. Love being actionable will necessitate that he be careful with his words and his actions to ensure that they are found loving by her. If adhered to, this command will remove any submission motivated by fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. The argument has rightfully been made that a wife would likely be more than willing to submit to a husband whom she found to be loving to her in all ways and at all times. 
So if the command to husbands is to love…and it is, how is he to accomplish the instruction given him? The answer: As Christ loves the church. In these three verses, there are three different examples of how Christ loves the church. They are listed in order of accomplishment, past, present, and future. Verse 25 lays out how Christ did this in the past tense. He gave Himself for her. We dissected this verse last week and I spoke as to how a husband can lay down his life for his wife short of and yes, including the ultimate sacrifice if necessary. I spoke far more about how we are to lay down our lives for them in ways less than sacrificing our physical lives, because it is in these “lesser” ways that we have greater possibilities of correctly and authentically following this instruction. 
Verse 26 indicates a way that Christ is loving the church presently. 26 “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word”. This means that Christ is currently busying Himself with our sanctification. He is setting us apart. Giving us His own special attention. He is providing for us through the work of the Holy Spirit the ability to fulfill our potential and be all that He has created us to be. He is accomplishing this through the perfecting process of washing us with the cleansing agent of the word. In His prayer for us in the Garden, Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified by God’s truth and then stated that God’s word is truth. (John 17:17) Through the application of His word, Christ is even now cleansing us of our fleshly desire which our enemy attempts to use in order to separate us from our bridegroom. 
Verse 27 follows with the futuristic example of Christ’s love for His bride. 27 “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish”. On the glorious day that we see Jesus face to face, according to 1 John 3:2 we will be like Him, perfect, not having any residual blemish from our past sinful condition. This is a necessary act of His love. Christ cannot be joined and made one with anything less than perfection or else, He by association would also become flawed. As God, He must remain perfect and therefore if He is to be married, it must be to a perfect bride. 
So if we as husbands are to love our wives as Christ loved the church…and we are…what do these verses offer us in the way of instruction? We spoke last week of how a husband can lay down his life for his wife. Certainly, we can see how verse 26 illustrates that we should set our own wife apart, giving her a place of prominence in our thinking and actions above all others. Each husband should love his own wife in such a way that she has no question about the fact that she is more precious to him than any other woman on the planet. 
Additionally verse 27 indicates that he should make every effort to utilize his God ordained leadership role to facilitate her perfecting process. Men: take caution! Understand that it is not for you to perfect your bride…for you…it is for you to give of all that you have to make every provision for the two of you to be perfected…for Christ. Spiritual leadership is just that…leadership…not lordship. A leader is simply the one at the front of a line clearing the way for those behind him to accomplish their mutual goal. He has no greater value than those following him. If anything, the position of leadership would indicate an expendability that exposes the leader to risk while shielding those behind him from the danger. 
Another example of how a husband can love his wife as Christ loves His bride that we should absolutely take from these three verses is offering a love without interruption. Christ loved in the past, loves in the present, and looks forward to the future expression of His love for the church. As husbands, we can follow His example by being careful our love for our own wife is offered to her uninterrupted. We should keep in our minds the love we had for our wife when we were first joined in marriage. We need to regularly take inventory to make sure that our love for her is as easy for her to recognize now as it ever was. Finally, we ought to be planning for future loving action that will ensure her security that she is indeed loved and will continually be so without fear of cessation. 
Next week we will look at the final all-inclusive instruction given here in this scripture as to how husbands are to love their wives. 
Questions to answer:
•	Husbands – In what ways do you try to convey your love for your wife?
•	Wives – In the past and or the present, have you understood those words and actions your husband just noted as evidence of his love for you?
•	How do the two of you think you do at expressing and understanding love?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss the past, present and future expressions of Christ’s love for the two of you, and talk about the impact those have had on your marriage as well as the impact you both think it should have going forward.
•	Thank Jesus for the expressions of love that He has been so free in showing the two of you.
So, now gentlemen, loving your wife with the same intensity that Christ loves you…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d51b8ff407899e05664562ad5aaca72f.mp3" length="12888118" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d51b8ff407899e05664562ad5aaca72f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-7</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2023 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Mission Moments (John 4:34-36) - February 12th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Vince Hinds]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and others bring us updates and share insights on our latest mission trips.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and others bring us updates and share insights on our latest mission trips.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Vince Hinds and others bring us updates and share insights on our latest mission trips.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e240847e14f4aeb2f4e18d25462f5933.mp3" length="38149377" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e240847e14f4aeb2f4e18d25462f5933.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/mission-moments-john-434-36-february-12th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:13:22</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Kid In Town - February 9th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Kid In Town
In December 1974, I was 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. Even at that young age I was experienced at what I was doing that cold morning, and didn’t like it…not one bit. That...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Kid In Town
In December 1974, I was 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. Even at that young age I was experienced at what I was doing that cold morning, and didn’t like it…not one bit. That day I was starting at yet another new school. This would be the fifth different one I had attended, my third in the space of just two years. I am and have always been, an introvert, consequently being the new kid in school was always a nerve-wracking experience for me.
The setting for that particular ‘first day of school’ was in a small town nestled in the eastern Pennsylvania coal-mined mountains. Our home, the church parsonage, was at the bottom of the hill the town had been built on. The school was on the upper end of town about ten blocks from our newest address. Dad decided to walk my brother and I up to the school that morning to get us registered and into our new classrooms. I hated everything about that morning. My stomach was in turmoil, my mind imagining a yet unseen classroom filled with students who didn’t know me and probably wouldn’t want to. Then my thoughts turned to my new teacher. Would she be kind, or find a new student to be bothersome? Those concerns and others held me captive in a considerable state of worry.
Undoubtedly, dad could see the worry on my face, and probably noticed the resistance in my step as well. He began to sing. Immediately I hoped we were walking through a deaf neighborhood, and that no one would pay any attention to us…but I doubted seriously that anyone didn’t notice that weird man singing as he walked his boys up the hill. He lifted his voice, “Don’t worry when you can pray…Trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay. Don’t be a doubting Thomas…Just lean upon His promise. Why worry, worry, worry, worry…when you can pray?” Now I was nervous and mortified! Thanks dad, that helped a lot!
That day turned out to have its share of troubles, most do, but in the end I slept in my own bed even if in an unfamiliar room. We would go on to live in that town for four more years, I would make lots of friends, enjoy not one, but two years learning from the best school teacher I ever had before or since, and I would come to hate leaving that town more than I had disliked moving into it. The point of this story isn’t being the new kid in town as much as it is about that goofy song dad sang that morning. 
That experience and especially the final line of the song dad seemingly was belting out that morning, “Why worry, worry, worry, worry…when you can pray?” has overtaken my memory countless times in the nearly fifty years since. Dad has offered a good bit of advice and counsel over those five decades, some I remember, much I have forgotten. So why has that memory never been too far away when I have been susceptible to worry? Perhaps it is because I found it so embarrassing. Probably not, I am sure my dad embarrassed me on other occasions I have since let go the memories of. I think…it is because of its biblical truth. 
 Philippians 4:6,7 (NLT) says, Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
That boyhood experience of mine occurred as it did because I was the new kid in town, headed for yet another new school, and I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Kid In Town
In December 1974, I was 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. Even at that young age I was experienced at what I was doing that cold morning, and didn’t like it…not one bit. That day I was starting at yet another new school. This would be the fifth different one I had attended, my third in the space of just two years. I am and have always been, an introvert, consequently being the new kid in school was always a nerve-wracking experience for me.
The setting for that particular ‘first day of school’ was in a small town nestled in the eastern Pennsylvania coal-mined mountains. Our home, the church parsonage, was at the bottom of the hill the town had been built on. The school was on the upper end of town about ten blocks from our newest address. Dad decided to walk my brother and I up to the school that morning to get us registered and into our new classrooms. I hated everything about that morning. My stomach was in turmoil, my mind imagining a yet unseen classroom filled with students who didn’t know me and probably wouldn’t want to. Then my thoughts turned to my new teacher. Would she be kind, or find a new student to be bothersome? Those concerns and others held me captive in a considerable state of worry.
Undoubtedly, dad could see the worry on my face, and probably noticed the resistance in my step as well. He began to sing. Immediately I hoped we were walking through a deaf neighborhood, and that no one would pay any attention to us…but I doubted seriously that anyone didn’t notice that weird man singing as he walked his boys up the hill. He lifted his voice, “Don’t worry when you can pray…Trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay. Don’t be a doubting Thomas…Just lean upon His promise. Why worry, worry, worry, worry…when you can pray?” Now I was nervous and mortified! Thanks dad, that helped a lot!
That day turned out to have its share of troubles, most do, but in the end I slept in my own bed even if in an unfamiliar room. We would go on to live in that town for four more years, I would make lots of friends, enjoy not one, but two years learning from the best school teacher I ever had before or since, and I would come to hate leaving that town more than I had disliked moving into it. The point of this story isn’t being the new kid in town as much as it is about that goofy song dad sang that morning. 
That experience and especially the final line of the song dad seemingly was belting out that morning, “Why worry, worry, worry, worry…when you can pray?” has overtaken my memory countless times in the nearly fifty years since. Dad has offered a good bit of advice and counsel over those five decades, some I remember, much I have forgotten. So why has that memory never been too far away when I have been susceptible to worry? Perhaps it is because I found it so embarrassing. Probably not, I am sure my dad embarrassed me on other occasions I have since let go the memories of. I think…it is because of its biblical truth. 
 Philippians 4:6,7 (NLT) says, Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
That boyhood experience of mine occurred as it did because I was the new kid in town, headed for yet another new school, and I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in. As Christians we are not living in our hometown either. This world is not our home, and it isn’t always comfortable to reside here. Christ followers inhabit the same flawed bodies as everyone else. We traverse the same ground, we even encounter many of the same troubles and adversities that those who do not know Him do. And when we live just like everyone else does, and worry about what’s around the corner, we rob ourselves of the peace that ought to be ours. And we cheat others out of a real-time testimony as to what living in Christ could be doing for them.
Why did Paul write from a Roman jail cell to the Philippians and instruct them not to worry about anything, but rather to pray about everything? Because he understood what it meant to reside in prison, but live in Christ. Living in Christ means that we look to Him for our value, our standing, our provision, our comfort, our joy, our very state of mind. Living in Christ means that we believe that we are upheld by a power and authority greater than any here on earth. Therefore, no matter what people may do to us, no matter the circumstances they try to manipulate, no matter what conditions might be imposed on us, we are Christ’s. He takes care of us. He bolsters our spirit and sustains our minds and hearts. He is always above our trouble and wants us to know that if we live in Him, we can rise above it too. Paul wrote to the Philippians (and us) that we should not worry because when we do, we become distracted by something the world focuses on, the problem at hand, and that is not the faithful viewpoint of someone who lives in Christ.
Paul wrote that as those who live in Christ, when we are tempted to worry about some problem in our life, we should pray instead. Because we know Christ is greater than any difficulty we face and has the power to minister to us as we go through it. So when trouble comes…and it does, just ask any new kid in town, do what Paul suggests...ask the One you live in...to give you what you need...to rise above whatever you are experiencing…as the two of you walk through it together. 
Paul went on to remind us to thank God for what He has already done. Why? Because when we are purposefully grateful for what God has done in the past, it reinforces our faith for the future. When we ponder the fact that He is the Beginning and the End, we can pray expectantly knowing that whatever is on our hearts and minds He has already considered and made provision for. In that sense, we can thank Him for what he has already done about the things we still must go through. Prayer and thanksgiving offered in advance of the move of God is evidence of our faith, and the catalyst for experiencing His power. 
What is the result? An amazing peace that God is going meet the needs we bring to Him. It’s a peace so great that it often exceeds our own understanding and according to Paul, it guards our hearts and minds against worry as we live in Christ Jesus. 
So the next time you find yourself worrying about a situation you’re faced with, put Paul’s instruction into practice. Pray about it expectantly, trusting that God can and will see you through. Thank Him for all of the other times He has provided in the past, and then enjoy some awesome peace.
So now, forget your worries, be grateful for things God has done, pray about your present condition and then experience His perfect peace…and go be awesome!  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1f65c4da6cfc906e735adb48f9d79e5b.mp3" length="5329716" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1f65c4da6cfc906e735adb48f9d79e5b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-kid-in-town-february-9th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 6]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, Thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I look forward to continuing in Ephesians 5:21-33. As we have made our way through the passage, I have been expounding on all the ways that the Apostle Paul wrote...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, Thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I look forward to continuing in Ephesians 5:21-33. As we have made our way through the passage, I have been expounding on all the ways that the Apostle Paul wrote concerning how married couples are to submit to one another in the fear of God (Vs 21). To this point, we have been looking at how a wife is to submit to her husband. Today men, it is time for the direction of the spotlight to shine on us. 
As I mentioned last week the focus of verses 25-28 are how the husband is to submit to the wife. You may remember about a month ago when we began this study I introduced Romans 12:10 into the conversation. There we read the instruction phrased to prefer one another. The content and context of that scripture and Ephesians 5:21 is quite similar. I shared that the words prefer and submit have incredibly close definition in these two scriptures. I bring this up again because as we move into verses 25-28 husbands are called to consider their wives as more important than themselves. In other words, the command to us men is to prefer our wives above ourselves.
Ephesians 5:25-28 says 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Just as I did with the verses that spoke of the responsibilities of a wife, I am going to break down this passage one concept at a time. Today we will focus on verse 25. When we looked at the instruction to a wife, it began with the phrase Wives submit to your own husband. This verse begins with Husbands, love your wives. Just as we discovered that the word submit means to voluntarily place oneself under the authority of another, I hope to illustrate that in this context, the command for the husband to love his wife has much the same meaning. On the one hand, husbands are instructed to love in a specific way. They are to do so just as Christ loved the church. Husbands are not free to love their wives in any fashion they choose. They must submit to loving their wives just as Christ loved the church. This requires submission to Christ in the sense that we adopt His lead in terms of how to love correctly and authentically. God is love, and if we are going to love our wife as He intends, then we must do so His way. If a husband is going to truly love his wife, He can do no better than to willingly pass along or be a conduit of God’s love for her. That requires that husbands submit to being used by God to transmit His own immense and intense love for their wives.
Additionally, to love his wife correctly, a husband must submit to her. The example given is that a husband love His wife in a very specific way. He is to love her in the same manner that Christ loves the church. Paul wrote that the evidence of Christ’s love for His bride was that He gave Himself for her. Obviously, this means primarily that Christ died for the church. Many husbands, in their desire to be seen strong and courageous think they are rightly following Christ’s example by declaring...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, Thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I look forward to continuing in Ephesians 5:21-33. As we have made our way through the passage, I have been expounding on all the ways that the Apostle Paul wrote concerning how married couples are to submit to one another in the fear of God (Vs 21). To this point, we have been looking at how a wife is to submit to her husband. Today men, it is time for the direction of the spotlight to shine on us. 
As I mentioned last week the focus of verses 25-28 are how the husband is to submit to the wife. You may remember about a month ago when we began this study I introduced Romans 12:10 into the conversation. There we read the instruction phrased to prefer one another. The content and context of that scripture and Ephesians 5:21 is quite similar. I shared that the words prefer and submit have incredibly close definition in these two scriptures. I bring this up again because as we move into verses 25-28 husbands are called to consider their wives as more important than themselves. In other words, the command to us men is to prefer our wives above ourselves.
Ephesians 5:25-28 says 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Just as I did with the verses that spoke of the responsibilities of a wife, I am going to break down this passage one concept at a time. Today we will focus on verse 25. When we looked at the instruction to a wife, it began with the phrase Wives submit to your own husband. This verse begins with Husbands, love your wives. Just as we discovered that the word submit means to voluntarily place oneself under the authority of another, I hope to illustrate that in this context, the command for the husband to love his wife has much the same meaning. On the one hand, husbands are instructed to love in a specific way. They are to do so just as Christ loved the church. Husbands are not free to love their wives in any fashion they choose. They must submit to loving their wives just as Christ loved the church. This requires submission to Christ in the sense that we adopt His lead in terms of how to love correctly and authentically. God is love, and if we are going to love our wife as He intends, then we must do so His way. If a husband is going to truly love his wife, He can do no better than to willingly pass along or be a conduit of God’s love for her. That requires that husbands submit to being used by God to transmit His own immense and intense love for their wives.
Additionally, to love his wife correctly, a husband must submit to her. The example given is that a husband love His wife in a very specific way. He is to love her in the same manner that Christ loves the church. Paul wrote that the evidence of Christ’s love for His bride was that He gave Himself for her. Obviously, this means primarily that Christ died for the church. Many husbands, in their desire to be seen strong and courageous think they are rightly following Christ’s example by declaring that they too would die for their wife if need be, all the while knowing the need to prove themselves sincere will likely never arise. Yes, Christ died for the church, and if necessary as husbands, we should be willing to sacrifice our lives in the place of our wife or children’s lives. However when Paul was inspired to write the phrase “and gave Himself for her” there is much more to the love Christ had for us beyond going to the cross, that was but the culmination of far, far more.
When Christ came to earth as an infant, that was not His beginning. Jesus has always been. He says of Himself, “I am the beginning and the end”. The Apostle John wrote that In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1-3). Furthermore, it is recorded in 1Pet 1:19-20  19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Jesus coming to die for our sins had been the plan since before He laid the foundations of the world. What does all that have to do with a husbands love for his wife? Christ’s love for the church was all encompassing. It was not manifested in some things, but not others. It was totally complete, lacking nothing. 
Jesus came from heaven to earth. He left a place that was heavenly and came to a place filled with difficulty and pain, much of it He endured personally. He did not plan for eternity past and then actually come and die for our sin because He had need to do so. No, Jesus came and endured the cross because we had need of Him to do so. It cost Him in every way. It hurt Him physically to be whipped and endure an agonizing death on a cross. It hurt Him emotionally to have those He was treating with love scream for His execution. It was spiritually excruciating. His Heavenly Father had been eternally inseparable from Him. But in that moment, The Father looked away from the Son in disgust. Our sin was covering Jesus and the result was that Christ was now intolerable to the Father. His pain at this recognition was evidenced by His outcry, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Jesus could not have done anything more to illustrate that He had decided that we (the Church…His bride) and our needs far superseded His own.  
Men, that is our example. That brand of love is the exact kind we are to have for our wife. The instruction to us is to make our wife’s every need more important to us than ours are. We must lay down our desires to meet her needs. If our decisions are to be correct ones as they pertain to our wife, then they must be made out of the purest of selflessness just as Christ’s were in terms of the church. Is it possible for a wife to take advantage of that kind of love and care? Of course it is, as possible as it is for a husband to take advantage of her submission to him. The righteousness of something is never determined by how it is received…only in how it is offered. The brand of love shown to the church by Christ’s action required His preference of us. When we do the same for our wives, we are preferring them as we have been instructed to. This is one of those things that I like to say is difficult but is not complicated. It certainly is not easy to choose someone else above yourself in every instance and at every opportunity. However, it is not complicated at all to determine that a selfless choice is always superior to a selfish one. 
Next week we will resume by discovering the reason why we should go to such lengths to put all of our wife’s needs above our own.
Questions to answer:
•	Gentlemen - Most husbands are totally on board with the idea of a submissive wife, what are your thoughts about being a subservient husband?
•	Ladies – In light of this scriptural instruction to your husband, does it impact your thoughts about the instruction to you to be subject to him in all things?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss how these two commandments; That wives are to be submissive, and husbands are to be subservient, interact with each other. 
•	Consider together if you think they go hand-in-hand or counteract one another, additionally talk about your thoughts of their dependence upon one another.
•	In a judgement free manner, talk about how the two of you do well or need to improve in these two areas.  
•	Pray together and ask God to help both of you make these commandments of His a priority in your marriage.
So now men, choosing to make your wife’s needs your priority just like Jesus did for you…Go be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9cf3a4e7906697246abbb46b12dfe418.mp3" length="14673012" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9cf3a4e7906697246abbb46b12dfe418.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-6</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2023 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:11</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Happy People - February 5th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts will show us what Happy people do and how those things correlate to Scripture.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgeto...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts will show us what Happy people do and how those things correlate to Scripture.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

4:12 - James 5 : 7-9
5:43 - 1 Peter 4 : 9
7:37 - 1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-19
11:03 - Ephesians 5 : 17-21
17:30 - Philippians 4 : 6-7
22:22 - Proverbs 15 :13
33:24 - Matthew 6 : 11
35:12 - Matthew 6 : 33-34
37:50 - Jeremiah 17 : 7-8
45:41 - Romans 8 : 28
55:19 - John 15 : 11-12
56:31 - Philippians 2 : 3
57:32 - Philippians 4 : 8
1:02:29 - Romans 12 : 15-16
1:04:13 - 1 Peter 3 : 8-9
1:07:31 - Matthew 22 : 37-39
1:11:37 - Mark 6 : 30-32]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts will show us what Happy people do and how those things correlate to Scripture.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

4:12 - James 5 : 7-9
5:43 - 1 Peter 4 : 9
7:37 - 1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-19
11:03 - Ephesians 5 : 17-21
17:30 - Philippians 4 : 6-7
22:22 - Proverbs 15 :13
33:24 - Matthew 6 : 11
35:12 - Matthew 6 : 33-34
37:50 - Jeremiah 17 : 7-8
45:41 - Romans 8 : 28
55:19 - John 15 : 11-12
56:31 - Philippians 2 : 3
57:32 - Philippians 4 : 8
1:02:29 - Romans 12 : 15-16
1:04:13 - 1 Peter 3 : 8-9
1:07:31 - Matthew 22 : 37-39
1:11:37 - Mark 6 : 30-32]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/175caa3eab786750695bb4c3ccbbb886.mp3" length="49288478" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/175caa3eab786750695bb4c3ccbbb886.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/happy-people-february-5th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:18:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 5]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will continue with our in-depth look at Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33. This is our fifth installment in this series, and today we will be looking at verse 24. 
For...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will continue with our in-depth look at Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33. This is our fifth installment in this series, and today we will be looking at verse 24. 
For context, I will begin reading again in verse 21 and finish with our focal passage for today, Ephesians 5:24. Submitting to one another in the Fear of the Lord. Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Now verse 24, Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.  
As you will remember, these verses and the ones to follow are in response to verse 21. Submission to, or preferring one another is a two way arrangement, but is not reciprocal. What I mean by that is that we are instructed in verse 21 to submit to one another. Submission is intended to go in both directions. When I mention it is not reciprocal, I mean that submission or giving preference is not an agreement between two people that if one submits when they should the other will act in kind when it is their turn. IF the command to submit came from one another, that arrangement might make sense. However, the instruction comes from God in His word, therefore we follow the instruction for Him and the actions or lack thereof from our spouse should have nothing to do with our desire to obey our Lord. So submission is intended to go both ways, but should not be looked at as reciprocal. This mistake has been made for all time and invariably leads to a breakdown of submission when we deem our spouse unworthy of our preference for one reason or another based on how they are interacting with us. It is impossible to carry out an intended selfless action from a selfish mindset. 
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, verses 22-24 are that instruction from God as to how women are to make themselves submissive to their husbands. Likewise, verses 25-29 are instruction as to the husband as to how he is supposed to prefer his wife’s needs over his own, to lift her up and make her most important in the relationship. We have all heard that marriage is a 50-50 relationship. This statement is not true. I have even heard that marriage is 100-100, that whoever needs to put 100% in does so, and then when the other spouse needs to, they will put 100% into the marriage. The second is closer than the first, but God’s word seems to indicate that both are to put 100% in, submitting to one another completely at all times.
Last week I spoke about the fact that the placement of husband as the head of the wife is simply to fill the requirement of order in the marriage. It does not indicate his superiority nor her inferiority in any way. Husbands and wives, men and women are created completely and totally equal to one another. As I illustrated last week, headship is simply in place to bring order, and leaves both parties with requirements to live up to. Wives are to submit to the headship of their husbands and husbands are responsible for the well-being, physical, emotional and spiritual, of their wives.
In light of all of that, verse 24 might seem at first glance as nothing more than a literary exclamation point on the earlier command. However, the original text leads to greater discovery about the original instruction to wives. The Greek word that we translate to Subject  has some i...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will continue with our in-depth look at Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33. This is our fifth installment in this series, and today we will be looking at verse 24. 
For context, I will begin reading again in verse 21 and finish with our focal passage for today, Ephesians 5:24. Submitting to one another in the Fear of the Lord. Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Now verse 24, Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.  
As you will remember, these verses and the ones to follow are in response to verse 21. Submission to, or preferring one another is a two way arrangement, but is not reciprocal. What I mean by that is that we are instructed in verse 21 to submit to one another. Submission is intended to go in both directions. When I mention it is not reciprocal, I mean that submission or giving preference is not an agreement between two people that if one submits when they should the other will act in kind when it is their turn. IF the command to submit came from one another, that arrangement might make sense. However, the instruction comes from God in His word, therefore we follow the instruction for Him and the actions or lack thereof from our spouse should have nothing to do with our desire to obey our Lord. So submission is intended to go both ways, but should not be looked at as reciprocal. This mistake has been made for all time and invariably leads to a breakdown of submission when we deem our spouse unworthy of our preference for one reason or another based on how they are interacting with us. It is impossible to carry out an intended selfless action from a selfish mindset. 
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, verses 22-24 are that instruction from God as to how women are to make themselves submissive to their husbands. Likewise, verses 25-29 are instruction as to the husband as to how he is supposed to prefer his wife’s needs over his own, to lift her up and make her most important in the relationship. We have all heard that marriage is a 50-50 relationship. This statement is not true. I have even heard that marriage is 100-100, that whoever needs to put 100% in does so, and then when the other spouse needs to, they will put 100% into the marriage. The second is closer than the first, but God’s word seems to indicate that both are to put 100% in, submitting to one another completely at all times.
Last week I spoke about the fact that the placement of husband as the head of the wife is simply to fill the requirement of order in the marriage. It does not indicate his superiority nor her inferiority in any way. Husbands and wives, men and women are created completely and totally equal to one another. As I illustrated last week, headship is simply in place to bring order, and leaves both parties with requirements to live up to. Wives are to submit to the headship of their husbands and husbands are responsible for the well-being, physical, emotional and spiritual, of their wives.
In light of all of that, verse 24 might seem at first glance as nothing more than a literary exclamation point on the earlier command. However, the original text leads to greater discovery about the original instruction to wives. The Greek word that we translate to Subject  has some important intimation. It does not indicate that wives are to be made subject to their husbands, but rather that they voluntarily place themselves under the authority of their husbands just as people who accept Christ (the church) voluntarily put themselves under His Lordship. When you came to that moment and gave your life to Christ, no one made you do so. It was a place in time where you came to the saving knowledge that you needed Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. As your spiritual eyes were opened you knew the best place for you was under His authority and Lordship. In recognition of who He is and in gratitude for what He had done for you, you made yourself subject to Him. 
One might say, “But, Pastor Ken, my husband has not died for me like Jesus did.” I would answer, perhaps not, but by that same logic, if you don’t make yourself subject to him in everything, he shouldn’t be required to lay down his life for you. Obviously, when you look at both sides of that argument it becomes mute. In fact in the very next verse husbands are charged with making that very sacrifice for their wife. When we begin to look more closely at that next week, we will discover a man’s responsibility to consider his wife more important than himself is placed upon him by God, and his response will either be in obedience or opposition to his Lord. Likewise is a wife’s response to the call of her Lord to voluntarily place herself in submission to her husband in the same way that her fellow Christ followers subject themselves to Christ. 
There are two considerations I think important to make at this time. First, that these commands to wives and the ones to follow that are directed toward husbands are no different than any other command given to us in God’s word. Even the Ten Commandments are voluntary, yet not optional. Every command given us by God Almighty is required of any who desire to be righteous. Yet, in light of the free will He perfectly saw fit to endow us with, obedience to any of His commands is a yielding on our part. We surrender our will to match His perfect will for our lives. In so doing we illustrate our love for God. Jesus said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. In light of that statement, and this passage, it quickly becomes evident that when a wife voluntarily makes herself subject to her husband in everything as the church is to Christ, she is illustrating her love for God in a beautiful way. The same can be said for husband’s who voluntarialy lay down their lives for their wife, as we will read about next week.
Second, I think it important that we note that marriage is the illustration of the relationship God desires to have with us. I often say that marriage is the practice field where we learn to execute well on game day. For those of you who have not heard me use that analogy before, what I mean is that in marriage we learn all of the necessary actions and attitudes of one who will have a good and healthy relationship with God. It is in marriage that we practice giving ourselves to one only, just as God requires of us…He must be the only God in our lives. Marriage is where we learn to love another with all of our ability and resources. Why? Because God calls us to love Him with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and all of our strength. Marriage is also the relationship where we practice learning to submit to and prefer one another, just as God requires us to do in response to Him. Marriage is the practice field in this life where repetitiously we become versed in how to be in relationship with our God on Game day…for eternity. Here again, the motivation for why we need to respond to our spouse correctly, is so that we can respond to God correctly. 
My hope is that we eventually all come to the conclusion that our marriages aren’t nearly as much about the relationship we have with our spouse as they are the relationship we have with God. I believe whole-heartedly that is the reason God used marriage as the illustration of the relationship He desires to have with us in 66 out of 66 of the books in His word.    
Questions to answer:
•	Wives – What does it mean to you that your submission to your husband is in actuality an act of submission to God?
•	Husbands – How does your wife’s answer to the question above adjust a past misunderstanding you may have held in regards to this scripture?
•	How might both of your hearts toward God and each other change in light of a closer look at this passage?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss what you think of the idea that your marriage is the practice field where you have opportunity to improve how you will execute on game day.
•	Ask God to help both of you look at your submission to one another as an act of love toward Him.
So now, recognizing that our obedience to any command we have from God’s word shows Him just how much we love Him…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/de15313c5faa00c2bd40957df19780e9.mp3" length="12941407" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/de15313c5faa00c2bd40957df19780e9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-5</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2023 11:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ungodly Council (Psalms 1) - January 29th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts helps us expose the ungodly council in our lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts helps us expose the ungodly council in our lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts helps us expose the ungodly council in our lives.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/933adb42fa7fa19a961fa52026839731.mp3" length="34955221" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/933adb42fa7fa19a961fa52026839731.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ungodly-council-psalms-1-january-29th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Legacies - January 26th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...Legacies
This week I have attended several funerals. One might think that pastors get used to going to funerals…this one probably never will. It is the fact that I know that so many people...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...Legacies
This week I have attended several funerals. One might think that pastors get used to going to funerals…this one probably never will. It is the fact that I know that so many people are hurting in such close proximity to me that makes them difficult for me. Many people dislike funerals because they believe them to illustrate our frailty. My physical weaknesses don’t necessarily bother me. What is hard, is knowing there is nothing I can do or say for those experiencing the pain of loss that will be of any immediate comfort. I must admit, as a counselor, not having the right words of encouragement sometimes does leave me feeling quite frail. Some dislike funerals because they believe them to point out the fact that all of us are mortal. Its true that one day we will all be the focus of everyone’s attention at a funeral. Again, personally I am not bothered by that notion. As a Christ follower, I know and believe that this life is only a mist, I am here today and gone tomorrow. Others still find funerals difficult because they view them as indicating the end. I choose a different outlook…I subscribe to the perspective that they simply signal the beginning. 
Christians know these things to be true. We hold fast to the belief that when our mortal bodies cease to function, our eternal life begins. We believe that because of the faith we have confessed in Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God, in light of our acceptance of the fact that He died on the cross for our sins, specifically that we might live with Him forever…we will do just that. We understand that His word tells us that when we die here, we live there…in the twinkling of an eye, we will see Jesus, face-to-face. The bible tells us that in Heaven, there is no more pain or sorrow. All of our weakness will be gone forever. We know that there, we will live forever in His presence and in His power. 
However, that is not the only reason I don’t think of frailty, death or an ending of life when I attend funerals. There is another consideration that addresses each of these concerns and unlike the truths I mentioned a moment ago, they occur here in this world as well as in Heaven. When a genuine Christ follower draws his or her last breath here on earth, they are able to experience the following scripture in a way we can only imagine. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul wrote of what was for him yet to be experienced, but for the ones we honored at the funerals I attended this week it is their current reality. That scripture says; For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. The two men I am referring to today, Bill and Gary, fought the good fight, they each finished their race and finished it well. What does that mean? It means they lived as best they could the way Jesus wanted them to. It means that their acceptance of His free gift of life and forgiveness of their sin had the effect on their lives that Jesus desired when He gave his life in exchange for theirs. It means that the outcome of their lives was the joy set before Him that enabled Him to endure the cross…It means they each left an amazing legacy....]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...Legacies
This week I have attended several funerals. One might think that pastors get used to going to funerals…this one probably never will. It is the fact that I know that so many people are hurting in such close proximity to me that makes them difficult for me. Many people dislike funerals because they believe them to illustrate our frailty. My physical weaknesses don’t necessarily bother me. What is hard, is knowing there is nothing I can do or say for those experiencing the pain of loss that will be of any immediate comfort. I must admit, as a counselor, not having the right words of encouragement sometimes does leave me feeling quite frail. Some dislike funerals because they believe them to point out the fact that all of us are mortal. Its true that one day we will all be the focus of everyone’s attention at a funeral. Again, personally I am not bothered by that notion. As a Christ follower, I know and believe that this life is only a mist, I am here today and gone tomorrow. Others still find funerals difficult because they view them as indicating the end. I choose a different outlook…I subscribe to the perspective that they simply signal the beginning. 
Christians know these things to be true. We hold fast to the belief that when our mortal bodies cease to function, our eternal life begins. We believe that because of the faith we have confessed in Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God, in light of our acceptance of the fact that He died on the cross for our sins, specifically that we might live with Him forever…we will do just that. We understand that His word tells us that when we die here, we live there…in the twinkling of an eye, we will see Jesus, face-to-face. The bible tells us that in Heaven, there is no more pain or sorrow. All of our weakness will be gone forever. We know that there, we will live forever in His presence and in His power. 
However, that is not the only reason I don’t think of frailty, death or an ending of life when I attend funerals. There is another consideration that addresses each of these concerns and unlike the truths I mentioned a moment ago, they occur here in this world as well as in Heaven. When a genuine Christ follower draws his or her last breath here on earth, they are able to experience the following scripture in a way we can only imagine. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul wrote of what was for him yet to be experienced, but for the ones we honored at the funerals I attended this week it is their current reality. That scripture says; For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. The two men I am referring to today, Bill and Gary, fought the good fight, they each finished their race and finished it well. What does that mean? It means they lived as best they could the way Jesus wanted them to. It means that their acceptance of His free gift of life and forgiveness of their sin had the effect on their lives that Jesus desired when He gave his life in exchange for theirs. It means that the outcome of their lives was the joy set before Him that enabled Him to endure the cross…It means they each left an amazing legacy.
Each of their legacies will live on here in this world. When we consider legacies, we often think of the few largely notable things that a person may have accomplished in their lifetime that will stand to help others. When I think of a legacy, I ponder the smaller multitude of things done in their lives that illustrated the image and likeness of God. I think of the daily investments in others, starting with their own families that built their legacies. I think of how these two men fulfilled the legacy building actions found in Deuteronomy 6:5-7; You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 
Both Bill and Gary went home to be with the Lord in the space of a week’s time, but that was not their only similarity. They were different men to be sure. They had different occupations, lived in different towns, but they served the same God, and lived their lives empowered by the same Spirit. Both of them loved God with everything they had. They weren’t perfect…just being perfected, but the commandments of their Lord were on their hearts. They did pass them on to their children and their children’s children. They did talk about their relationship with their Savior everywhere they went and with everyone they met. The Jesus they showed to and shared with others impacted many lives, lives that will go on to show and share Jesus to with others, who will do the same. That is a legacy that lives on…here and in Heaven. That is a legacy that illustrates the power of Christ…which knows no weakness. That is a legacy that is strong, never frail…and that legacy will never die!
These two men left amazing legacies. Each of theirs began when they accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, and they built them one day at a time…for the rest of the time they were given on this earth. 
Each of us will also undoubtedly leave a legacy. Ours will be remembered as examples of what a person should do…or not do. Bill and Gary knew what to do and they did it. They have heard those coveted words “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.” Their joy is now full and complete. Their legacy lives on here as it changes lives going forward, and in heaven as they are able to gratefully and lovingly place the treasure they stored up there at the feet of Jesus.
So how can we ensure we have a legacy like Bill and Gary get to enjoy? First and foremost, be in constant, close relationship with Jesus but then carry out the example of the Apostle Paul recorded in Philippians 3:12-14. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
So now, following Jesus and living a life that will produce an amazing legacy like the ones Pastor Bill Sammons and Gary Bollinger left us…GO be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/83b91dafdab736a1cdfdc65d7fdce1f3.mp3" length="5349494" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/83b91dafdab736a1cdfdc65d7fdce1f3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/legacies-january-26th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 21-33 Vol. 4 - January 23rd, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. For those who may be joining me for the first time, we began an in depth study of Ephesians 5:21-33 several weeks ago and today is the fourth installment in that series. 
We...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. For those who may be joining me for the first time, we began an in depth study of Ephesians 5:21-33 several weeks ago and today is the fourth installment in that series. 
We have covered the truth found in verse 21 that we are to submit to one another in response to our relationship with Christ. Last week we began looking at how wives are instructed to submit to their husbands. I established that the wife’s submission is not due to her being inferior to her husband in any way. Since the beginning, God created men and women of equal value, differing from one another, but both necessary to the other to fulfill their purpose of reflecting God’s attributes and character traits. Verse 22, which we looked at last time is simply put, the instruction to the wife as to how she is to carry out her responsibility for verse 21. Today I will pick up where we left off with the continuation of that instruction in verse 23. 
Ephesians 5:23 says For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the savior of the body. Again, allow me to reiterate, a husband is not created superior to his wife in any way. With this knowledge, (which we saw scripturally last week based on Genesis 2:18) we can reject any interpretation of this verse that would require that fallacy for its understanding. So, if the husband is not greater than his wife, if he is not superior, nor more valuable in God’s eyes, what was meant when Paul wrote that the husband is head of the wife?
I believe that Paul, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17) was simply noting the order of the relationship. I think it critical to recognize that Paul is writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit or else we might conclude incorrectly; that at best his words were simply indicative of the culture at that time, or worse yet, that Paul himself held and intended to promote a chauvinistic view. I believe that is why this scripture uses the simile that “The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church”. Logically we cannot say that our culture has evolved past the idea that the husband is head of the wife unless we are also willing to say that there is now no need for Christ to be head of the church. Every relationship requires order and consequently there must be those in authority and those in submission to the authority. Paul makes the point in 1 Corinthians 11:3 that this is true even to the extent that it is exercised within the Godhead. There he wrote: But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Jesus Himself made the point that authority and submission were the modus of operation within the Godhead. It is recorded in John’s Gospel that Jesus noted that He did not do anything or say anything unless explicitly told to do so by the Father, found in chapter 5 verse19 and chapter 12 verse 49. If we are to read the scripture in Ephesians 5:23 and take it to mean that the husband’s authority is derived from his superiority, then we must also say that because Christ submitted to the authority of God the Father, Jesus must be inferior to the Father. That is preposterous. Jesus said that “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18) this would not be a possibility if he were inferior to the Father. I reference all of that to simply say that a...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. For those who may be joining me for the first time, we began an in depth study of Ephesians 5:21-33 several weeks ago and today is the fourth installment in that series. 
We have covered the truth found in verse 21 that we are to submit to one another in response to our relationship with Christ. Last week we began looking at how wives are instructed to submit to their husbands. I established that the wife’s submission is not due to her being inferior to her husband in any way. Since the beginning, God created men and women of equal value, differing from one another, but both necessary to the other to fulfill their purpose of reflecting God’s attributes and character traits. Verse 22, which we looked at last time is simply put, the instruction to the wife as to how she is to carry out her responsibility for verse 21. Today I will pick up where we left off with the continuation of that instruction in verse 23. 
Ephesians 5:23 says For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the savior of the body. Again, allow me to reiterate, a husband is not created superior to his wife in any way. With this knowledge, (which we saw scripturally last week based on Genesis 2:18) we can reject any interpretation of this verse that would require that fallacy for its understanding. So, if the husband is not greater than his wife, if he is not superior, nor more valuable in God’s eyes, what was meant when Paul wrote that the husband is head of the wife?
I believe that Paul, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17) was simply noting the order of the relationship. I think it critical to recognize that Paul is writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit or else we might conclude incorrectly; that at best his words were simply indicative of the culture at that time, or worse yet, that Paul himself held and intended to promote a chauvinistic view. I believe that is why this scripture uses the simile that “The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church”. Logically we cannot say that our culture has evolved past the idea that the husband is head of the wife unless we are also willing to say that there is now no need for Christ to be head of the church. Every relationship requires order and consequently there must be those in authority and those in submission to the authority. Paul makes the point in 1 Corinthians 11:3 that this is true even to the extent that it is exercised within the Godhead. There he wrote: But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Jesus Himself made the point that authority and submission were the modus of operation within the Godhead. It is recorded in John’s Gospel that Jesus noted that He did not do anything or say anything unless explicitly told to do so by the Father, found in chapter 5 verse19 and chapter 12 verse 49. If we are to read the scripture in Ephesians 5:23 and take it to mean that the husband’s authority is derived from his superiority, then we must also say that because Christ submitted to the authority of God the Father, Jesus must be inferior to the Father. That is preposterous. Jesus said that “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18) this would not be a possibility if he were inferior to the Father. I reference all of that to simply say that authority does not always indicate superiority and submission does not assume inferiority. 
God ordained this system of authority and submission for the purpose of bringing order to our lives. This does not mean that selfishness and distrust in God’s precepts cannot infiltrate His plan for order. When these character flaws enter into His design there are undoubtedly negative consequences felt by all involved, but these are indicative of the misuse of authority not an indictment against the plan. The design for order is never the problem though it can be carried out selfishly and with abuse. In those cases, selfishness is the deficiency, God’s design is perfect. 
This is easy to see when we look at government. God’s word clearly indicates that He placed governments in authority over the citizens they govern. His word also states that as Christ followers we are to place ourselves in submission to our governmental authority even if it is infiltrated with evil, godless leaders. The only time we are permitted to take opposition to our government is when it explicitly instructs us to act in direct opposition to God Himself. Other than those few times we are to submit to maintain His prescribed order. The only alternative to order is anarchy, which is always valueless.    
It is no different in the marriage. Order is not only prescribed it is absolutely necessary. Man (Adam) was created before his wife (Eve) and is for that reason positioned the head. As we have already determined his headship is not a result of being faster, better, smarter. It is not so much a position of being placed in charge over her as much as it is that he has been charged with her…well-being, safety, and provision. The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church; and He is the savior of the body. How does Christ exercise His headship of the church? He is the savior of the body. He (as the husband) is savior of the body (His bride). The term savior in this context means the preserver or the one who meets every need in order to preserve. When applied this means that the husband is given charge of the wife so that he may meet each of her needs so she might be preserved. By doing this, he fulfills his responsibility for her before God who placed it upon him. The wife must put herself in submission to her husband to afford him the opportunity to meet this God-given responsibility. 
So often in our society, women want to circumvent this protection and preservation out of a desire for autonomy noted by God in Genesis 3:16. They resist coming under the headship of their husbands because they want to make their own decisions. They believe they are acting in opposition to their husbands for any number of “well-thought-out” reasons, but are actually acting contrary to God who is simply attempting to position them in a place of order and  blessing for their lives. The second reason women often try to be their own authority is that they have decided that their husband does not have their best in mind. They choose to remedy this problem by discarding God’s design because their human husband is not acting in accordance with His will. God’s word is clear that this is not wisdom and has zero chance of positive impact on the marriage. Instead, in 1 Peter 3:1-2 wives are instructed; In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate, not as inferior, but out of respect for the responsibilities entrusted to husbands and their accountability to God, and so partnering with them] so that even if some do not obey the word [of God], they may be won over [to Christ {and His ways of acting as head of the church}] without discussion by the godly lives of their wives, 2 when they see your modest and respectful behavior [together with your devotion and appreciation…—love your husband, encourage him, and enjoy him as a blessing from God]. (As read from the Amplified Version)
Again, this call from God for wives to submit to their husbands is His plan to bring order within the marriage as well as to bless wives by placing the responsibility to protect, preserve and provide for their well-being squarely on the shoulders of their husbands. As such, if a wife resists this call on her life, it is not her husband she resists…it is her God. 
Peter concluded his teaching about the wife’s responsibility to submit to God by submitting to her husband even if he is not doing his part in verses 5-6. Again from the Amplified Version: For it was thus that the pious women of old who hoped in God were [accustomed] to beautify themselves and were submissive to their husbands [adapting themselves to them as themselves secondary and dependent upon them]. It was thus that Sarah obeyed Abraham [following his guidance and acknowledging his headship over her by] calling him lord (master, leader, authority). And you are now her true daughters if you do right and let nothing terrify you [not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you]. 
Peter purposefully used Sarah’s marriage to Abraham as the example. Peter ministered to the Jews, his audience of readers would have well known the story of Abraham and Sarah from the scriptures. Not only was Abraham the “Father of the Israelite Nation” he was also on record as being the worst husband of all time. Not once but twice he schemed to posture himself as Sarah’s brother rather than her husband. (Genesis 12 & Genesis 20) His purpose for doing this was to preserve his own life instead of hers. Twice while traveling through foreign lands he knew that because of her beauty the rulers of those lands would want to take her (sexually) for themselves to enjoy. If Abraham were thought to be her brother, they would simply take her and leave him unharmed. However, he believed if they thought him to be her husband, they would kill him and then take her and add her to their harems. Because of this, on both occasions, he twisted the truth and instructed Sarah to claim he was her brother (she was in fact born of Abrahams father’s lineage, but not by his mother). She was instructed by Abraham to say this in order to deceive those asking that he was not her husband, which he absolutely was. As I said a moment ago, Abraham committed this atrocity not once but twice and apparently did not teach his son the error of his ways because Isaac repeated this sinful behavior toward his wife Rebecca when he was older as recorded for us in Genesis 26. 
As I said moments ago, the readers of 1 Peter would have been well aware of this history and the fact that Peter used Sarah and her choice to treat Abraham with respect in light of his reprehensible and unrespectable action toward her, made the example that much more impactful. Certainly, the female recipients of his letter would likely not find themselves with a greater reason for disrespecting, and shirking their responsibility to submit to their husbands than Sarah had. For the same reason, this example stands for wives even today. 
Ephesians 5:23 is predicated on a God determined need for order and His desire to bring blessing, and cannot be excused or discarded because the people involved do not always act in accordance with the other good plans He has for us.
Questions to answer:
•	What have your thoughts in the past been in regards to this scripture and the statement that the husband is head of the wife?
•	How might this study change your view of this scripture if at all?
Actions to take:
•	In light of your understanding of this scripture, discuss together what impact it should have on your marriage.
•	Ask God to help both of you follow His design for order in your marriage and to do so in ways that reflect and please Him.
So now, recognizing that God’s design for order in the marital relationship is an attempt to bless you, take advantage of His desire for that blessing by accepting His design for your marriage…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/151bb18eb9937f91c4cd7e98f30ebc9f.mp3" length="8670480" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/151bb18eb9937f91c4cd7e98f30ebc9f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-21-33-vol-4-january-23rd-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:44:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[From Pain To Incredible (Acts 16:16-34) - January 18th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches about being in the inner prison and suffering for Jesus.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches about being in the inner prison and suffering for Jesus.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches about being in the inner prison and suffering for Jesus.
For more information on how to get connected with
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c3404e1e49b518f66581ea0eff6c2070.mp3" length="32382540" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c3404e1e49b518f66581ea0eff6c2070.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/from-pain-to-incredible-acts-1616-34-january-18th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Really Enjoying The Meal]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Really Enjoying The Meal
As some of you are aware, My wife Lynn and I traveled to Albania a few months ago to present a marriage conference for a church in the city of Tirana. While we were th...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Really Enjoying The Meal
As some of you are aware, My wife Lynn and I traveled to Albania a few months ago to present a marriage conference for a church in the city of Tirana. While we were there, the Pastor of the church and His wife took us and several other people to a wonderful restaurant. The destination was a farm-to-table restaurant up in the mountainous countryside about an hour and a half outside of the city. It was a beautiful setting for a wonderful meal. Literally, for several hours the waiters kept bringing course after course of pure deliciousness to our table. In my memory, I still enjoy all of it. If I wanted to share it with you, I might try to recreate some of the dishes we had there. Although I might be able to lay my hands on the ingredients here in Delaware, they might be those specific ingredients by name, but they wouldn’t be the same. First of all, the conditions in which they were grown would be different. The climate and soil in Delaware would produce a different tasting Basil for example than the same plant growing in the mountains of Albania. Even the beef would taste different depending on the local grasses it was grazed on. Here we use tomatoes, there they have tomatoes. 
My point is that though the ingredients used to cook the meal might be identified by the same names, the fullness of the flavor wouldn’t always translate. If I made the dishes I wanted you to enjoy here, you would come away with an idea of how good that meal in Albania was. But…if I wanted to you understand the total experience I had in Albania at that restaurant I would have to take you there. 
This can sometimes be the case when we read the word of God. It was originally written in Hebrew and Greek. The bible you and I read was translated from the original text by teams of theologians using prescribed rules of interpretation. Their task was to put into the English language as close as possible the original meaning found in the Hebrew and Greek. Sometimes however, a little bit gets lost in the translation. There are times you have to eat at the original restaurant to get the entire culinary experience.
The problem is most of us don’t read Hebrew and Greek. Thankfully though, there are tools that can help us get a better understanding. Using some of those tools I want to take a really well known scripture and explore some of the deeper meanings so we can have a fuller experience with that scripture. I won’t be using the Greek words, but I will do my best to explain the meaning of them in comparison to the English ones we find on the page.
Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Let’s enjoy this meal one bite at a time, shall we?
Be anxious for nothing…When we think of the word anxious we might imagine someone who worries a lot, is a nail biter, or someone who is always considering the down-side of the future. I would have called some of my children anxious when they were teenagers....]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Really Enjoying The Meal
As some of you are aware, My wife Lynn and I traveled to Albania a few months ago to present a marriage conference for a church in the city of Tirana. While we were there, the Pastor of the church and His wife took us and several other people to a wonderful restaurant. The destination was a farm-to-table restaurant up in the mountainous countryside about an hour and a half outside of the city. It was a beautiful setting for a wonderful meal. Literally, for several hours the waiters kept bringing course after course of pure deliciousness to our table. In my memory, I still enjoy all of it. If I wanted to share it with you, I might try to recreate some of the dishes we had there. Although I might be able to lay my hands on the ingredients here in Delaware, they might be those specific ingredients by name, but they wouldn’t be the same. First of all, the conditions in which they were grown would be different. The climate and soil in Delaware would produce a different tasting Basil for example than the same plant growing in the mountains of Albania. Even the beef would taste different depending on the local grasses it was grazed on. Here we use tomatoes, there they have tomatoes. 
My point is that though the ingredients used to cook the meal might be identified by the same names, the fullness of the flavor wouldn’t always translate. If I made the dishes I wanted you to enjoy here, you would come away with an idea of how good that meal in Albania was. But…if I wanted to you understand the total experience I had in Albania at that restaurant I would have to take you there. 
This can sometimes be the case when we read the word of God. It was originally written in Hebrew and Greek. The bible you and I read was translated from the original text by teams of theologians using prescribed rules of interpretation. Their task was to put into the English language as close as possible the original meaning found in the Hebrew and Greek. Sometimes however, a little bit gets lost in the translation. There are times you have to eat at the original restaurant to get the entire culinary experience.
The problem is most of us don’t read Hebrew and Greek. Thankfully though, there are tools that can help us get a better understanding. Using some of those tools I want to take a really well known scripture and explore some of the deeper meanings so we can have a fuller experience with that scripture. I won’t be using the Greek words, but I will do my best to explain the meaning of them in comparison to the English ones we find on the page.
Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Let’s enjoy this meal one bite at a time, shall we?
Be anxious for nothing…When we think of the word anxious we might imagine someone who worries a lot, is a nail biter, or someone who is always considering the down-side of the future. I would have called some of my children anxious when they were teenagers. They concerned themselves with all kinds of things…one even fretted all the way to school each day, anxious about being late. However, the original text that we have translated to the word “anxious” actually means to be divided into parts, or drawn into opposite directions. This is very interesting because it means that the warning is against allowing anything to keep us from considering everything. In other words Paul is writing that we should never allow any circumstance no matter how disturbing to cause us to only consider the down-side. 
Paul continued…but in everything by prayer and supplication…here he says; instead of being divided or letting all of our thinking move toward the negative…take everything (every concern) to prayer and supplication. Supplication is another word I want to look at the deeper meaning of. We sometimes think of supplication as prayer, but it can’t only mean that because Paul wouldn’t say “but in everything by prayer and prayer”. No, supplication means more. It means praying or even pleading with the Lord for a heart felt need that is personal and urgent. So basically what Paul is doing here is covering all of the bases. He is saying don’t be divided so that worry is near and faith is too far away, instead take it all to God, take the general things that cause you concern, and take him the things that are personal and urgent, those things that are too close for comfort.
Let’s continue…with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…Here Paul tells us what kind of a headspace we need to be in as we bring our requests and deep concerns to God. We like to say “Just give it to God” but that’s not actually correct. Yes, He wants us to give Him our concerns it’s true. His word tells us to Cast our cares upon Him because He cares about us (1 Peter 5:7) but here and other places we are told there is a correct way to do that. Here we are instructed to do it with thanksgiving. You might say “but Pastor Ken, I am not thankful to be dealing with the things that are making me anxious right now. I don’t know how I am supposed to be thankful for these things.” Don’t worry, Paul isn’t saying we have to be thankful for the things that are bringing us trouble. This is another word where things get lost in the translation. The original text infers what we are to be thankful for…and it isn’t the trouble we are experiencing…we are being told here to be thankful for God’s Grace as we navigate through the trouble. In other words Paul is writing that as we go to God with our concerns we need to do so with a thankful heart knowing that His grace is going to be sufficient to see us through. Having this mindset is what prevents us from being anxious or allowing all of our considerations to fall on the side of our difficulty.
And the peace of God…Ah the peace of God…here is another one that deserves a little attention. The Greek here means wholeness or complete wellness . What Paul is explaining to us is that if we take our concerns to God with a heart of thanksgiving for His grace which we know will sustain us even as we endure the trouble then we won’t be anxious or divided, we will experience peace…emotional and spiritual wholeness from God 
Which surpasses all understanding…This phrase actually infers that it takes an ability to reason that is far superior to human understanding in order to even begin to comprehend the peace or wholeness God is able to administer to us through His amazing grace.
Will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus…This is one also worth noting the intricacies in the meaning of the original text. This word we have translated to guard means more than simply watch over, it means to consistently stand ready to step in. In this context it means that God’s grace is consistently ready, willing and able to step in and use whatever offensive or defensive means necessary to protect our hearts and minds through the power of Christ Jesus. Did you catch that? Because of our relationship with Christ we can count on the working of His grace in our lives to be so strong and powerful that it will use whatever means are necessary to keep us steadied and held upright in faith, no matter what the trouble is. When you understand that, approaching God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving for that all sufficient grace seems to be the only thing that makes any sense. Right?
So now that we know that our anxiousness has a remedy. Now that we are aware that we should take our concerns big and small to God, but only in the confidence that peace is forthcoming as we approach Him with gratefulness for His unending grace. More than that, we know we can count on Him to use His grace to steady us and hold us upright in the midst of any trouble. Now that we know all of that, His final instruction on the subject becomes much more than a pop-culture idea of “Positive thinking” 
Paul closes with this…Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
What Paul is telling us with in His closing remarks is that God’s unending grace is true. God’s delivering grace is just. God’s matchless grace is pure. God’s undeserved grace is lovely. God’s wondrous grace is worthy of a good report. God’s perfectly complete grace is the epitome of virtue. God’s amazing grace is deserving of all of our praise! When life’s circumstances cause you concern, meditate on God’s grace until it has your complete and total attention…and then…meditate on His grace some more.
So now, Thankful for God’s power that enables you to be free from divisive anxiety no matter what you may be going through…taking in His awesome grace…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e78788341fb63f50a731a95b7c88e79c.mp3" length="16472336" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e78788341fb63f50a731a95b7c88e79c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/really-enjoying-the-meal</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 3]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Thank you for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will be continuing to make our way through Ephesians Chapter 5, verses 21 through 33. 
Last week we finished looking at verse 21, the reasons for, and the value of...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Thank you for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will be continuing to make our way through Ephesians Chapter 5, verses 21 through 33. 
Last week we finished looking at verse 21, the reasons for, and the value of, learning to submit to one another in our marriages. I spoke to the fact that this mutual act of submission only makes sense and therefore, can only be possible long term if we understand who we are actually submitting to. I shared with you the importance of correct motivation. Our ability to continually submit to our spouse, who we know to be fallible, will soon become depleted as we recognize them to be no more deserving of having their needs met than we are. However, if we acknowledge that the command to submit to one another comes from God, then we understand that following His instruction is actually submission to Him. God is absolutely deserving of our obedience even when He is asking us to interact submissively toward our spouse who lacks His perfection. Verse 21 tells us what we are to do. The fact that the command comes from God’s word indicates who we are doing it for. As we continue, we are going to find specific application of how God desires for us to follow His command and submit to, or prefer one another.
Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
As I said in an earlier episode when introducing this passage, this is, in my experience as a marriage counselor, one of the most disagreed with (as wives) and most misunderstood (as husbands) scriptures on the subject of marriage. It is difficult to accept when read through the perspective of selfishness sin has inflicted upon all of us. As I stated in that edition, I believe this is why verse 21 is such an important place to begin when we dissect this passage. If we don’t start with the understanding that the command to submit is mutual, our self-centered thinking can lead to an incorrect thought process that one spouse is more important than the other. The obvious danger in these three verses is that if pulled out of context they might seemly indicate that the husband is superior to the wife. Nothing could be further from the truth or the spirit of this passage. It is true, this is a directive specifically to wives as to how to implement the instruction given in verse 21. This application is to women, but men, it is important to understand that the instructions to you concerning correctly carrying out verse 21 are coming later in verses 25-28 which we will spend future episodes looking into as well.
Before we dive into verses 22-24 allow me to begin by clearing up the gross misconception that women are in any way inferior to men and that is why they are to submit to their husbands. In Genesis 2:18 it says, And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” When we complete a proper exegesis of this verse we discover many truths perhaps lost in the general translation of Hebrew to English. To begin we need to understand what God inferred when He said “It is not good”. After each day of creation recorded for us in Genesis chapter 1, God made a declaration. Each day God surveyed all that He had done and declared that it was goo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken. Thank you for joining me for the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will be continuing to make our way through Ephesians Chapter 5, verses 21 through 33. 
Last week we finished looking at verse 21, the reasons for, and the value of, learning to submit to one another in our marriages. I spoke to the fact that this mutual act of submission only makes sense and therefore, can only be possible long term if we understand who we are actually submitting to. I shared with you the importance of correct motivation. Our ability to continually submit to our spouse, who we know to be fallible, will soon become depleted as we recognize them to be no more deserving of having their needs met than we are. However, if we acknowledge that the command to submit to one another comes from God, then we understand that following His instruction is actually submission to Him. God is absolutely deserving of our obedience even when He is asking us to interact submissively toward our spouse who lacks His perfection. Verse 21 tells us what we are to do. The fact that the command comes from God’s word indicates who we are doing it for. As we continue, we are going to find specific application of how God desires for us to follow His command and submit to, or prefer one another.
Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
As I said in an earlier episode when introducing this passage, this is, in my experience as a marriage counselor, one of the most disagreed with (as wives) and most misunderstood (as husbands) scriptures on the subject of marriage. It is difficult to accept when read through the perspective of selfishness sin has inflicted upon all of us. As I stated in that edition, I believe this is why verse 21 is such an important place to begin when we dissect this passage. If we don’t start with the understanding that the command to submit is mutual, our self-centered thinking can lead to an incorrect thought process that one spouse is more important than the other. The obvious danger in these three verses is that if pulled out of context they might seemly indicate that the husband is superior to the wife. Nothing could be further from the truth or the spirit of this passage. It is true, this is a directive specifically to wives as to how to implement the instruction given in verse 21. This application is to women, but men, it is important to understand that the instructions to you concerning correctly carrying out verse 21 are coming later in verses 25-28 which we will spend future episodes looking into as well.
Before we dive into verses 22-24 allow me to begin by clearing up the gross misconception that women are in any way inferior to men and that is why they are to submit to their husbands. In Genesis 2:18 it says, And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” When we complete a proper exegesis of this verse we discover many truths perhaps lost in the general translation of Hebrew to English. To begin we need to understand what God inferred when He said “It is not good”. After each day of creation recorded for us in Genesis chapter 1, God made a declaration. Each day God surveyed all that He had done and declared that it was good. God was using the word “Good” to declare it to be completed. The actual Hebrew word [towb] pronounced [to-be] in the context of Genesis chapter 1 means excellent, with no room for additional value, in other words…complete. So when God declared in Genesis 2:18 that it is not good that man should be alone, He was stating that the created human solely in male form was not finished or complete for the intended purpose of looking like, and acting as, God does. Allow me to refer to Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. God clearly chose to create mankind for the purpose of reflecting Himself, and did so in completed fashion as He created both male and female. 
As we have just determined in Genesis chapter 2 (which by the way is written to give us much more detail about how Genesis 1:26&27 came to be) in verse 18 God declared that man without woman was incomplete. To correctly interpret God’s recorded statement. “It is not good for man to be alone…” we have to look at the meaning of the Hebrew word we translate to the English word, ‘Alone’. The Hebrew word is pronounced [Bad] which means separated or apart from its counterpart. Using an analogy to explain this meaning, it would be as if your pepper shaker was on the dining room table and you noted that the salt shaker was alone on the kitchen counter. It would be absent from its counterpart, and though alone, it would still be a crucial piece of a set intended to be used together. In this scripture, God was intimating that in order to complete the set, He needed to united Adam with his counterpart. 
To complete our understanding of this verse we have to look at the final phrase of God’s declaration. “…I will make him a helper comparable to him.” This phrase is translated from the Hebrew words Ezer [ay’zer] and Neged [neh’ghed] When these words are put together they mean an absolute counterpart to a perfect set. 
I don’t want to linger too long here but it is important to our understanding of Ephesians 5 that we recognize there is no superior or inferior member of humankind. Eve was created to be the absolute and perfect counterpart to Adam. She was equal in valuation to him in every way. She was not greater or less than Adam. He was not superior to her, she was not inferior to him. They were a perfectly created matched set. Equal in every way, though often differing in function. Together in a “one flesh” condition their stated purpose was to reflect God. We will discover as we continue in Ephesians 5, that Paul wrote concerning the mysterious fact that God still creates of our marriages a “one flesh” condition that enables us to reflect Him just as Adam and Eve were intended to do.
Understanding that husbands and wives are equal parts of a whole, and are created to cooperatively reflect the image and likeness of God, let’s look at Ephesians 5:22-24 again. This time, let’s read it in terms of instruction to wives as to how to best support their husbands in that God given endeavor. Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
When considered in light of all that we have discussed, Wives submitting to their husbands takes on a much different meaning. First, women should do this understanding it is required of them by God, and therefore they are actually doing so in obedience to Him. Their submission is directed toward their husband but is determinately done for their Lord. With that correct motivation she becomes enabled to do so regardless of her husband’s actions. While her words and actions may be recognized in relationship to her husband, they are in response to her God. That is why she is instructed in this scripture to submit to her husband as to the Lord. Christ is essentially saying “Ladies, submit to your husbands…but don’t do it because they are good to you, do it because I have been so good to you…don’t do it for them…do it for me!”  
Next week we will continue with these verses and look at what it truly means that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the church. I know that this statement often leads to some difficulty when considering that God views both the husband and the wife as equally valuable. I am excited to dig into it further next time.
Questions to answer:
•	Do you look at yourselves as a perfectly matched set, each having equal value yet differing function within your marriage?
•	How should a fuller understanding of Genesis 2:18 affect your view of Ephesians 5:22-24?
•	Wives, what difference does it make in how you think about submission when you realize that your submission to your husband is actually accomplished through submission to your Lord?
•	How can your submission to your husband aid him in your marriages ability together to reflect God?
Actions to take:
•	Continue to read through Ephesians 5:21-33 daily asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you greater truths contained there.
•	Ask God to help you understand as a couple the value of choosing to respond to one another as He asks you to in regards to your marriage. Seek his wisdom and note the answers He gives to you.
So now, walking in the wonderful position that God has given you as husband and wife, and responding toward each other out of your grateful response to Him…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a76b4d0e951e511c6b966dda01e0382a.mp3" length="16847906" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a76b4d0e951e511c6b966dda01e0382a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-3</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:42</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Combined Service - January 18th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts And Pastor Arturo Santiago]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Arturo Santiago and Pastor Rick Betts Join together for our annual combined service to bring us a message on Faith.
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad C...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Arturo Santiago and Pastor Rick Betts Join together for our annual combined service to bring us a message on Faith.
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Arturo Santiago and Pastor Rick Betts Join together for our annual combined service to bring us a message on Faith.
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/05c9a93ec749e61dfd4e6b8952ecb0da.mp3" length="31592488" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/05c9a93ec749e61dfd4e6b8952ecb0da.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/combined-service-january-18th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>56:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Indelible Ink - January 12th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Indelible Ink 
Years ago while riding past a fast food restaurant in a nearby town my wife began laughing as she looked up at the sign where they advertised their current special sandwiches....]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Indelible Ink 
Years ago while riding past a fast food restaurant in a nearby town my wife began laughing as she looked up at the sign where they advertised their current special sandwiches. There big as life was the offer to come in and enjoy their latest creation the “Big N’ Tatsy” Somehow the person placing the letters on the sign had reversed the correct order of the ‘S’ and the ‘T’. clearly it was supposed to read “Big N’ Tasty”. Lynn’s laughter increased as she turned her head to read the other side of the sign as we passed by, surely there was no way the mistake had been repeated there. And yet, no matter if you approached from the north or the south, at that restaurant and no other that I know of on the planet, for a limited time you could try the “Big N’ Tatsy”. Either no one told them of their mistake or it was simply too much trouble to correct until the next scheduled advertisement change, but for weeks we laughed as we drove by the establishment that sold the “Big N’ Tatsy”. To this day, in our home when something tastes especially good we deem it to be “Tatsy”.
That sign wasn’t immutable and after providing our family with a good deal of entertainment, it did eventually get changed. When we want to leave something open to change in our vernacular we can use several phrases to indicate that. We might say “I’ll pencil that in” suggesting that it could be erased if it becomes necessary to do so. We might also use the Phrase “It’s not chiseled in stone” to indicate that change might be possible. Sometimes we might say of something we do not want to be altered, “It has been written in indelible ink”. This statement is meant to convey that whatever has been written isn’t going away and is not subject to change. It is for this reason that we write checks or sign documents in indelible ink. The use of an inerasable media suggests that our signature represents our unchanging word of honor and even sometimes legally binds us to what we have signed in indelible ink. 
In the early 1980’s erasable ink pens became popular, and some makers of writing utensils still manufacture them today. During the height of their popularity they were so prolific that one had to look to make sure a legally binding document like a contract or check was not being filled out using one of these pens. They were popular because they had all of the look of something written with a regular ink pen but could be erased as necessary to correct spelling errors like ‘tatsy’. Actually they weren’t really an ink pen at all because they didn’t contain any ink. The media they utilized was technically a colored rubber cement that allowed it to be erased. Interestingly enough, not only were they not really ink pens, they weren’t even truly erasable. It took about 10 hours for the rubber cement to set, after which time whatever had been penned using one was not so easily removed.   
Ironically using ink, the Apostle Paul once wrote to the Corinthian church concerning indelible ink. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 his thoughts are recorded for us. Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!] 2 You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets o...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Indelible Ink 
Years ago while riding past a fast food restaurant in a nearby town my wife began laughing as she looked up at the sign where they advertised their current special sandwiches. There big as life was the offer to come in and enjoy their latest creation the “Big N’ Tatsy” Somehow the person placing the letters on the sign had reversed the correct order of the ‘S’ and the ‘T’. clearly it was supposed to read “Big N’ Tasty”. Lynn’s laughter increased as she turned her head to read the other side of the sign as we passed by, surely there was no way the mistake had been repeated there. And yet, no matter if you approached from the north or the south, at that restaurant and no other that I know of on the planet, for a limited time you could try the “Big N’ Tatsy”. Either no one told them of their mistake or it was simply too much trouble to correct until the next scheduled advertisement change, but for weeks we laughed as we drove by the establishment that sold the “Big N’ Tatsy”. To this day, in our home when something tastes especially good we deem it to be “Tatsy”.
That sign wasn’t immutable and after providing our family with a good deal of entertainment, it did eventually get changed. When we want to leave something open to change in our vernacular we can use several phrases to indicate that. We might say “I’ll pencil that in” suggesting that it could be erased if it becomes necessary to do so. We might also use the Phrase “It’s not chiseled in stone” to indicate that change might be possible. Sometimes we might say of something we do not want to be altered, “It has been written in indelible ink”. This statement is meant to convey that whatever has been written isn’t going away and is not subject to change. It is for this reason that we write checks or sign documents in indelible ink. The use of an inerasable media suggests that our signature represents our unchanging word of honor and even sometimes legally binds us to what we have signed in indelible ink. 
In the early 1980’s erasable ink pens became popular, and some makers of writing utensils still manufacture them today. During the height of their popularity they were so prolific that one had to look to make sure a legally binding document like a contract or check was not being filled out using one of these pens. They were popular because they had all of the look of something written with a regular ink pen but could be erased as necessary to correct spelling errors like ‘tatsy’. Actually they weren’t really an ink pen at all because they didn’t contain any ink. The media they utilized was technically a colored rubber cement that allowed it to be erased. Interestingly enough, not only were they not really ink pens, they weren’t even truly erasable. It took about 10 hours for the rubber cement to set, after which time whatever had been penned using one was not so easily removed.   
Ironically using ink, the Apostle Paul once wrote to the Corinthian church concerning indelible ink. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 his thoughts are recorded for us. Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!] 2 You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Read from the Amplified Bible.
Paul was saying that letters of recommendation concerning the message they were bringing were not needed. Though they would have been undoubtedly written in indelible ink and would have carried the full authority of whomever had written them, they were not necessary. He went on to use one of those phrases I spoke of earlier and said that it wouldn’t even bring further validity to their message if those letters authenticating them and the message were to be chiseled in stone. He said that he wasn’t even laying claim to the message. It had been delivered by him, but he understood it was written by the Spirit of God. He was explaining the message was not written with ink that could be destroyed, nor chiseled in stone that could be eroded with time, but rather that it was recorded on the tablets of their hearts. Paul was making the point that the changes in the hearts, minds, and indeed the lives of the people the message of Christ had impacted was far and away more authoritative and longer lasting than the most indelible of inks.
Our lives should be no different. The mark impressed on our heart, mind and our spirit by the presence of the Holy Spirit should be everlasting. The integrity He instills in us should be immovable. Others should be able to look at the witness of our life and know it to be unwavering. We don’t pencil Jesus into our lives…His presence and influence must be a permanent fixture. Our reflection of His character ought to run deeper than ink channeled into parchment by the pressure applied by a pen. It should be far more permanent than granite struck with chisel and hammer. As Christ followers. the impact of Jesus on our lives should run so deep that when people see us…they see Him…because His message of love, mercy, and grace is written indelibly on the tablet of our hearts.
So now, reflecting Jesus’ unchanging love, mercy, and grace toward everyone you meet...go be awesome!  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8190515441bbb6f5baac0b552b262c12.mp3" length="4505159" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8190515441bbb6f5baac0b552b262c12.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/indelible-ink-january-12th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ephesians 5:21-33 Vol. 2]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message. 
This week we are continuing with our study of Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33. Last time I spent the entirety of the episode exposing some of the truth contained in verse 21. There I share...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message. 
This week we are continuing with our study of Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33. Last time I spent the entirety of the episode exposing some of the truth contained in verse 21. There I shared with you the main idea found in that verse…we are to submit to one another out of our respect for The Lord. The specific words used in that verse are Submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord. In Romans 12:9-11 Paul expounds on this idea. There he wrote Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. How do we do this? Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Preferring one another, is simply another way of saying submitting to one another and offers evidence of two important things. First, we are serious about doing what God wants us to do, and second, we are willing to reflect Him by loving others just as He loves us.
As I said in that last edition, today I hope to begin looking at practical ways as husbands and wives that we can be in submission to one another. It is important that Paul offered these examples. Why? Without these practical suggestions the idea of submitting to one another might be viewed as circular reasoning. If we are to submit to one another, who goes first? As a husband am I to submit to my wife or is she to submit to me? Both. Am I supposed to lead in this endeavor or is she? We both are. The truth is that I am commanded to submit to her, she is also instructed to submit to me. My submission to her should occur without first considering if she has done so for me. She also is to be looking for opportunities to submit to me regardless of who the record indicates did so most recently. 
Remember, submitting to one another can also be described as preferring one another. When we look at the intent behind this instruction it becomes less offensive than our vernacular has sometimes caused us to view it. We often misunderstand submission as a plight forced upon us. This belief is unfortunate. It can tempt us to accept further errant thinking. If God requires we be under subjugation that may be used to excuse abusive behavior we might begin to believe that God actually endorses marital abuse. This belief might then suggest that perhaps God is not always good. All of these conclusions are designed by our spiritual enemy to rob us of the blessing of operating our marriages as designed. An abusive person will abuse whether their spouse is submissive or not. Those individuals do not need an excuse to abuse…they need a heart transplant. Spousal abuse is a very real thing, and I am in no way condoning or minimizing it. Let me be crystal clear…abuse it is wrong…always wrong. What I am saying is that submitting to or preferring one another within a marriage is not going to cause someone to be, or somehow give the license to be abusive. 
Submission is only correctly able to illustrate love if it is completely voluntary. Make no mistake, submitting to one another is voluntary though not at all optional. We are commanded to submit to one another out of our fear of, or respect for God. Nowhere in scripture are we commanded to require our spouse to submit to us. I submit to my wife Lynn, as an act of obedience to the one who gave the command. She did not compel the Apostle Paul to write Ephesians 5:21, the Holy Spirit did. I...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message. 
This week we are continuing with our study of Ephesians chapter 5 verses 21-33. Last time I spent the entirety of the episode exposing some of the truth contained in verse 21. There I shared with you the main idea found in that verse…we are to submit to one another out of our respect for The Lord. The specific words used in that verse are Submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord. In Romans 12:9-11 Paul expounds on this idea. There he wrote Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. How do we do this? Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Preferring one another, is simply another way of saying submitting to one another and offers evidence of two important things. First, we are serious about doing what God wants us to do, and second, we are willing to reflect Him by loving others just as He loves us.
As I said in that last edition, today I hope to begin looking at practical ways as husbands and wives that we can be in submission to one another. It is important that Paul offered these examples. Why? Without these practical suggestions the idea of submitting to one another might be viewed as circular reasoning. If we are to submit to one another, who goes first? As a husband am I to submit to my wife or is she to submit to me? Both. Am I supposed to lead in this endeavor or is she? We both are. The truth is that I am commanded to submit to her, she is also instructed to submit to me. My submission to her should occur without first considering if she has done so for me. She also is to be looking for opportunities to submit to me regardless of who the record indicates did so most recently. 
Remember, submitting to one another can also be described as preferring one another. When we look at the intent behind this instruction it becomes less offensive than our vernacular has sometimes caused us to view it. We often misunderstand submission as a plight forced upon us. This belief is unfortunate. It can tempt us to accept further errant thinking. If God requires we be under subjugation that may be used to excuse abusive behavior we might begin to believe that God actually endorses marital abuse. This belief might then suggest that perhaps God is not always good. All of these conclusions are designed by our spiritual enemy to rob us of the blessing of operating our marriages as designed. An abusive person will abuse whether their spouse is submissive or not. Those individuals do not need an excuse to abuse…they need a heart transplant. Spousal abuse is a very real thing, and I am in no way condoning or minimizing it. Let me be crystal clear…abuse it is wrong…always wrong. What I am saying is that submitting to or preferring one another within a marriage is not going to cause someone to be, or somehow give the license to be abusive. 
Submission is only correctly able to illustrate love if it is completely voluntary. Make no mistake, submitting to one another is voluntary though not at all optional. We are commanded to submit to one another out of our fear of, or respect for God. Nowhere in scripture are we commanded to require our spouse to submit to us. I submit to my wife Lynn, as an act of obedience to the one who gave the command. She did not compel the Apostle Paul to write Ephesians 5:21, the Holy Spirit did. I submit to her as an act of submission to God…He is the One who gave the command. It is true, Lynn will get the benefit of my preferring her, but I do not do it for her, I do it for Him. Likewise the same is true for her. I did not command her to submit to me, God did, and she does it for Him though I am the beneficiary of her obedience to her Lord. 
The original Greek text also intimates this is to be a voluntary action. The word used means to voluntarily place oneself under subjection to another. Submitting to one another can only be rightly accomplished when we choose to do so. We put into use the act of submission to another, they do not force it upon us. It is a position of strength not of weakness. 
I mentioned that the scripture that follows offers practical ways to practice submitting to one another. Before I begin to expound on those it is important to understand a few additional truths so that minds and hearts can be clear to accept the truth of God’s word with minimal internal argument. It is for just that reason that I have spent so much time expressing the truth that our submission to one another is to be mutual. It is also Why I have worked so diligently to help you see that our submission to our spouse is actually an act of submission to God. Furthermore, I feel it necessary to point out that the following verses are not reliant on their order. What I mean by this is that the order of the instructions are not in relationship to their importance. Words cannot be overlaid, one sentence has to be written before another can follow, it does not always mean they are written by order of priority. Such is the case with this scripture. In the following verses wives are going to be instructed as to how to best submit to their husbands (verses 22-24) and husbands are informed how to best prefer their wives above themselves (verses 25-29). This order could leave the incorrect impression that the second is dependent upon the existence of the first. In other words we might errantly come to the conclusion that a husband must prefer his wife…if…she is being submissive to him. Thankfully this scripture bookends these commandments in a way that does not allow for that thought process to hold true. Verse 21 where we began indicates that the submission is mutual and given in response to God as I pointed out moments ago. The closing of the passage, verse 33, also goes to dispel that incorrect conclusion because it completely reverses the order. The initial part of this passage spoke to wives first, then husbands. Verse 33 begins instructing husbands and concludes with the responsibilities held by wives. I believe completely that though scripture often has an if, then connotation this is not such a case and that fact is noted by overtly reversing the order of the individual commandments given as to how to mutually submit to one another.
Additionally, I believe that this passage was written this way to point out to us that it is not about us, it also isn’t about our spouse…it is about God. Marriage is all about reflecting the image and likeness of God. It is about interacting with one’s spouse in a way that represents well the attributes and character of God. As we study this passage further we will see clearly that how we interact with our spouse is a clear picture of how we interact with our God. In fact I like to see my relationship with my wife as the practice field designed for me to perfect my relationship with Christ. I believe that is the underlying intention of this whole passage. In order for my relationship with God to be what it ought to be I must learn to submit to Him. In my marriage He asks me to submit to or prefer my wife repetitiously, in this way I am being trained to submit to Him in all things. Scripture reinforces this line of thought. Colossians 3:18-24 says; Wives, be subject to your husbands [out of respect for their position as protector, and their accountability to God], as is proper and fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage]. Children, obey your parents [as God’s representatives] in all things, for this [attitude of respect and obedience] is well-pleasing to the Lord [and will bring you God’s promised blessings]. Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken]. Servants, in everything obey those who are your masters on earth, not only with external service, as those who merely please people, but with sincerity of heart because of your fear of the Lord. Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve. 
This scripture clearly illustrates the relationship between how we interact with our husband or wife and how we interact with Christ. Here I am given instruction on how to prefer my wife and she is told how she can submit to me, but in the latter verses we are told that without question who we are supposed to be doing it for. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.
Questions to answer:
•	Do you find that after a while your desire to do the things you know you should in response to your spouse begins to wane? 
•	Do you think that it might be different if your motivation for doing the right things toward your spouse was more clearly defined as doing them for the Lord?
•	How can you help yourself keep the correct motivation in mind?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss your past views about submission in marriage.
•	If your thoughts of submitting to a spouse used to be of a negative nature, talk together about why you have had that view and how you and your spouse can support submitting to one another without unduly raising those concerns.
•	Talk about ways you both see where preferring one another is currently taking place in your marriage.
So now, recognizing that your submission to one another is really about submitting to God…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/44aa878d3f4e0d961276dd4f52b889cd.mp3" length="8467173" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/44aa878d3f4e0d961276dd4f52b889cd.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ephesians-521-33-vol-2</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Who Told You? - January 8th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Eli Gonzalez]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Eli Gonzalez Reminds us Who we are in Christ.  
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Eli Gonzalez Reminds us Who we are in Christ.  
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

3:28 - Genesis 1 : 26-28
5:53 - Psalm 8 : 4-6
10:54 - Philippians 2 : 13
24:41 - Luke 4 : 1-15
43:42 - Jeremiah 31 : 31-34
47:25 - John 16 : 13-15
53:08 - Romans 8 : 16-17
56:01 - John 7 : 37-39]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Eli Gonzalez Reminds us Who we are in Christ.  
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

3:28 - Genesis 1 : 26-28
5:53 - Psalm 8 : 4-6
10:54 - Philippians 2 : 13
24:41 - Luke 4 : 1-15
43:42 - Jeremiah 31 : 31-34
47:25 - John 16 : 13-15
53:08 - Romans 8 : 16-17
56:01 - John 7 : 37-39]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7e9a2114699bf7ea141fb5ce37736809.mp3" length="37920052" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7e9a2114699bf7ea141fb5ce37736809.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/who-told-you-january-8th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Year's Resolutions - January 5th, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
I imagine all of us are guilty. I know I am. I’ll just be transparent with you. In the past, I have proclaimed that I was going to make seemingly necessary changes in m...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
I imagine all of us are guilty. I know I am. I’ll just be transparent with you. In the past, I have proclaimed that I was going to make seemingly necessary changes in my life. I have even attempted to harness the potential power of a “New Year” to fuel my purposeful behavior modifications. Yes, I am afraid it’s true, I am guilty of making New Year’s Resolutions. You might be asking, what’s wrong with resolutions? Aren’t we supposed to be about the business of bettering ourselves? The problem doesn’t necessarily lie with a desire to improve this or that, the difficulty is in the results. I make resolutions…but I am not resolute. I say on January 1st that this year I am going to exercise more…but I know that on December 31st I will not likely be able to claim that I have regularly exercised more this year than I have in years past. If the answer to that problem were to simply stop declaring I am going to make changes, my integrity might remain intact, but I would be seeking peace in lethargy. I am pretty sure that won’t work. I am also pretty certain that particular understanding is what propels me to desire to see more change. It all seems like a such vicious cycle…so what’s the real answer?
In year’s past I have repeated the age old “Dad Joke” that my “New Year’s Resolution this year is to not make any New Year’s Resolutions”. Like most Dad Jokes, all that one lacks is humor. So, since it’s not funny anyway…I’ve decided to take it seriously. This year I am not going to make any “new” New Year’s Resolutions. I am simply going to focus on being faithful to the commitments I have already made. One of my favorite definitions of a faithful person is this. Faithful people continue to do what they have been asked to do, with the same level of enthusiasm they had when first asked, until they are asked to do something else. Faithfulness it seems takes great resolve. 
I want to be known as someone who is faithful to what God asks of me. I want to be that guy who is so resolute that I can’t be pulled off task. 1 Corinthians 15:58 in the New Living Translation says; So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. Christ is the Beginning and the End, He wasn’t simply present at the beginning, and will be present at the end, He is the Beginning (time existed in His presence there) and He is the End (time will also exist in His presence there) Christ encompasses all, including time, time does not encompass Him. As my omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God, I can trust there is nothing He does not know, no place He is not preceding me, and nothing He cannot do (even using me). Because of all of that, and more than I could share with you in the limited time I have here, I can be confident that nothing I ever do for Him will be useless. I may not see the results with my own eyes, I may not experience the results in my lifetime, I may not even get to know what the results were supposed to be. None of that matters, because the results aren’t on me, those are His lane…obedience is mine. The verse I reference a moment ago is clear. My responsibilities are to be strong and immovable, and to work enthusiastically for the Lord. Those are simply obedience moves…the results of my obedience, those are His moves.
But what about the times when my resolution...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
I imagine all of us are guilty. I know I am. I’ll just be transparent with you. In the past, I have proclaimed that I was going to make seemingly necessary changes in my life. I have even attempted to harness the potential power of a “New Year” to fuel my purposeful behavior modifications. Yes, I am afraid it’s true, I am guilty of making New Year’s Resolutions. You might be asking, what’s wrong with resolutions? Aren’t we supposed to be about the business of bettering ourselves? The problem doesn’t necessarily lie with a desire to improve this or that, the difficulty is in the results. I make resolutions…but I am not resolute. I say on January 1st that this year I am going to exercise more…but I know that on December 31st I will not likely be able to claim that I have regularly exercised more this year than I have in years past. If the answer to that problem were to simply stop declaring I am going to make changes, my integrity might remain intact, but I would be seeking peace in lethargy. I am pretty sure that won’t work. I am also pretty certain that particular understanding is what propels me to desire to see more change. It all seems like a such vicious cycle…so what’s the real answer?
In year’s past I have repeated the age old “Dad Joke” that my “New Year’s Resolution this year is to not make any New Year’s Resolutions”. Like most Dad Jokes, all that one lacks is humor. So, since it’s not funny anyway…I’ve decided to take it seriously. This year I am not going to make any “new” New Year’s Resolutions. I am simply going to focus on being faithful to the commitments I have already made. One of my favorite definitions of a faithful person is this. Faithful people continue to do what they have been asked to do, with the same level of enthusiasm they had when first asked, until they are asked to do something else. Faithfulness it seems takes great resolve. 
I want to be known as someone who is faithful to what God asks of me. I want to be that guy who is so resolute that I can’t be pulled off task. 1 Corinthians 15:58 in the New Living Translation says; So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. Christ is the Beginning and the End, He wasn’t simply present at the beginning, and will be present at the end, He is the Beginning (time existed in His presence there) and He is the End (time will also exist in His presence there) Christ encompasses all, including time, time does not encompass Him. As my omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God, I can trust there is nothing He does not know, no place He is not preceding me, and nothing He cannot do (even using me). Because of all of that, and more than I could share with you in the limited time I have here, I can be confident that nothing I ever do for Him will be useless. I may not see the results with my own eyes, I may not experience the results in my lifetime, I may not even get to know what the results were supposed to be. None of that matters, because the results aren’t on me, those are His lane…obedience is mine. The verse I reference a moment ago is clear. My responsibilities are to be strong and immovable, and to work enthusiastically for the Lord. Those are simply obedience moves…the results of my obedience, those are His moves.
But what about the times when my resolution to be faithful are met with adversity? James 1:2-4 answers that question. It says; Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. Apparently, the plan is that we are supposed to let the adversity build more resolve. Because we know ahead of time that adversity will come…and it will…Jesus said so, we can take joy in it because we also know that He intends to use it to produce some awesome results. Jesus wants to take all of the obstacles in our lives and use them to show us that when we see Him bring us through, our faith increases. As our faith and confidence in Him increase, we have far more patience, endurance or resolve that He will always bring us through…no matter what the adversity might be. James goes on to say that as our patience or endurance becomes fully developed, we will have all that we need. Only a good, good God would make sure to use even our negative experiences to bring about positive change in our lives!
But then that’s what He promised He would do right? Romans 8:28-29 say; And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. God is more than happy to take every trouble, difficulty and outright evil that comes against us and use it to make us more like His beloved Son, Jesus. His plan is to accomplish His work in you and you can trust that work is for your best. So resolve to be strong and immovable, be resolute that you will take joy in your adversities, be faithful knowing that God has your back!
So, make your New Year’s Resolutions if you will…I won’t judge you for it. I think this year I’ll pass though…and ask you to give me the same grace. By the power of the Spirit of Grace, let’s resolve together to hold to a commitment already on the books. Let’s all choose to walk in faithfulness before our God. Let’s all be grateful for another year to serve Him. Let’s encourage one another to continue doing the last thing He asked us to do, with the same enthusiasm we had when He first asked, until He asks us to do something else. That way we can all be men and women of outstanding faithfulness.
So now being a faithful child of the King…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f21d930e8f0e8b10a899c57cf1ed14c7.mp3" length="5051578" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f21d930e8f0e8b10a899c57cf1ed14c7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-years-resolutions-january-5th-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pull out The Weeds - January 1st, 2023]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Reminds us to tend to our Garden.  
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Reminds us to tend to our Garden.  
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

7:56 - Hebrews 11 : 6
12:49 - Hebrews 12 : 1-3
29:21 - Galatians 5 : 1
33:38 - Romans 6 : 11-13
40:30 - 1 John 1 : 9
41:33 - 2 Chronicles 7 : 14
42:50 - Joshua 1 : 9]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Reminds us to tend to our Garden.  
For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

7:56 - Hebrews 11 : 6
12:49 - Hebrews 12 : 1-3
29:21 - Galatians 5 : 1
33:38 - Romans 6 : 11-13
40:30 - 1 John 1 : 9
41:33 - 2 Chronicles 7 : 14
42:50 - Joshua 1 : 9]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/800832455ead773106a223f9b8e885af.mp3" length="28529186" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/800832455ead773106a223f9b8e885af.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/pull-out-the-weeds-january-1st-2023</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2023 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Shepherds, Angels and a Manger]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Actually, this Thursday I will not be sharing with you my own thoughts. Fort the past three years on the Thursday before Christmas I have shared someone else’s thoughts with you. I have read a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Actually, this Thursday I will not be sharing with you my own thoughts. Fort the past three years on the Thursday before Christmas I have shared someone else’s thoughts with you. I have read a poem or essay someone wrote that I find to convey important truths about the greatest gift ever given at Christmas…Jesus! Today I want to share the thoughts of Dr. Wilson concerning the night that Jesus was born. I came across this account he had written from the perspective of the shepherds and I felt it especially worthy of sharing with you today. 
Shepherds, Angels and a Manger
The hundreds of sheep were quiet now, except for an occasional bleat.  Night had fallen, stars were sharp in the nippy sky, and shepherds reclined on a steep hillside above Bethlehem, watching their flocks.
The men talked quietly, their low voices soothing to the animals.  Old Elias had spent his lifetime on these sheep fields.  Then there was Judah ben-Ozzri, twenty years old and cynical.  His uncle had been imprisoned by Roman occupation troops for some minor offense.  When he could, Judah plotted secretly with a unit of Zealot guerrillas.  David, Israel’s greatest king, had been a shepherd on Bethlehem’s hills a millennium before.  As a teenager, David had defeated the giant Goliath and thrown off the yoke of Philistine tyranny.  Judah ben-Ozzri longed to do the same.  If only a Leader, a Deliver, would come
and drive the cursed Romans from their land!
“The lambs will all die before long,” he muttered darkly.  “Only the ewes will survive.”
“Eh?” said Elias, a bit too loudly.  His hearing had faded over the years.
Judah spoke a bit louder, “The ewes will be sheared next summer, and bear more lambs, but the lambs themselves….”
“What?” asked Elias, leaning closer.
“The lambs,” said Judah loudly into his ear, “won’t live beyond Passover. In the Jerusalem temple, they’ll be sacrificed.”
“Ah, Passover in the temple,” returned Elias. “On the Holy Day they’ll sacrifice a lamb for each family.”
Jerusalem and its temple were just six miles north of Bethlehem, and supplying lambs for the Passover sacrifice was these shepherds’ livelihood.
“Passover…” reflected the old man. “I wish I could have seen the first Passover!”
Elias would rather talk than listen, since it was hard for him to catch the words when others spoke.
“Moses was our Deliverer on that first Passover night when God’s judgment fell upon Egypt.”  As he spoke, his listeners could picture the destroying angel that had passed through Egypt.  “The Egyptian firstborn were killed,” said Elias, “but each Israelite slave family had sacrificed a precious lamb, and put its blood across the top and on both sides of their doorways.  Their sins were atoned for, the lamb’s life for theirs.  And God’s terrible judgment passed over them.”
“The ewes will live on,” repeated Judah, “but the lambs will be sacrificed.”
“What?” said Elias, but Judah didn’t say it again.
“I don’t think I’d like to be a lamb,” the youngest shepherd said solemnly.
The shepherds now fell silent, and tugged their heavy cloaks about them to shelter them from the whistling wind.  Their eyes were accustomed to the blackness.  Every few moments they would look up to scan the hills for wolves or thieves.  They weren’t about to lose sheep by carelessness.
All of a sudden their hillside was flooded by the light of a thousand arc lamps, blinding them with its intensity.  When they could...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Actually, this Thursday I will not be sharing with you my own thoughts. Fort the past three years on the Thursday before Christmas I have shared someone else’s thoughts with you. I have read a poem or essay someone wrote that I find to convey important truths about the greatest gift ever given at Christmas…Jesus! Today I want to share the thoughts of Dr. Wilson concerning the night that Jesus was born. I came across this account he had written from the perspective of the shepherds and I felt it especially worthy of sharing with you today. 
Shepherds, Angels and a Manger
The hundreds of sheep were quiet now, except for an occasional bleat.  Night had fallen, stars were sharp in the nippy sky, and shepherds reclined on a steep hillside above Bethlehem, watching their flocks.
The men talked quietly, their low voices soothing to the animals.  Old Elias had spent his lifetime on these sheep fields.  Then there was Judah ben-Ozzri, twenty years old and cynical.  His uncle had been imprisoned by Roman occupation troops for some minor offense.  When he could, Judah plotted secretly with a unit of Zealot guerrillas.  David, Israel’s greatest king, had been a shepherd on Bethlehem’s hills a millennium before.  As a teenager, David had defeated the giant Goliath and thrown off the yoke of Philistine tyranny.  Judah ben-Ozzri longed to do the same.  If only a Leader, a Deliver, would come
and drive the cursed Romans from their land!
“The lambs will all die before long,” he muttered darkly.  “Only the ewes will survive.”
“Eh?” said Elias, a bit too loudly.  His hearing had faded over the years.
Judah spoke a bit louder, “The ewes will be sheared next summer, and bear more lambs, but the lambs themselves….”
“What?” asked Elias, leaning closer.
“The lambs,” said Judah loudly into his ear, “won’t live beyond Passover. In the Jerusalem temple, they’ll be sacrificed.”
“Ah, Passover in the temple,” returned Elias. “On the Holy Day they’ll sacrifice a lamb for each family.”
Jerusalem and its temple were just six miles north of Bethlehem, and supplying lambs for the Passover sacrifice was these shepherds’ livelihood.
“Passover…” reflected the old man. “I wish I could have seen the first Passover!”
Elias would rather talk than listen, since it was hard for him to catch the words when others spoke.
“Moses was our Deliverer on that first Passover night when God’s judgment fell upon Egypt.”  As he spoke, his listeners could picture the destroying angel that had passed through Egypt.  “The Egyptian firstborn were killed,” said Elias, “but each Israelite slave family had sacrificed a precious lamb, and put its blood across the top and on both sides of their doorways.  Their sins were atoned for, the lamb’s life for theirs.  And God’s terrible judgment passed over them.”
“The ewes will live on,” repeated Judah, “but the lambs will be sacrificed.”
“What?” said Elias, but Judah didn’t say it again.
“I don’t think I’d like to be a lamb,” the youngest shepherd said solemnly.
The shepherds now fell silent, and tugged their heavy cloaks about them to shelter them from the whistling wind.  Their eyes were accustomed to the blackness.  Every few moments they would look up to scan the hills for wolves or thieves.  They weren’t about to lose sheep by carelessness.
All of a sudden their hillside was flooded by the light of a thousand arc lamps, blinding them with its intensity.  When they could finally see, a man in shining apparel stood before them.  “Do not be afraid,” he declared in the ringing voice of a herald.
“I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David
a Deliverer has been born to you.
He is the Lord’s Messiah.”
“The Messiah! The Deliverer!” breathed Judah ben-Ozzri.  “He is come at last to set our people free.”
They could scarcely comprehend. Good news! Great joy!  In the town of David, the Son of David is born this night.  The Lord’s Messiah! The shining man, glowing with the very Shekinah glory of God, had declared it.  It must be so!
The angel continued: “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
What a strange sign.  But there was no time to think.
Now the shining angel drew himself to full height, and as he opened out his arms, the radiance and glory upon him began to spread until it covered rank after rank of angels, the heavenly host, the army of God himself — more and more, company after company, battalion after battalion, began to fill the sky.  And now they began to chant, to shout in unison.
“Glory to God in highest.”
The sound bounced off the hills and echoed from the valleys, like the rumble of thunder, like the roar of a great waterfall, the shout of triumph reverberated.  The shout of worship, the shout of honor, the shout of glorious praise.
“Glory to God in the highest,” they shouted together with one enormous voice of worship.
“Glory to God in the highest,” they chanted in unison, the overwhelming resonance blotting out everything else and infecting shepherds with its utter joy.  The host of God, overcome with awe at the archangel words, now shouted again, “Glory to God in the highest!  And on earth Shalom — peace — to those whom God has favored.”
Again and again the waves of praise rolled over the hillsides, until finally the voices began to fade, and only in the distance could the shepherds still hear shouts of “Glory, glory, glory,” that finally diminished to silence at last.  The brilliant light, too, was fading, like the final streaks of sunlight dipping below the horizon and painting the clouds red and pink in departing splendor.
Old Elias was first to speak, “Praise the Lord, dear friends.  We have witnessed what the prophets only dreamed of.”
“Angels,” breathed the youngest.
“The hosts of God’s army,” said Judah.
“Something greater still,” Elias said. “The chance to see the Lord’s Messiah with our own eyes. You heard the angel. He’s here, yonder in Bethlehem, and we must find him.  The angel told us how — a baby, wrapped in the swaddling bands of a newborn, lying in a manger…. A manger,” repeated the old man.
You could find dozens of cattle troughs if you searched all the outlying farms, but a manger with a newborn lying in it — that was the sign!  In Bethlehem itself, Elias could think of just one — inside a cave at the very edge of town where travelers’ animals were quartered.  The old man careened down the hillside at a pace that left the younger shepherds breathless.  He was ahead of them now, almost running to the cave behind the inn.
When they finally caught up, the old man was standing at the doorway to the cave, tears running down his cheeks.
“The Son of David,” he was saying, “The Lord’s Messiah.  The Deliverer has come.”
The shepherds moved inside and knelt at the manger, peering at the sleeping baby boy, all tightly wrapped in swaddling bands.
The youngest explained to the mother, “An angel told us,” he stammered, “and then thousands, millions of angels filled the sky, lit up with God’s light. ‘Glory to God,’ they shouted, and we joined them until we were hoarse, until they were gone.”
Then Elias addressed her. “Young woman, mother of this blessed Child.  You are one of the favored ones of whom the angels spoke, upon whom God’s glory and grace is resting tonight.”
You could see her lips form the words, “Yes, I know,” but no voice came.
The old shepherd went on, “The angel told us that your Child is God’s promised Messiah, our Deliverer.”
Then the old man was silent.  He just knelt there for a few more moments.  Finally he rose up, took the mother’s hand, and pressed it with his own. “God has entrusted you to raise his own Son, my dear. Our prayers are with you.”
He motioned his compatriots towards the door, and they got up, leaving the cave and its manger and its Christ-Child.  Nor were the shepherds silent about what they had seen.  They spread the good news far and wide.
Then they went back to their flocks, and carefully tended lambs that were destined for sacrifice on Passover.  And though they could not know or understand it, the baby Deliverer in the manger would not challenge the Roman oppressors, but instead deliver us from the sin and death that oppress us all.  For these lamb-herders had seen God’s Lamb, born to be a Passover sacrifice for the sins of the entire world.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, Shalom, for us all.
So now, Living in the Shalom that only Jesus can provide, celebrate Him this Christmas…and go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f3692ca40da0f36eb49108d079239912.mp3" length="5686969" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f3692ca40da0f36eb49108d079239912.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/shepherds-angels-and-a-manger</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Eph. 5:21-33 Vol. 1]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, Pastor Ken here with the Monday Marriage Message, thanks for joining me.
As I mentioned last week we are going to begin looking at an entire selection of scripture having to do with marriage and will continue for as many episodes as necessary to insp...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, Pastor Ken here with the Monday Marriage Message, thanks for joining me.
As I mentioned last week we are going to begin looking at an entire selection of scripture having to do with marriage and will continue for as many episodes as necessary to inspect it and glean from it what we can. I am more than sure that I will be unable to pick any branch clean and note every truth contained therein, but I look forward to the process of doing the best I am able. I am cognizant that God’s word says that His ways and thoughts are immeasurably higher than mine, but I am equally aware that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells me that all scripture is useful for teaching us how to live…and that certainly includes our marriages. 
The scripture I have chosen to begin with today is a very familiar passage. I have utilized it often in my own teaching on the subject of marriage and it is probably the most used by others for that purpose as well. In fact, Ephesians chapter 5 is highlighted in many bibles as the marriage chapter. We usually look at verses 22-33 of that chapter for instruction on marriage, but for the purposes of our study of this passage, I want to begin with verse 21. In this first episode dedicated to this particular passage, I will read the passage in its entirety, and then we will begin to digest it from the beginning. In subsequent editions, I will simply pick up where we left off the week before.
Ephesians 5:21-33 as read from the New King James Version.
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Beginning with verse 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. I think it highly important to start here rather than with the ensuing verse. When people read this passage of scripture beginning with verse 22 the erroneous understanding that can emerge is that wives alone are required to submit. Nothing could be further from the truth. No wonder wives throughout history have resisted this scripture! When taken out of context it appears to make her and her alone responsible to live subject to another. I have heard it taught that the pushback that wives exhibit to verse 22 is a manifestation of the curse resulting from the original sin of humankind. This idea comes from what God said to Eve recorded in Genesis 3:16 To the woman He (God) said: I...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, Pastor Ken here with the Monday Marriage Message, thanks for joining me.
As I mentioned last week we are going to begin looking at an entire selection of scripture having to do with marriage and will continue for as many episodes as necessary to inspect it and glean from it what we can. I am more than sure that I will be unable to pick any branch clean and note every truth contained therein, but I look forward to the process of doing the best I am able. I am cognizant that God’s word says that His ways and thoughts are immeasurably higher than mine, but I am equally aware that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells me that all scripture is useful for teaching us how to live…and that certainly includes our marriages. 
The scripture I have chosen to begin with today is a very familiar passage. I have utilized it often in my own teaching on the subject of marriage and it is probably the most used by others for that purpose as well. In fact, Ephesians chapter 5 is highlighted in many bibles as the marriage chapter. We usually look at verses 22-33 of that chapter for instruction on marriage, but for the purposes of our study of this passage, I want to begin with verse 21. In this first episode dedicated to this particular passage, I will read the passage in its entirety, and then we will begin to digest it from the beginning. In subsequent editions, I will simply pick up where we left off the week before.
Ephesians 5:21-33 as read from the New King James Version.
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Beginning with verse 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. I think it highly important to start here rather than with the ensuing verse. When people read this passage of scripture beginning with verse 22 the erroneous understanding that can emerge is that wives alone are required to submit. Nothing could be further from the truth. No wonder wives throughout history have resisted this scripture! When taken out of context it appears to make her and her alone responsible to live subject to another. I have heard it taught that the pushback that wives exhibit to verse 22 is a manifestation of the curse resulting from the original sin of humankind. This idea comes from what God said to Eve recorded in Genesis 3:16 To the woman He (God) said: I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. I believe that we often look at the “curse” that we read of in Genesis chapter 3 incorrectly. I think it is perceived by many as God essentially saying to Adam and Eve, “You have broken my rules so now I am angry with you and am going to curse you as a punishment for your disobedience”. This is not at all the spirit of the passage. Chapter 3 begins with a description of the serpent (Satan) deceiving Eve, and Adam deciding to go against the instruction God had given him, as he joined her in rebellion against God. Surprisingly, we do not see as we might expect, an angry God. The scripture tells us that God (who by the way is omniscient) came that evening seeking to spend time with Adam and Eve, as He did every day. After Adam who was hiding with Eve, disclosed what transpired, God acted in love. He did not kill Adam out of anger, instead, out of love He killed another of His creation, an animal, shed its blood to make a covering for Adam and Eve and the recognition of their nakedness and vulnerability that sin had exposed. God then cursed the serpent…and explained to Adam and Eve how the consequences of their selfishness and distrust of Him would now impact their lives. After this description of life going forward, His mercy on them was further exemplified. Genesis 3:22 tells us that because God knew that Adam and Eve had now experienced evil, He was concerned that if they ate from the tree of life, they would be trapped forever in their sinful condition. To guard them from this irreparable danger, God lovingly put them outside the garden where they would be unable to access potential eternal life separated from Himself.
I mention all of this because sometimes people get the idea that God was mad at Adam and Eve for ruining His perfect plan and in anger, He cursed them by making theirs and every subsequent marriage a contentious relationship. It can be deduced (though I believe incorrectly) that marriage has to be problematic and inherently difficult because of ‘paradise lost’. Yes it is true that while in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect unity, perfect equality, together perfectly reflecting the character and qualities of their Creator God. There they acted, spoke, and lived in perfect harmony under the leadership of God. In that place, all was in perfect order, man and woman together on equal footing under the authority of God. As a result of their sin and their understanding of good and evil they did have to be placed outside of the Garden for their own protection as I explained a moment ago. One of the consequences of living outside the Garden was they could no longer walk daily with God, looking to Him for their collective leadership. With a continued need for order, for all things operate correctly under the constraint of order, God chose the first created, Adam to have responsibility for the wellbeing of his wife Eve. This less-than-perfect order of Husband, lord over wife, and wife, subservient to her husband was necessary because the perfectly designed order had been broken by Adam and Eve’s selfishness and distrust in God’s direction. It remained so until Jesus came as the perfect sacrifice for their and our sin and made a way for the relationship between mankind and God to be restored. 
Under the new covenant, human beings are again able to walk daily with God. Husbands and wives can once again operate in equality, together looking to God for the headship of their marriages. We still reside in a profoundly fallen world and perfection will not be possible until God creates the “New Heaven and the New Earth” described for us in Revelation chapter 21. However, God once again desires husbands and wives to act as completely equal partners following His lead and reflecting Him as they were originally created to do. The Apostle Paul speaks of this restored equality in Christ in Galatians 3:28, and yet the order outside of Eden remains in effect. Paul is not saying in that scripture that we are no longer men or women, or that there are no longer those who are in authority over and under the authority of others, He is simply making the point that in Christ we all have equal status. It is the same Paul who wrote what we are studying here in Ephesians 5:21-33. What this means is that the order God set in place after the fall remains, but the restored equality we have in Christ should also impact our marriages. 
This understanding is actually clarified for us if we begin reading this portion of scripture from Ephesians 5 starting with verse 21 as I suggest we should. 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. When we begin here we see clearly that in Christ, submission in marriage is a two way street. The husband and wife’s equality are exemplified in that they are both required to submit to one another. The phrase “in the fear of God” suggests this state of marital equality to operate under the headship of God, as originally designed. As we continue next time, we will discover practical ways Paul suggests that we can submit to one another best. I hope that this new format is as much a blessing to you as it is to me. I am thoroughly enjoying the process of the Holy Spirit connecting the dots as we work our way through this passage offered to us to develop marital oneness.
Questions to answer:
•	What are your thoughts about the loss of perfect equality between Adam and Eve being one of the casualties of their sin?
•	In light of that, when you consider Jesus being the perfect Lamb who came to take away the sin of the world, what effect should a personal relationship with Him have on restoring marital equality and unity?
•	What difficulties do you recognize sin has caused you and your spouse to have operating in perfect equality, unity and harmony? 
Actions to take:
•	Commit to reading Ephesians 5:21-33 at least 3-5 times per week during the course of our study and ask God to reveal even further truths to you that can impact the way you and your spouse interact with each other and with Him.
So now, in awe of God, and as an act of renewed equality and unity found in Christ, submit to one another…and Go Be Awesome! 
Allow me to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! In light of the holidays, which are no doubt offering many of us opportunities to be busy spending time with friends and family, I will not be podcasting next week. I will look forward to continuing our study of Ephesians chapter 5 in the New Year, see you then.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d706d1b5d06d41e29ee1a0a82719ae44.mp3" length="18093591" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d706d1b5d06d41e29ee1a0a82719ae44.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/eph-521-33-vol-1</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do It Again...Do It Again! - December 15th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Do It Again, Do It Again”
For over a decade now I have been affectionately known as Papa to my grandchildren. Over the years, the number of little voices referring to me that way has grown to...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Do It Again, Do It Again”
For over a decade now I have been affectionately known as Papa to my grandchildren. Over the years, the number of little voices referring to me that way has grown to be more than the number of years that I have held the title. When my grandchildren were little I would do fun things with them like hold them in my arms and twirl around as fast as I could allowing the centrifugal force to carry them outward. Sometimes I would toss them up into the air (just inches from my grasp of course) and then “catch them” on their way down. On occasion I would bounce them on my knee or reach out and tickle them as they went by my chair. Regardless of the game we were playing, one thing remained a constant. When I would tire of the game, often because it had actually become physically taxing for me to continue, their response was the same. Invariably they would come back to me just moments…or even seconds after I stopped, and plead with me…Do it again Papa, do it again”. Whatever we had just been engaged in, they were having fun, they were enjoying it, and they wanted it to continue. Out of that desire came their pleading for me to “Do it again Papa…do it again.
Our heavenly Papa has times when He looks at us and says, “Do it again…do it again”. So what is it that God wants us to “Do again”? And why does He want us to do certain things with repetition? 
One of the activities He asks us to do again and again comes from Matthew 16:24-25. It reads as follows from the Amplified Bible.  24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. While it is true that Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is a onetime event in our lives, Jesus made the point here that as a result of that decision there are things that we will need to do again and again until the day we find ourselves safely with Him in heaven. We will have to deny ourselves repeatedly. A walk with Christ does not make us devoid of desires, some of those desires are selfish. To respond correctly Jesus said we will need to deny them, and willingly accept whatever may be come as a result. If we ‘do it again’ each day He promises to give us the necessary grace to face the resulting situations, but we still have to make the daily choice (sometimes moment by moment) to deny ourselves, accept whatever comes…and follow Him. That means that no matter the consequences…we choose to look and act like Jesus. And the consequences may end up being severe. In a recent trip overseas I was privileged to meet Christians who had been born into the Muslim faith. For some of them, their decision to follow Jesus had regrettably severed ties with their own families. They were treated as outcasts, ostracized by their own mothers and fathers. What a blessing to get to meet Christians who know what it means to lose their lives (their own identity) to follow Jesus and accept the identity they have in Him! Jesus went on to say that it migh...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Do It Again, Do It Again”
For over a decade now I have been affectionately known as Papa to my grandchildren. Over the years, the number of little voices referring to me that way has grown to be more than the number of years that I have held the title. When my grandchildren were little I would do fun things with them like hold them in my arms and twirl around as fast as I could allowing the centrifugal force to carry them outward. Sometimes I would toss them up into the air (just inches from my grasp of course) and then “catch them” on their way down. On occasion I would bounce them on my knee or reach out and tickle them as they went by my chair. Regardless of the game we were playing, one thing remained a constant. When I would tire of the game, often because it had actually become physically taxing for me to continue, their response was the same. Invariably they would come back to me just moments…or even seconds after I stopped, and plead with me…Do it again Papa, do it again”. Whatever we had just been engaged in, they were having fun, they were enjoying it, and they wanted it to continue. Out of that desire came their pleading for me to “Do it again Papa…do it again.
Our heavenly Papa has times when He looks at us and says, “Do it again…do it again”. So what is it that God wants us to “Do again”? And why does He want us to do certain things with repetition? 
One of the activities He asks us to do again and again comes from Matthew 16:24-25. It reads as follows from the Amplified Bible.  24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. While it is true that Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is a onetime event in our lives, Jesus made the point here that as a result of that decision there are things that we will need to do again and again until the day we find ourselves safely with Him in heaven. We will have to deny ourselves repeatedly. A walk with Christ does not make us devoid of desires, some of those desires are selfish. To respond correctly Jesus said we will need to deny them, and willingly accept whatever may be come as a result. If we ‘do it again’ each day He promises to give us the necessary grace to face the resulting situations, but we still have to make the daily choice (sometimes moment by moment) to deny ourselves, accept whatever comes…and follow Him. That means that no matter the consequences…we choose to look and act like Jesus. And the consequences may end up being severe. In a recent trip overseas I was privileged to meet Christians who had been born into the Muslim faith. For some of them, their decision to follow Jesus had regrettably severed ties with their own families. They were treated as outcasts, ostracized by their own mothers and fathers. What a blessing to get to meet Christians who know what it means to lose their lives (their own identity) to follow Jesus and accept the identity they have in Him! Jesus went on to say that it might even mean a physical death to follow Him, but He reminds us in this scripture that anything we lose for Him in this life will be well worth it when we have eternal life with Him. Our heavenly father loves it when He sees us deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow His Son, Jesus. And His response to seeing that take place? “Do it again child…do it again”.
In Romans 12:10 Paul wrote about another ‘Do it again’ request that comes from God. There it tells us to Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. This is practical instruction that helps us know how to follow the directive above. It gives specific instruction as to one way we can be like Christ. When Jesus submitted to God the Father and came to earth in the form of His own creation He did not do so because He had a need to come, He did it because we had need of Him to come and make the ultimate sacrifice paying the penalty for the sin of humankind…once and for all! He came giving preference to us and our need, out of His great love for us. So if we want to look like Jesus, if we want to take on His character, then we must learn to honor others give preference to one another. Why does he ask us to do this again and again? I believe it is because He knows that as human beings we learn best through repetition. There is going to come a day when those of us who know and love Jesus will go to be with Him in glory. There we will be asked to return the favor He showed to us. There we are asked for eternity to prefer Him, to give Him all of the honor and love he is deserving of. Recently I had a conversation with some men where I asked a legitimate question. How many years is it appropriate for us to spend on our faces thanking Jesus for what He has done for us once we get to heaven? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand years? A million? A billion? You get the idea. I am not sure if eternity is going to be long enough! If we are going to prefer Him alone for that length of time, then acts of selflessness are probably something we can all use as much practice at as we can get now. I am convinced that when God sees us selflessly loving one another by preferring other’s needs above our own, He says, “Do it again daughter… Do it again son”.
While I am on the subject of a loving God who was willing to give His one and only Son to die in our place so that we can live, if we are going to be like Him in that way, we definitely need to learn to become givers. Givers of our time, givers of our talents, givers of His love. How do we become givers? Through repetition. Through doing it again and again. I believe this is the idea behind the tithe. God’s word says that he doesn’t need our money. Psalm 50:10-12 in the New Living Translation reads as follows; 10 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. Here God is clearly saying, He owns it all and if He physically had need of anything (which He doesn’t) He certainly wouldn’t come to us to meet His need, He would take it from His own infinite wealth. So, if God doesn’t need our money why ask for it? In the book of Malachi, He quite clearly says that we should bring our first fruits into His storehouse, which represents the local church in our society. Moreover He says that if we fail to do so we are robbing Him! So why does He ask for our tithe? I believe whole heartedly it is because the ultimate giver wants to make us awesome givers as well. As a part of the lesson He uses repetition and asks us to tithe again and again and again. So when God sees us tithing with a joyful heart and becoming happy givers I think He looks at us and says, “Do it again loved ones of mine…do it again”.
So now, in response to your heavenly Papa, Do it again…Do it again, so that His joy and yours may be full…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b17e34c8bb57c453d6f6b0bc56e1c84b.mp3" length="5679019" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b17e34c8bb57c453d6f6b0bc56e1c84b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-it-againdo-it-again-december-15th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Exposing the Truth]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message.
As those of you who have been joining me for this marriage podcast know, I always attach scripture to the marital concepts I share. The reason for this is obvious....]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message.
As those of you who have been joining me for this marriage podcast know, I always attach scripture to the marital concepts I share. The reason for this is obvious. As a pastoral counselor, I believe that there is undoubtedly a single source for all wisdom. Human beings can, and do, from time to time settle on a wise conclusion, but even blind squirrels find nuts once in a while. Any wisdom we quote-unquote “discover” is exactly that, a discovery. It is not our knowledge, it is God’s truth and we have simply had it revealed to us. Gravity is not Sir Isaac Newton’s concept; he simply recognized that it existed. Apples fell from trees long before one reportedly hit him on the head. God does allow for us to access some of His wisdom concerning marriage (among other things) through sources other than His written word. I have spoken before of the fact that Malachi 2:15 indicates that God endows every marriage (even ones that do not acknowledge Him) with a portion of His Holy Spirit. With this gift, there have been certain quote-unquote “rules” pertaining to marriage regardless of historical, societal, or religious context. This continuity is only possible with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom He attempts to unveil in every marital union. Additionally, In Romans 2:14-15 Paul writes that God has written His law upon the hearts of those who are His people and even those who are not. Paul says that without this knowledge of right and wrong given to us directly from God, we could not even possess a conscience. Again, these are examples of our limited ability to know truth aside from the Word, but they were never intended to be substitutions for the Word, nor should they ever be construed to be remotely equivalent. The Psalmist wrote, Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11) This verse indicates notable truths about the truth. First, it is all His truth, His word. Second, it is our responsibility to seek out and discover His truth so that we can possess it. Finally, once it is in our possession, it is our responsibility to employ His truth so that we are able to live as we ought to and in the way that will be most profitable for us.
It is for all of the reasons mentioned above that I am unwilling to offer any episode of this podcast without scriptural basis and reference. My hope is that as I offer these truths to you from God’s Word, and make you aware of where I obtained them, that you will go and search them out yourselves. I pray that you will be induced to spend time for yourselves in God’s word giving His Holy Spirit the opportunity to reveal some of these same…and additional truths to you, concerning your life and your marriage. There is an old saying that “Knowledge is power”, but that is a lie…Knowledge employed is power. It is only when we seek out, discover what God’s word has to say to us…and employ it…put it to use, that we begin to see real change and lasting improvement in our marriages and other facets of our walk with God. 
Every week for the last 16 months I have offered biblical concepts that are intended to show you how to employ God’s wisdom and power to strengthen your marriage. Sometimes I have stayed with a concept for a number of weeks and developed a series surrounding that particular truth. Most of the time the concepts have varied from week to week. It has been comfortable...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message.
As those of you who have been joining me for this marriage podcast know, I always attach scripture to the marital concepts I share. The reason for this is obvious. As a pastoral counselor, I believe that there is undoubtedly a single source for all wisdom. Human beings can, and do, from time to time settle on a wise conclusion, but even blind squirrels find nuts once in a while. Any wisdom we quote-unquote “discover” is exactly that, a discovery. It is not our knowledge, it is God’s truth and we have simply had it revealed to us. Gravity is not Sir Isaac Newton’s concept; he simply recognized that it existed. Apples fell from trees long before one reportedly hit him on the head. God does allow for us to access some of His wisdom concerning marriage (among other things) through sources other than His written word. I have spoken before of the fact that Malachi 2:15 indicates that God endows every marriage (even ones that do not acknowledge Him) with a portion of His Holy Spirit. With this gift, there have been certain quote-unquote “rules” pertaining to marriage regardless of historical, societal, or religious context. This continuity is only possible with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom He attempts to unveil in every marital union. Additionally, In Romans 2:14-15 Paul writes that God has written His law upon the hearts of those who are His people and even those who are not. Paul says that without this knowledge of right and wrong given to us directly from God, we could not even possess a conscience. Again, these are examples of our limited ability to know truth aside from the Word, but they were never intended to be substitutions for the Word, nor should they ever be construed to be remotely equivalent. The Psalmist wrote, Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11) This verse indicates notable truths about the truth. First, it is all His truth, His word. Second, it is our responsibility to seek out and discover His truth so that we can possess it. Finally, once it is in our possession, it is our responsibility to employ His truth so that we are able to live as we ought to and in the way that will be most profitable for us.
It is for all of the reasons mentioned above that I am unwilling to offer any episode of this podcast without scriptural basis and reference. My hope is that as I offer these truths to you from God’s Word, and make you aware of where I obtained them, that you will go and search them out yourselves. I pray that you will be induced to spend time for yourselves in God’s word giving His Holy Spirit the opportunity to reveal some of these same…and additional truths to you, concerning your life and your marriage. There is an old saying that “Knowledge is power”, but that is a lie…Knowledge employed is power. It is only when we seek out, discover what God’s word has to say to us…and employ it…put it to use, that we begin to see real change and lasting improvement in our marriages and other facets of our walk with God. 
Every week for the last 16 months I have offered biblical concepts that are intended to show you how to employ God’s wisdom and power to strengthen your marriage. Sometimes I have stayed with a concept for a number of weeks and developed a series surrounding that particular truth. Most of the time the concepts have varied from week to week. It has been comfortable and  rewarding to present this podcast that way, but now I want to try something new. Sometimes when a person speaks topically as I have been doing since I began this ministry, there is some question if the scriptures are always being used correctly. What I mean is that it is possible for someone to choose a topic and then find scripture that seemingly reinforces the speaker’s premise. I commit to you that I have done my very best to keep from doing just that. I spend hours researching and studying the scriptures I intend to use each week to make sure that the concept or idea I am purporting is in line with the original intent of the Word and not the other way around. Even though I work tirelessly to do that, I have decided for a season to bring this podcast to you in an expository manner. Beginning next week, I will take as many episodes as necessary to expose all of the truths that I am personally aware of concerning a particular scriptural reference. This may be a single verse, a portion of or an entire chapter, or may cover even more ground than that. I will not be moving away from a chosen text until it has been completely looked over. I do not pretend to have a totality of understanding of any of these passages but will offer to you all that I have come to know and understand as they pertain to marriage.
I am looking forward to this new endeavor. I will undoubtedly learn even more as I undertake it and I invite each and every one of you to join me on the journey. I am expecting what I have come to expect as I study any portion of God’s Word…continued revelation. I fully anticipate there will be times where the scriptural context surrounding the quote-unquote “Marriage scriptures” I’ve chosen will only serve to deepen our understanding of those passages and guide husbands and wives into greater relationship with each other and with their Lord.
Thank you for walking along with me over these past 16 months. I have enjoyed our time together, and I look forward to what God is going to do in all of our lives and marriages as we continue to follow Him.
So now, continuing to search out the scriptures so that you can develop your marital oneness into all that God wants it to be…Go Be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5f24c9583142fc670b82c7f4d8cfb6f3.mp3" length="9776619" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5f24c9583142fc670b82c7f4d8cfb6f3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/exposing-the-truth</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:47:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God is With Us (Matthew 1:18-2:23) - December 11th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts gives us a deeper insight into the Christmas story.  For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts gives us a deeper insight into the Christmas story.  For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts gives us a deeper insight into the Christmas story.  For more information on how to get connected with 
Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/51a36d013b6d9522bc21cf689bc017b8.mp3" length="34309336" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/51a36d013b6d9522bc21cf689bc017b8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-is-with-us-matthew-118-223-december-11th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Come On...Catch Up! - December 8th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Come On, Catch Up!
When I was growing up my younger brother Gary was seemingly always waiting for me to catch up with him. It wasn’t that he was bigger or even necessarily faster, but he was...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Come On, Catch Up!
When I was growing up my younger brother Gary was seemingly always waiting for me to catch up with him. It wasn’t that he was bigger or even necessarily faster, but he was always in the lead. Gary did everything fast. If Gary attempted to do something, he did it with abandon. That is just who he was. I, on the other hand am a bit more cautious. Not scared, just aware of the possible dangers. I like to do things with a tad more foresight than my brother cared for. If there was a chance he might get hurt, he would deal with it when it happened. If there was a possibility you might want an exit strategy, in his mind the time for that was when you needed it and not a minute before. Gary simply liked living life on a razor’s thin edge, that’s where he was most comfortable. 
I am not comfortable operating on the edge. I am not at all against spontaneity, I just like to look both ways before I run across the street, Gary like to do that after he had crossed…just to see what might have almost hit him! I have nothing against having fun, but I want to know before hand that I’ll still be smiling when it’s over, Gary would rather wait to find out. I even enjoy a small (emphasis on the small part) level of danger, but for Gary…the more the better. So there were lots of times when we were growing up that we would end up racing, climbing, or jumping off of something and Gary would at some point in the adventure turn around and look at me and say “Come on, catch up!”
When I was reading my bible this morning I came across a scripture that immediately reminded me of Gary and the very things I have just shared with you about him. Today I was reading 1 Corinthians 8, it’s a short chapter (only 13 verses) but it has a long reach (by that, I mean it applies to a lot of things). Allow me to read it to you now from the New Living Translation.
Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. 4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
    by whom all things were created,
    and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    through whom all things were created,
    and through whom we live.
7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak b...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Come On, Catch Up!
When I was growing up my younger brother Gary was seemingly always waiting for me to catch up with him. It wasn’t that he was bigger or even necessarily faster, but he was always in the lead. Gary did everything fast. If Gary attempted to do something, he did it with abandon. That is just who he was. I, on the other hand am a bit more cautious. Not scared, just aware of the possible dangers. I like to do things with a tad more foresight than my brother cared for. If there was a chance he might get hurt, he would deal with it when it happened. If there was a possibility you might want an exit strategy, in his mind the time for that was when you needed it and not a minute before. Gary simply liked living life on a razor’s thin edge, that’s where he was most comfortable. 
I am not comfortable operating on the edge. I am not at all against spontaneity, I just like to look both ways before I run across the street, Gary like to do that after he had crossed…just to see what might have almost hit him! I have nothing against having fun, but I want to know before hand that I’ll still be smiling when it’s over, Gary would rather wait to find out. I even enjoy a small (emphasis on the small part) level of danger, but for Gary…the more the better. So there were lots of times when we were growing up that we would end up racing, climbing, or jumping off of something and Gary would at some point in the adventure turn around and look at me and say “Come on, catch up!”
When I was reading my bible this morning I came across a scripture that immediately reminded me of Gary and the very things I have just shared with you about him. Today I was reading 1 Corinthians 8, it’s a short chapter (only 13 verses) but it has a long reach (by that, I mean it applies to a lot of things). Allow me to read it to you now from the New Living Translation.
Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. 4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
    by whom all things were created,
    and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    through whom all things were created,
    and through whom we live.
7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.
So why does this scripture remind me of my dare-devilish brother? His response of “Come on…Catch up!” when I was surveying the safety concerns of our next “escapade” that was the connection for me. I think that Gary’s attitude toward me was much the same as the attitude we can have toward other Christians if we’re not careful. My brother’s knowledge that something that looked fun to him would turn out just fine was completely and errantly based on the deduction that if he hadn’t been hurt doing it in the past, he couldn’t be hurt doing in the future. His insistence on experiencing whatever “fun” had caught his attention did however, encourage me to go along and attempt it with him. I bear physical scars to this day that offer testimony that what I am telling you is true. 
We don’t think of having idols anymore and for many of us the concept of meat being sacrificed to idols is so foreign, that we might have difficulty even understanding the dilemma of the Corinthian Church. It can be hard for us to understand what the big deal was concerning whether or not the meat that had been sacrificed to idols should be eaten by Christians. However, our lack of contextual understanding doesn’t make this scripture irrelevant…not by any means. 
Christians today have other “Gray areas”. Should we drink alcohol? Is dancing ok? If so, does it matter what kind of dancing it is? Is all music ok to listen to? If not which is good, and which isn’t? Is it ok to take a vacation to Las Vegas? What if you don’t gamble while you’re there? Should we use debt to buy things we don’t have the money for? Which is the bigger problem, cigarettes, caffeine, or over eating? Have I stepped on any live wires yet? 
Paul’s larger point is that our “knowledge” that tells us that we are fine to engage in a particular activity is really ignorance if we are so devoid of love for our fellow brother or sister in Christ that we do not choose to abstain from something that might encourage them to act against their conscience. He tells us that Christ looks at those things as a personal affront to Him. Our attitude might be, “What’s their problem, they should know it’s ok, after all, all things are permissible right?” Paul says, not so fast, all things may be permissible, but all things are not profitable (1 Cor. 6:12 & 1 Cor. 10:23). It is far more important to be humble and loving than to flaunt our quote-unquote “knowledge and understanding”. I think Paul would say that the next time we look back and see our brother or sister obviously considering if something is ok to engage in, we shouldn’t respond with a “Come on…Catch up!”
So now, showing how much you love Christ by preferring your brothers and sisters convictions above your own…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/67cc630414d9050df0c12c7cf423e2b4.mp3" length="4968716" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/67cc630414d9050df0c12c7cf423e2b4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/come-oncatch-up-december-8th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Missing Part (Mark 16:5-20) - December 4th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches through Mark 16:5-20.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and time...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches through Mark 16:5-20.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

00:16 - Mark 16 : 5
01:23 - Mark 16 : 12
06:09 - Mark 16 : 17
18:36 - Galatians 1 : 8-12
20:04 - Revelation 22 : 18-19
35:35 - Matthew 28 : 5-10
38:41 - Matthew 28 : 16-20
42:23 - Luke 24 : 46-49
43:19 - Acts 1 : 4-8]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches through Mark 16:5-20.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

00:16 - Mark 16 : 5
01:23 - Mark 16 : 12
06:09 - Mark 16 : 17
18:36 - Galatians 1 : 8-12
20:04 - Revelation 22 : 18-19
35:35 - Matthew 28 : 5-10
38:41 - Matthew 28 : 16-20
42:23 - Luke 24 : 46-49
43:19 - Acts 1 : 4-8]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7b6eb2d74ee4df56e3445609d392e86c.mp3" length="30891558" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7b6eb2d74ee4df56e3445609d392e86c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-missing-part-mark-165-20-december-4th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:06:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Go Climb A Tree!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Go Climb A Tree!
When I was a young boy the high tech method of illustrating a Sunday School lesson did not involve a HD 4K television screen. We also didn’t have anything called a “Smartboar...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Go Climb A Tree!
When I was a young boy the high tech method of illustrating a Sunday School lesson did not involve a HD 4K television screen. We also didn’t have anything called a “Smartboard”. Instead my Sunday School teacher employed the use of something called a “Felt board” For those who do not remember these amazing devices, it was a stiff piece of cardboard covered in a piece of felt cloth. Paper cutouts of the characters involved in the bible story had strips of a slightly different felt on the back of them, which allowed them to adhere to the main felt board kind of like Velcro. I say “kind-of-like” because it was just like Velcro except a slight breeze, say from the teacher walking in front of the board, would “blow” the paper cutouts off the board and onto the floor. Half of the morning’s entertainment was in watching the teacher patiently return the characters of the story to their rightful place on the felt board. Additionally, it was always fun when the class was over, to play with the cutouts ourselves, re-animating the story to include facts found only in our imaginations. 
One of my favorite memories of those felt-board lessons was the one depicting the account of Zacchaeus “the wee little man” who not only had a felt board lesson, but a children’s song written about him as well. Recalling it even now, I can see myself sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the felt-board looking up at Zacchaeus precariously perched on top of the tree, both of them hanging on to the board for dear life with little to no chance they weren’t going to end up on the floor before the lesson was over.
I can certainly remember the story from recall but instead allow me to read it to you now from the New Living Translation. The account is found in Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
There are the obvious ever-important lessons to be gleaned from this scriptural account. First and foremost, Jesus came to save those who know they need Him. He desires that everyone be saved, but knows that He can only help those who realize they are hopelessly lost and helpless to save themselves. Second, we can learn that Christ wants to see us make changes in our lives as a result of our relationship with Him that are reflective of His character…like integrity. Zacchaeus illustrated that by proclaiming publicly that He would make amends where his lack of int...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Go Climb A Tree!
When I was a young boy the high tech method of illustrating a Sunday School lesson did not involve a HD 4K television screen. We also didn’t have anything called a “Smartboard”. Instead my Sunday School teacher employed the use of something called a “Felt board” For those who do not remember these amazing devices, it was a stiff piece of cardboard covered in a piece of felt cloth. Paper cutouts of the characters involved in the bible story had strips of a slightly different felt on the back of them, which allowed them to adhere to the main felt board kind of like Velcro. I say “kind-of-like” because it was just like Velcro except a slight breeze, say from the teacher walking in front of the board, would “blow” the paper cutouts off the board and onto the floor. Half of the morning’s entertainment was in watching the teacher patiently return the characters of the story to their rightful place on the felt board. Additionally, it was always fun when the class was over, to play with the cutouts ourselves, re-animating the story to include facts found only in our imaginations. 
One of my favorite memories of those felt-board lessons was the one depicting the account of Zacchaeus “the wee little man” who not only had a felt board lesson, but a children’s song written about him as well. Recalling it even now, I can see myself sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the felt-board looking up at Zacchaeus precariously perched on top of the tree, both of them hanging on to the board for dear life with little to no chance they weren’t going to end up on the floor before the lesson was over.
I can certainly remember the story from recall but instead allow me to read it to you now from the New Living Translation. The account is found in Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
There are the obvious ever-important lessons to be gleaned from this scriptural account. First and foremost, Jesus came to save those who know they need Him. He desires that everyone be saved, but knows that He can only help those who realize they are hopelessly lost and helpless to save themselves. Second, we can learn that Christ wants to see us make changes in our lives as a result of our relationship with Him that are reflective of His character…like integrity. Zacchaeus illustrated that by proclaiming publicly that He would make amends where his lack of integrity had allowed him to cheat others. Third, we can conclude that faith in and personal relationship with Jesus brings about righteousness in our lives. However, there is another lesson here that I think should not be over looked.  
Zacchaeus was an interesting character. However, prior to meeting Jesus he was not thought of highly at all. (Pun totally intended) The scriptures describe him in a way that might suggest that in all likelihood he suffered from a condition known in our society as ‘Short-man-syndrome’. Luke speaks directly to the fact that physically Zacchaeus was a short man. The indicators of his ‘short-man-syndrome’ don’t end there though. It was also important to Zacchaeus to be seen as successful. We know that due to the fact that his employment had made him very rich! Add to that the fact that He was the supervisor at the office, and the probability dramatically increases that professionally he was an overachiever. What career had he profited so well from?  Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a turncoat, a traitor. His job was to collect taxes for the Roman empire from His fellow Jewish citizens. He and his colleagues were totally hated by their own people for doing such a job, as well as completely distrusted by the Romans for being willing to do so. These men often overcharged the taxes levied on the Jews so they could line their own pockets, a self-justified reward for the lack of respect they encountered from both sides. Zacchaeus was not a man known for action worth emulating.
On the day that is described in this passage, Zacchaeus did something we should not only take note of, but something we should ask ourselves if we are doing each and every day. I know the obvious answer here might be ‘Go climb a tree’, and although it might make a cool tee-shirt or bumper sticker, that’s not the answer. Zacchaeus did climb a tree, but it was his motive and the circumstances that made the action so noteworthy.
Zacchaeus’ motive was that he wanted to see Jesus. We don’t know exactly why he wanted to do that. He may have just been curious. I think however that Jesus, who knows the condition of the heart responded to Zacchaeus as He did because He saw in him a genuineness that was much deeper than simple idle curiosity. I believe that…because of the risks Zacchaeus was taking. He was exposing himself to ridicule simply by climbing the tree. By doing so he was pointing out his own deficiencies, he was too short to look over the crowd and too despised to be permitted to push his way to the front of it. But regardless of the ridicule he might endure, Zacchaeus climbed up in that tree and positioned himself for an encounter with Christ.
Had Zacchaeus not been up in the tree Jesus would likely not have singled him out to ask him if they could have dinner together at his house. Zacchaeus would also likely have missed out on a life altering experience that day. It is obvious by his response to the Lord that meeting Jesus changed his life dramatically, but none of that would have happened had he not positioned himself to have an encounter with Christ. 
The obvious lessons I pointed out a few moments ago are indeed important, but I think we need to be asking ourselves an equally important question this account raises. Are we positioning ourselves for an encounter with Jesus today? Are we doing the things necessary to make it possible for Him to speak to us. Have we spent time in His word today? Have we spent time talking to Him in prayer? Have we been meditating on the things of Him? Are we telling other people about how amazing Jesus is, and how good He is to us? All too often I have heard people complain…”Why doesn’t Jesus speak to me?”...but we don’t expend the effort to have an encounter with Him, and then we wonder why we aren’t hearing clearly from Him. 
At great personal cost Jesus already did the incredibly difficult work so we could have a growing, living relationship with Him, now He is waiting to see...will we take hold of it. Will we position ourselves as Zacchaeus did so that we might have that personal encounter with him on this day? He desires daily to walk with us and talk to us, so what are we waiting for...let’s go climb a tree!
So now, Being willing to do whatever necessary to have that all important encounter with Jesus today, just do it…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/262d0d8d89311f6fb11ea0d46cc70473.mp3" length="13016625" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/262d0d8d89311f6fb11ea0d46cc70473.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/go-climb-a-tree</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Good, Better, and Best]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message…Good, Better, and Best.
We have all seen these words used to describe things. Being a tool guy, I notice them most often when looking at new tools I would like to buy. There...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message…Good, Better, and Best.
We have all seen these words used to describe things. Being a tool guy, I notice them most often when looking at new tools I would like to buy. There are the “Good” ones that will work as advertised and accomplish the task. There are the “Better” ones, usually made of a slightly higher quality material or with a few more features, and at a higher cost than the base model. Finally, there is the “Best”. This tool will generally be made of the highest quality materials available to the manufacturer. It may also be designed with even more features than the “Good” or “Better” models offered, and it will most certainly be the most expensive of the three. When it comes to how we maneuver through life, there are also three choices. Good, Better and Best.  
With the exception of Eve, all of us enter the world single. As I have explained in previous episodes of the Monday Marriage Message, Eve was created in a “One Flesh” condition with Adam. Setting her aside however as the anomaly, the rest of us come into this world single. In the context of this edition, we are born in the “Good” category. We are quite capable of singularly walking through life, some people are intentional about doing this. Scripturally speaking, there is much that ought to be considered before such a choice is made if it is to be decided with one’s eyes wide open.
The first of these is that God determined that “It is not good (interpreted to mean it is incomplete) that man should be alone. Therefore, I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18) In the theology of marriage it is understood that God was not saying a person should never live singly. He was only noting that a man is incapable alone of emulating the totality of God’s image and likeness. As a result, God made woman to be “one flesh” with man thereby completing the process of creating humankind reflective of their Creator. With this in mind, if we choose to remain single we are accepting that we will be less capable of reflecting the image and likeness of God than we could if we marry. This does not mean we cannot speak or act in Christ like ways. It simply means our capacity for reflecting God’s attributes is diminished because we cannot personally possess all of them. Some of His characteristics were reserved for our opposite. Some attributes of God are found only in men, while others are found solely in women, and others still are not possible without the inclusion of both. 
Paul made the argument that for the purposes of serving God without hindrance, he concluded that remaining single as He was would offer a person the most opportunity for uninterrupted service to God. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8, 32-35)  But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another. So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am…I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to plea...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message…Good, Better, and Best.
We have all seen these words used to describe things. Being a tool guy, I notice them most often when looking at new tools I would like to buy. There are the “Good” ones that will work as advertised and accomplish the task. There are the “Better” ones, usually made of a slightly higher quality material or with a few more features, and at a higher cost than the base model. Finally, there is the “Best”. This tool will generally be made of the highest quality materials available to the manufacturer. It may also be designed with even more features than the “Good” or “Better” models offered, and it will most certainly be the most expensive of the three. When it comes to how we maneuver through life, there are also three choices. Good, Better and Best.  
With the exception of Eve, all of us enter the world single. As I have explained in previous episodes of the Monday Marriage Message, Eve was created in a “One Flesh” condition with Adam. Setting her aside however as the anomaly, the rest of us come into this world single. In the context of this edition, we are born in the “Good” category. We are quite capable of singularly walking through life, some people are intentional about doing this. Scripturally speaking, there is much that ought to be considered before such a choice is made if it is to be decided with one’s eyes wide open.
The first of these is that God determined that “It is not good (interpreted to mean it is incomplete) that man should be alone. Therefore, I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18) In the theology of marriage it is understood that God was not saying a person should never live singly. He was only noting that a man is incapable alone of emulating the totality of God’s image and likeness. As a result, God made woman to be “one flesh” with man thereby completing the process of creating humankind reflective of their Creator. With this in mind, if we choose to remain single we are accepting that we will be less capable of reflecting the image and likeness of God than we could if we marry. This does not mean we cannot speak or act in Christ like ways. It simply means our capacity for reflecting God’s attributes is diminished because we cannot personally possess all of them. Some of His characteristics were reserved for our opposite. Some attributes of God are found only in men, while others are found solely in women, and others still are not possible without the inclusion of both. 
Paul made the argument that for the purposes of serving God without hindrance, he concluded that remaining single as He was would offer a person the most opportunity for uninterrupted service to God. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8, 32-35)  But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another. So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am…I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. 
Certainly, Paul understood the virtue and purpose behind marriage. I don’t think for a minute that He was arguing that no one should marry, that would have been absurd and obviously brought humanity to extinction. I think He simply knew that for himself, considering the challenges of his work for God in the furtherance of the gospel message, He was better suited for that particular task as a single person. I think he was also saying that others who undertook a similar ministry might also be better able to do so in a singular fashion. 
If remaining single is good, what is better? The obvious answer is that it is better to marry. Marriage has been the plan from the beginning. As I mentioned above, Genesis chapter 1 and 2 leave little question as to the plan of God in this respect. He created the very first couple married. They were created “One flesh” with great purpose and intent. If God would have created Eve by the same process He created Adam, it would have been successful to the extent that as He breathed the breath of life into her nostrils she would have become a living being, just as Adam had. However, God did not duplicate human life in that way. Instead, by Adam’s declaration, He took Eve out of Adam, thereby creating them in a “One flesh” condition. God was not simply showing off, and illustrating that there were multiple ways He could accomplish the same thing. He was not simply creating a female form of a human being. He was instituting the marriage of a man and a woman. If God had simply created Eve by the same process He had Adam, He would have built a weakness into their union. Either of them could have at some place in their roughly 900 year existence decided they were displeased with the other and asked God to make them a “new mate”. This was not possible however because they were more than mates, they were in fact “One flesh”. Adam could never be separated from Eve except by death, she would always be one flesh with him. This is why Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 19:8 “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted (or suffered) you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so”. 
God had created Adam and Eve by differing methods so that their “One flesh” condition would be permanent until death. God knew that what He had done was good, in fact in Genesis 1:31 He declared it was “Very good”. God found the marriage of Adam and Eve to be so preferable to the single Adam, that He declared that He would recreate their “One flesh” condition in every married couple going forward. Genesis 2:24 records God’s own words to that effect, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh”. 
If marriage is good, or in God’s assessment, “Very good”, what could be better? In Ephesians 5:21-33 the Apostle Paul answers that question. Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
What is best? According to this scripture, it is best to be “One flesh” with your spouse and “One flesh” with Christ. As Christ followers and as married people, we have more to consider than ourselves…even more than just our spouse. As a married man I am one with my wife who is also one with Christ. How I interact with Her is how I am interacting with Him. The same is true for her. When we keep this truth in mind and act accordingly, our marriage is almost seamless. In those times, we are each as perfect a spouse as our humanity allows. When this incredible truth is considered, as it should be at all times, our marriage is the best reflection of the image and likeness of God that it ever is. When we do not selflessly respond to one another in this way…well, let’s just say our marital mirror gets dirty and clouded. In those moments, God can’t see Himself as clearly as He would like and our marriage is not producing the effect He was hoping for when He made us “One flesh”. Best is when we let God have his way. Best is when we allow our marriage to meet its full potential and fulfill its God’s given purpose. Best is when we allow our marriage to be what it was created to be and together we reflect the image and likeness of our Creator.
Questions to answer:
•	What are your thoughts about marriage in terms of Good, Better and Best?
•	How well are you doing as a couple at going from Better to Best?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss how the two of you could move your marriage into Best status and together be more reflective of your Creator.
•	Ask God to unleash His Holy Spirit to convict you of times you are not being a good representation of His image and likeness and to suggest to you corrective measures.
So now, if you are married, you have moved from Good, to Better. Go for Best and allow your marital mirror to reflect God’s fullness…and go be Awesome!  




   
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ce2cbca3c3587876bb0dfbce01bd564e.mp3" length="16782028" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ce2cbca3c3587876bb0dfbce01bd564e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/good-better-and-best</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[You Have To Show Up (Mark 16 : 1-11) - November 27, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches through Mark 16 : 1-11.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and ti...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches through Mark 16 : 1-11.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

4:34 - Mark 16 : 1-4
5:28 - Matthew 28 : 2-7
9:29 - Mark 16 : 5-7
10:38 - Luke 24 : 4-9
12:09 - Mark 16 : 8-9
13:20  - John 20 : 1-18
34:49 - Matthew 28 : 8-15]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick Betts Teaches through Mark 16 : 1-11.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

4:34 - Mark 16 : 1-4
5:28 - Matthew 28 : 2-7
9:29 - Mark 16 : 5-7
10:38 - Luke 24 : 4-9
12:09 - Mark 16 : 8-9
13:20  - John 20 : 1-18
34:49 - Matthew 28 : 8-15]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f3255fddbf217560f2e498d8a49a1d99.mp3" length="28078683" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f3255fddbf217560f2e498d8a49a1d99.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/you-have-to-show-up-mark-16-1-11-november-27-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:10</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Give Thanks - November 24th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thanksgiving Thursday…Give Thanks
Today is reserved for Thanksgiving. Times for observance of thanksgiving have been around for centuries. Throughout history there have been many times when people hav...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thanksgiving Thursday…Give Thanks
Today is reserved for Thanksgiving. Times for observance of thanksgiving have been around for centuries. Throughout history there have been many times when people have taken time to give thanks for various reasons. Here in the United States, many of us learned in grade school of the supposed first Thanksgiving Day feast in 1621 shared by the puritan settlers and the indigenous Wampanoag tribe who helped the pilgrims survive their first winter in the “New World”. In 1789 our first President, George Washington declared that November 26th would be a day of celebration and thanksgiving when all Americans were encouraged to take time to thank God for His graciousness toward us as a nation. Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday of November a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863, and it remained so until Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed it to the next to the last Thursday in November in 1939. He was offering merchants another full week to boost Christmas sales in an attempt to positively influence the economy. The new date being so close to the previously determined one caused much confusion and in jest, some people even dubbed it “Franksgiving Day”. Two years later, FDR made a change once again, signing into law that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November where it remains to this day.
As I mentioned, there have been various reasons stated for pausing to give thanks. King David and Asaph a Levite who served in David’s courts suggested in several of their Psalms that the people of Israel ought to give thanks for God’s hand of protection over them during their exodus from Egypt. Prior to that, Joshua had insisted that the people be thankful for their victorious entrance into the Promised land. The pilgrims to North America gave thanks for their survival and the help of their newfound neighbors. Interestingly from the time of our founding fathers until President Lincoln Thanksgiving Day was coincidentally held at the same time as Evacuation day a lost holiday commemorating the English vacating North America after the Revolutionary War. Likewise, President Lincoln felt our Thanksgiving should be offered for a unified even if not yet at that time a reconciled United States. 
I find it interesting that we feel the need to identify a reason for giving thanks. Later today I will as will many of you, raise my voice in thanksgiving as I ask the blessing at our family feast. I will thank God for many things. I will thank Him for our family, I will thank Him for our freedom to praise Him. I will thank Him for the food. My voice will undoubtedly crack as it almost always does as I thank Him for what we should all thank Him for…His goodness. As Christians, we say it often, for some it has become a statement with nearly automatic response. God is good, all the time…and all the time, God is good.
Though this mantra is unequivocally true’ I wonder sometimes if we really understand what we are saying. God is good, His word says that it is so. Psalm 145 says so, and I will read that to you as I close my thoughts today. When we think of someone being good, so often we think about the fact that they do good things, and that is evidence we use to endorse that they are good. When we acknowledge that God is good however, we should do our best to understand the depth of what we are saying. God is holy. That means that He is 100% full of integ...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thanksgiving Thursday…Give Thanks
Today is reserved for Thanksgiving. Times for observance of thanksgiving have been around for centuries. Throughout history there have been many times when people have taken time to give thanks for various reasons. Here in the United States, many of us learned in grade school of the supposed first Thanksgiving Day feast in 1621 shared by the puritan settlers and the indigenous Wampanoag tribe who helped the pilgrims survive their first winter in the “New World”. In 1789 our first President, George Washington declared that November 26th would be a day of celebration and thanksgiving when all Americans were encouraged to take time to thank God for His graciousness toward us as a nation. Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday of November a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863, and it remained so until Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed it to the next to the last Thursday in November in 1939. He was offering merchants another full week to boost Christmas sales in an attempt to positively influence the economy. The new date being so close to the previously determined one caused much confusion and in jest, some people even dubbed it “Franksgiving Day”. Two years later, FDR made a change once again, signing into law that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November where it remains to this day.
As I mentioned, there have been various reasons stated for pausing to give thanks. King David and Asaph a Levite who served in David’s courts suggested in several of their Psalms that the people of Israel ought to give thanks for God’s hand of protection over them during their exodus from Egypt. Prior to that, Joshua had insisted that the people be thankful for their victorious entrance into the Promised land. The pilgrims to North America gave thanks for their survival and the help of their newfound neighbors. Interestingly from the time of our founding fathers until President Lincoln Thanksgiving Day was coincidentally held at the same time as Evacuation day a lost holiday commemorating the English vacating North America after the Revolutionary War. Likewise, President Lincoln felt our Thanksgiving should be offered for a unified even if not yet at that time a reconciled United States. 
I find it interesting that we feel the need to identify a reason for giving thanks. Later today I will as will many of you, raise my voice in thanksgiving as I ask the blessing at our family feast. I will thank God for many things. I will thank Him for our family, I will thank Him for our freedom to praise Him. I will thank Him for the food. My voice will undoubtedly crack as it almost always does as I thank Him for what we should all thank Him for…His goodness. As Christians, we say it often, for some it has become a statement with nearly automatic response. God is good, all the time…and all the time, God is good.
Though this mantra is unequivocally true’ I wonder sometimes if we really understand what we are saying. God is good, His word says that it is so. Psalm 145 says so, and I will read that to you as I close my thoughts today. When we think of someone being good, so often we think about the fact that they do good things, and that is evidence we use to endorse that they are good. When we acknowledge that God is good however, we should do our best to understand the depth of what we are saying. God is holy. That means that He is 100% full of integrity. He is forever unchanging. His word says that He is merciful, therefore always merciful. It says that He is loving, Therefore always loving. It describes Him as faithful…so therefore always faithful. So when His word indicates that the Lord is good…then He is in fact always good. He is never not good. He is always being so very, very good to us! Every day…all the time…in all circumstances and every situation…God is being so, so, very good to you. Even in the difficulties He allows to touch our lives, He has every intention of using each one of them for our good as through them He gives us opportunities to become more and more like Christ…in spite of the adversity. Romans 8:28 and 29 says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Because God is good we can count on Him to be looking out for our good…no matter what!
So yes, God is good. Everything He does is good. We can be grateful for it all. We don’t need to define a special reason. We don’t need to be financially blessed to say that God is good. We don’t need to have food to be grateful for, God is good. We don’t need to have family present and accounted for, God is good. We don’t need to know peace in the land to proclaim God is good. We don’t need freedom for God to be good. We can proclaim God is good in the depths of our emotional valleys and on the mountain tops. God is Good...God is Good….God is good…..All the time and all the time God is indeed good!
So join me today. As you thank God around your thanksgiving table, go ahead, make note of the things you are thankful for…there is nothing wrong with that. But PLEASE…don’t close your time of thanksgiving without being grateful for the simplistic and yet unfathomable complexity of God’s goodness. Take time to contemplate and revel in the undoubtable fact that He is always being so, so very good to you, and that your reasons to be thankful are eternal.
Psalm 145 (NCV)

I praise your greatness, my God the King;
    I will praise you forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day;
    I will praise you forever and ever.
3 The Lord is great and worthy of our praise;
    no one can understand how great he is.
4 Parents will tell their children what you have done.
    They will retell your mighty acts,
5 wonderful majesty, and glory.
    And I will think about your miracles.
6 They will tell about the amazing things you do,
    and I will tell how great you are.
7 They will remember your great goodness
    and will sing about your fairness.
8 The Lord is kind and shows mercy.
    He does not become angry quickly but is full of love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone;
    he is merciful to all he has made.
10 Lord, everything you have made will praise you;
    those who belong to you will bless you.
11 They will tell about the glory of your kingdom
    and will speak about your power.
12 Then everyone will know the mighty things you do
    and the glory and majesty of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom will go on and on,
    and you will rule forever.
The Lord will keep all his promises;
    he is loyal to all he has made.
14 The Lord helps those who have been defeated
    and takes care of those who are in trouble.
15 All living things look to you for food,
    and you give it to them at the right time.
16 You open your hand,
    and you satisfy all living things.
17 Everything the Lord does is right.
    He is loyal to all he has made.
18 The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him,
    to all who truly pray to him.
19 He gives those who respect him what they want.
    He listens when they cry, and he saves them.
20 The Lord protects everyone who loves him,
    but he will destroy the wicked.
21 I will praise the Lord.
    Let everyone praise his holy name forever.
So now, with a truly grateful heart, full of thanksgiving and praise for your good, good Heavenly Father…Take time today to thank Him for how Awesome He is.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8835412f30429fc8feed0c6c0da2f2bc.mp3" length="6317871" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8835412f30429fc8feed0c6c0da2f2bc.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/give-thanks-november-24th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 24 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do The Next Right Thing]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me today for the Monday Marriage Message. 
As a pastoral marriage counselor, I can’t help but hear, see and read things through the lens of how they might influence the institution of godly marria...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me today for the Monday Marriage Message. 
As a pastoral marriage counselor, I can’t help but hear, see and read things through the lens of how they might influence the institution of godly marriage. I regularly consider how all of it would either affect marriage in a negative or a positive way. I can honestly say that not much I experience won’t get poured through that particular filter. I think it helps me be a better counselor, pastor, teacher, and frankly a better spouse. 
I was listening to a sports podcast this past week and the person being interviewed kept using a phrase that caught my attention. I know that he was employing it in a business model context, and that he had not coined the phrase personally, but it struck me how pertinent it is to an awesome marriage. This man kept expressing that in his role as the CEO of a particular sports league he continuously tried to make sure he was “Doing the next right thing”. He spoke of the many ups and downs, challenges and even controversies he had presided over during his tenure, and how “Doing the next right thing” had served him so well. As I listened I wondered, how much more successful we might all be at fulfilling our roles as husbands and wives if we were always looking for the opportunity to “Do the next right thing”.    
Any realistic view of marriage is going to include challenges that are not always responded to as they ought to be. Tongue-in-cheek, I tell every couple who comes to me for pre-marital counseling that their marriage would be perfect except that the two of them are going to be a part of it. Human beings, it turns out, have a propensity for doing the wrong thing, simply stated, we are just good at it…that is why it is such an important endeavor to be looking for the chance to “Do the next right thing”. Even the Apostle Paul wrote that “If you marry you haven’t done anything wrong, but you will have trouble”. (My personal paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 7:28). “Doing the next right thing” is what shortens the duration of the trouble.
This is actually a biblical concept. I just said that “Doing the next right thing” has the potential to shorten the duration of marital trouble. I would go so far as to say that scripturally speaking it isn’t simply possible that will be the outcome, it is in fact, probable. When we are mistreated, the Bible offers several ways to “Do the next right thing”. One of my favorites is Romans 12:21. That verse instructs us, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. I find it easy to remember chapter and verse for this concept because the idea here is to give back the reverse of what has been given; coincidentally, the reference is reversed as well…chapter 12, verse 21. But why would we do this? Conventional wisdom would indicate that if we let someone get away with mistreating us they will almost certainly think they can continue to do so. Right? Not so according to scripture, especially in close personal relationships such as marriage. I would like to read to you the verses leading up to this one, and I especially like the way The Living Bible says it. Romans 12:17-21; Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. Don’t argue and fight with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, as much as is humanly possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me today for the Monday Marriage Message. 
As a pastoral marriage counselor, I can’t help but hear, see and read things through the lens of how they might influence the institution of godly marriage. I regularly consider how all of it would either affect marriage in a negative or a positive way. I can honestly say that not much I experience won’t get poured through that particular filter. I think it helps me be a better counselor, pastor, teacher, and frankly a better spouse. 
I was listening to a sports podcast this past week and the person being interviewed kept using a phrase that caught my attention. I know that he was employing it in a business model context, and that he had not coined the phrase personally, but it struck me how pertinent it is to an awesome marriage. This man kept expressing that in his role as the CEO of a particular sports league he continuously tried to make sure he was “Doing the next right thing”. He spoke of the many ups and downs, challenges and even controversies he had presided over during his tenure, and how “Doing the next right thing” had served him so well. As I listened I wondered, how much more successful we might all be at fulfilling our roles as husbands and wives if we were always looking for the opportunity to “Do the next right thing”.    
Any realistic view of marriage is going to include challenges that are not always responded to as they ought to be. Tongue-in-cheek, I tell every couple who comes to me for pre-marital counseling that their marriage would be perfect except that the two of them are going to be a part of it. Human beings, it turns out, have a propensity for doing the wrong thing, simply stated, we are just good at it…that is why it is such an important endeavor to be looking for the chance to “Do the next right thing”. Even the Apostle Paul wrote that “If you marry you haven’t done anything wrong, but you will have trouble”. (My personal paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 7:28). “Doing the next right thing” is what shortens the duration of the trouble.
This is actually a biblical concept. I just said that “Doing the next right thing” has the potential to shorten the duration of marital trouble. I would go so far as to say that scripturally speaking it isn’t simply possible that will be the outcome, it is in fact, probable. When we are mistreated, the Bible offers several ways to “Do the next right thing”. One of my favorites is Romans 12:21. That verse instructs us, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. I find it easy to remember chapter and verse for this concept because the idea here is to give back the reverse of what has been given; coincidentally, the reference is reversed as well…chapter 12, verse 21. But why would we do this? Conventional wisdom would indicate that if we let someone get away with mistreating us they will almost certainly think they can continue to do so. Right? Not so according to scripture, especially in close personal relationships such as marriage. I would like to read to you the verses leading up to this one, and I especially like the way The Living Bible says it. Romans 12:17-21; Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. Don’t argue and fight with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, as much as is humanly possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands. Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be “heaping coals of fire on his head.” In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. Don’t let evil get the upper hand, but conquer evil by doing good. 
As I said worldly wisdom would say that returning evil for evil, is the only way to let someone know how it feels to be mistreated. Wordly wisdom on the other hand indicates otherwise. God’s thoughts on the subject indicate that “Doing the next right thing” by treating someone correctly though they have mistreated you, will bring them under conviction. Our thought is that they won’t know they were wrong if we don’t show them a reflection of their own behavior. God says that contrasting their poor actions with righteous ones will stand out much more clearly to them. I like that this scripture also gives remedy for a hardhearted person. If the contrast of returning good for evil doesn’t have its intended effect, we don’t need to fret, God is clear, He will repay them for their unrighteousness. We can simply stay in our lane and continue to “Do the next right thing”. 
As hard as it is to admit, sometimes it is us who have been the instigator. Perhaps we didn’t start it, but we allowed ourselves to become engaged in the disrespectful words or unloving actions. Maybe we missed the first opportunity we had to “Do the next right thing”, possibly even the second or third. I get it, our spiritual enemy is always trying to kill, steal and destroy the peace in our marriages. The devil is constantly hard at work to get us off track. Thankfully, scripture offers the solution for that. “Do the next right thing” James 4:7 says Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Whenever you recognize that Satan has been getting his way in your marriage, respond as instructed…do what God would want you to, this is the first step in resisting the devil. God’s word is clear what the result of that will be…the devil will flee! Don’t let the enemy’s tactics of guilt and shame keep you from doing well, it’s not too late…it is always the right time to “Do the next right thing”.
Incidentally, if you have been listening to the Monday Marriage Message podcast for a while now you have undoubtedly heard me speak about the fact that the primary purpose of marriage according to scripture is to be a marital mirror God can look into and see His reflection. You have also heard me teach about the fact that it is in our God given one flesh condition that our potential to be more like Him is exponentially increased. Additionally, you have heard me encourage you to keep your eyes on your own paper, meaning that we all have the ability to make sure our portion of our marriage reflects God, regardless of what our spouse might be doing at any given time. If we keep these truths in mind the ability to follow the direction given in James four and “Do the next right thing” becomes more evident. When we “submit to God”, we do what He wants us to, which is to reflect Him. Additionally, if we submit to God we are allowing our half of our marriage to reflect him regardless of whether our “one flesh” partner is doing so or not. Finally, by submitting to God and reflecting Him we will be resisting the devil who would like to convince us in the moment that we should reflect the words, actions or attitude our spouse. So what powers such a response that is so contrary to our nature? Philippians 4:13 gives the answer…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. As Christ followers, we don’t have to go-it-alone…even when our spouse isn’t in step with us. Christ gives the strength in every situation to “Do the next right thing”. All of us have the desire from time to time to reflect the poor attitudes of our spouse rather than the perfect ones of God. We are all occasionally tempted to reflect our spouse instead of our Creator. Thankfully, we can rest assured that; No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, (The next right thing) that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
While we are on the subject of being awesome marital mirrors who do a great job of choosing to “Do the next right thing” to reflect God, here are some additional encouragements. According to Proverbs 21:3. Choosing to “Do the next right thing” is more pleasing to God than sacrifice. Sacrifice in the Old Testament was the symbolic way that people illustrated their love and commitment to God. It was how they showed God it was their desire to be His people. So, when you choose to “Do the next right thing”, especially in terms of your marriage you are illustrating those very things to God. In fact, His word says that “Doing the next right thing” shows your love and commitment to Him better than anything else you could do. 
Finally, If we want to reflect God well then we need to look like His Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22-23 we can read the exact attributes His Spirit exudes. Knowing that, we have even more clarity about what the visible results of our marital mirrors should be.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we keep these fruits of His Spirit in our minds and we desire to allow them to be borne out in our lives, we will almost certainly always know how to “Do the next right thing”.
Questions to answer:
•	What things get in the way of you choosing to “Do the next right thing”?
•	What effect does it have on you when your spouse chooses to “Do the next right thing” in regards to a poor interaction with you?
•	What effect has “Doing the next right thing”, or the lack of it, had on your marriage?
Actions to take:
•	Consider ways that the two of you can attempt to increase the frequency of “Doing the next right thing”.
•	Commit Galatians 5:22-23 to memory so that you are never without a great guideline of what the right response should be.
So now, reflecting your Creator in your marriage, choose to “Do the next right thing”…and go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/98a8f42db516856954166803afc062f8.mp3" length="16392593" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/98a8f42db516856954166803afc062f8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-the-next-right-thing</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Salvation Army Weekend - November 20, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Salvation Army Major Philip Davis]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.   This weekend the Salvation Army New York Staff Band brings us a special treat as they present "Creation".  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Ge...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.   This weekend the Salvation Army New York Staff Band brings us a special treat as they present "Creation".  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

And for more info about the Salvation army, you can Check out their Website by visiting this link.
https://pa.salvationarmy.org/delaware-command/contact-us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.   This weekend the Salvation Army New York Staff Band brings us a special treat as they present "Creation".  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events, and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

And for more info about the Salvation army, you can Check out their Website by visiting this link.
https://pa.salvationarmy.org/delaware-command/contact-us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0cb9700cb2b0cf1646cd95826e811ade.mp3" length="48627444" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0cb9700cb2b0cf1646cd95826e811ade.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/salvation-army-weekend-november-20-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:22:46</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Rocks Cry Out...And The People Are Silent - November 17th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Rocks Cry Out…And the People Are Silenced.
I shared with you in my podcast last week, “Tasty Goodness” that my wife Lynn and I recently vacationed in Rome for a week. We spent one of those...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Rocks Cry Out…And the People Are Silenced.
I shared with you in my podcast last week, “Tasty Goodness” that my wife Lynn and I recently vacationed in Rome for a week. We spent one of those days walking to and visiting various churches in the city. These church buildings are nothing like the ones in the United States. For one thing, they are incredibly old. The newest of the churches we visited that day was The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene across the piazza from the rented apartment we called home for the duration of our stay. As I said, that church was the most recently constructed of the day’s stops and had only been in existence for 454 years. The oldest church we walked through that day had been around just a tad longer. The Basilica of Saint Eustace constructed in 715 AD, is a mere 1,307 years old. The others we visited were found somewhere between but all of those were built before Christopher Columbus was considered to have discovered the “New World”
As we walked from church to church exploring one after another, a couple of thoughts captivated my interest. The first was that though these buildings had been constructed in the name of God, they were adorned with gold, art, and statues in such a manner that I could not help but question.  Were these buildings assisting the occupants to glorify God? Or on the other hand, had the building and furnishings become the object of the worshipper’s attention? Regardless of the now undeterminable intent of the builders, had they become places of idol worship? These buildings were undeniably strikingly beautiful, and filled with works art. They contained amazing sculptures, ancient paintings, and each had a mural depicting a biblical scene painted on the arched ceilings above. I love Jesus, but I could not help but wonder what the point of all I was taking in was supposed to be. Though I have a real and meaningful growing relationship with the Lord of lords and King of kings, I was in awe of the architecture and the artistry. I was amazed that artists had been able to paint murals, some forty feet wide by one hundred feet long on a curved or domed surface that still looked symmetrically correct from thirty or more feet below. I found myself in awe of the builders, the painters, the sculptors, instead of in awe of my God who was supposedly on display.
As I toured those churches, I wondered if what I was seeing is why the bible instructs us in Exodus 20:3-6; You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me [who do not obey me], but showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Was God trying to warn us that if we are not careful we could become too enamored with the beauty of what we have made under the guise of worship? Was He cautioning us that if we do so, we risk transferring the praise and glory deserved by him alone to the artistry of men? It certainly seemed to me as I stood in awe of the works of art and the architectural wonders surrounding me that the danger had...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Rocks Cry Out…And the People Are Silenced.
I shared with you in my podcast last week, “Tasty Goodness” that my wife Lynn and I recently vacationed in Rome for a week. We spent one of those days walking to and visiting various churches in the city. These church buildings are nothing like the ones in the United States. For one thing, they are incredibly old. The newest of the churches we visited that day was The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene across the piazza from the rented apartment we called home for the duration of our stay. As I said, that church was the most recently constructed of the day’s stops and had only been in existence for 454 years. The oldest church we walked through that day had been around just a tad longer. The Basilica of Saint Eustace constructed in 715 AD, is a mere 1,307 years old. The others we visited were found somewhere between but all of those were built before Christopher Columbus was considered to have discovered the “New World”
As we walked from church to church exploring one after another, a couple of thoughts captivated my interest. The first was that though these buildings had been constructed in the name of God, they were adorned with gold, art, and statues in such a manner that I could not help but question.  Were these buildings assisting the occupants to glorify God? Or on the other hand, had the building and furnishings become the object of the worshipper’s attention? Regardless of the now undeterminable intent of the builders, had they become places of idol worship? These buildings were undeniably strikingly beautiful, and filled with works art. They contained amazing sculptures, ancient paintings, and each had a mural depicting a biblical scene painted on the arched ceilings above. I love Jesus, but I could not help but wonder what the point of all I was taking in was supposed to be. Though I have a real and meaningful growing relationship with the Lord of lords and King of kings, I was in awe of the architecture and the artistry. I was amazed that artists had been able to paint murals, some forty feet wide by one hundred feet long on a curved or domed surface that still looked symmetrically correct from thirty or more feet below. I found myself in awe of the builders, the painters, the sculptors, instead of in awe of my God who was supposedly on display.
As I toured those churches, I wondered if what I was seeing is why the bible instructs us in Exodus 20:3-6; You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me [who do not obey me], but showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Was God trying to warn us that if we are not careful we could become too enamored with the beauty of what we have made under the guise of worship? Was He cautioning us that if we do so, we risk transferring the praise and glory deserved by him alone to the artistry of men? It certainly seemed to me as I stood in awe of the works of art and the architectural wonders surrounding me that the danger had been realized. It made me think of Psalm 115:4-8, which speaks of the results of such misplaced worship. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.   
The second thing I couldn’t seem to shake was a phenomenon that was underway before my very eyes. Outside the churches was an ancient city. The city streets were filled with tourists from around the globe. Thousands of people had come to the city, just as we had to visit, and to experience all that Rome had to offer. One thing that never seemed to cease was the noise. From the moment we left the quiet of our apartment, we were inundated with the sound of hundreds of voices conversing with one another as they roamed the streets. The din was unending. It met us as we opened the door in the morning and was a constant presence throughout the day until at the end of the evening we closed the heavy wooden door behind us, separating us from the noisy street below. Outside there was no place to escape the unending sound of people talking…except in the churches! It was surreal. The boisterous streets were filled to capacity with people. Undoubtedly, many of them were not Christ followers, but many were curious to see the inside of the churches. The Pantheon, one of the most famous of all churches outside of the Vatican, had an endless line of people waiting to enter from morning until late into the evening. It seemed as if the line was perpetually replenished with people desirous to see inside. As we waited our turn to enter, I was shocked as we crossed the threshold at the absence of sound. Few were talking; those who were did so in hushed voices. The same was our experience in the other churches we entered. Just outside the doors it was loud…inside you could hear the preverbal pin drop.
As we experienced this anomaly repeat itself at the entrance to each church we visited, another thought struck me. What I was experiencing was in an odd way the reverse of something Jesus had told the Pharisees during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Luke 19:37-40 records that exchange. Then as He was now drawing near the decent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
As I said before, I do not know the true motives of the artisans who constructed the churches we toured, but the purported purpose was to glorify God. I cannot say whether if those buildings were truly created for that purpose or not, but I do know that Human Beings were created in the image and likeness of God. It is not even questionable if we are created to bring Him glory,…we were and we continue to be. The people in the scripture I just referenced were doing just that…glorifying God. The Pharisees wanted them silenced and Jesus simply stated that even if the people were muted the stones would begin to cry out because GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED! 
As we entered those churches, the fact that they had been constructed of stone did not escape me. The stones were erected to the glory of God…and as the people left the noisy bustling streets to enter…they became silent. They would have said it was out of reverence. However, wouldn’t true reverence for the greatness of the Living God cause all of us to shout His praises and exclaim his glory, no matter the where we might be?
In Matthew 5:14-16 it is recorded that Jesus said, “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.”
So now, living a life that shouts the praises of our God, acting in ways that shed the light of His love on everyone you meet, allow the stones some quiet time, and…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/fcb7ab5877c244cb4fd606df9539ad5c.mp3" length="6216493" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/fcb7ab5877c244cb4fd606df9539ad5c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-rocks-cry-outand-the-people-are-silent-november-17th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2022 13:48:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Vote vs Prayer (Acts 12 : 1-19) - November 13, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Vote vs Prayer (Acts 12 : 1-19) - November 13, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts goes through Acts 12 : 1-19.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church G...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Vote vs Prayer (Acts 12 : 1-19) - November 13, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts goes through Acts 12 : 1-19.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

3:57 - Acts 12 : 1
5:32 - Acts 12 : 2
13:38 - Acts 12 : 3
16:09  - Acts 12 : 4
25:45 - Acts 12 : 5
28:35 - Acts 12 : 6
29:00 - Acts 12 : 7
34:52 - Acts 12 : 8
35:20 - Acts 12 : 9
36:15 - Acts 12 : 10
37:25 - Acts 12 : 11
38:52 - Acts 12 : 12-14
41:48 - Acts 12 : 15
43:29 - Acts 12 : 16
43:40 - Acts 12 : 17
46:52 - Acts 12 : 18-19]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Vote vs Prayer (Acts 12 : 1-19) - November 13, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Andrew Betts goes through Acts 12 : 1-19.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

3:57 - Acts 12 : 1
5:32 - Acts 12 : 2
13:38 - Acts 12 : 3
16:09  - Acts 12 : 4
25:45 - Acts 12 : 5
28:35 - Acts 12 : 6
29:00 - Acts 12 : 7
34:52 - Acts 12 : 8
35:20 - Acts 12 : 9
36:15 - Acts 12 : 10
37:25 - Acts 12 : 11
38:52 - Acts 12 : 12-14
41:48 - Acts 12 : 15
43:29 - Acts 12 : 16
43:40 - Acts 12 : 17
46:52 - Acts 12 : 18-19]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5e6346b51d0588854c91ee9c8f8020b3.mp3" length="38411816" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5e6346b51d0588854c91ee9c8f8020b3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-vote-vs-prayer-acts-12-1-19-november-13-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Developed Unity]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. 
When people come to see me for help with their marriage, I invite them to sit down and tell me how I can help. This question often reveals much more than a couple may have...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. 
When people come to see me for help with their marriage, I invite them to sit down and tell me how I can help. This question often reveals much more than a couple may have intended to let me in on during our first visit. What I mean by that is that their answer to that question often times tells me much more than the words alone convey. 
As people tell me what they deem to be the marital problem they are struggling with, most times it seems their opinion is that if their spouse would only speak, act or respond differently, the problem would dissipate. People are gracious and most don’t desire to unload all of the blame for the trouble in their marriage on their spouse. So, they often preface the unpacking of their spouses transgressions by stating “I know I am not perfect, but…” and then proceed to let me in on their spouse’s imperfections which are of course the source of all of their trouble.  
The “problem spouse” in these situations usually react in one of several ways. They may just sit quietly and endure the exposition of all of their wrongdoing. They might take issue with their spouse on one or two points, picking their battles, but offering excuses for the seemingly more egregious of their failures. Sometimes they will rise up and disagree with all of it and then try to turn the tables and share that while they may do the things their spouse is complaining about, every failure on their part is only a reaction to their spouses failures. 
As I said a moment ago, all of this is far more revealing than the parties sitting in front of me understand. So what do I know? What am I able to extract from these particular conversations?
First of all the primary problem that is revealed in these situations is that there is a serious lack of developed unity. If the couple agree with my assessment, they may think that means that they are not on the same page, do not see the issues the same way, and therefore are unable to get along in peace. While these things might in fact be problematic for them, that is not at all what I mean by underdeveloped unity or oneness. I understand that the fact that they see things differently than one another, and that they don’t agree on solutions is not indicative of a lack of unity. Their propensity to view those differences as problematic is what indicates their oneness has not been developed as it should have. Unity is not a meeting of the minds, unity is the strength obtained by recognizing and valuing the differences possessed as providing more ways to work together…not fewer.
What these couples are effectively doing is indicting, judging and convicting each other as wrong simply because the other does not act, think and respond as they would. They often see every differing response from their spouse as argumentive, and as a personal attack. 
This leads to the second difficulty troubling these couples. Their judgmental attitudes toward one another. Each is standing in judgment of the actions words and thoughts of the other. One of the phrases I use to help couples successfully resolve this problem is to “Keep their eyes on their own paper”. What do I mean by that? I prefer to let Scripture explain. 
While giving the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addressed this very issue. In Matthew 7:1-5 it is recorded that He said; “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standar...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. 
When people come to see me for help with their marriage, I invite them to sit down and tell me how I can help. This question often reveals much more than a couple may have intended to let me in on during our first visit. What I mean by that is that their answer to that question often times tells me much more than the words alone convey. 
As people tell me what they deem to be the marital problem they are struggling with, most times it seems their opinion is that if their spouse would only speak, act or respond differently, the problem would dissipate. People are gracious and most don’t desire to unload all of the blame for the trouble in their marriage on their spouse. So, they often preface the unpacking of their spouses transgressions by stating “I know I am not perfect, but…” and then proceed to let me in on their spouse’s imperfections which are of course the source of all of their trouble.  
The “problem spouse” in these situations usually react in one of several ways. They may just sit quietly and endure the exposition of all of their wrongdoing. They might take issue with their spouse on one or two points, picking their battles, but offering excuses for the seemingly more egregious of their failures. Sometimes they will rise up and disagree with all of it and then try to turn the tables and share that while they may do the things their spouse is complaining about, every failure on their part is only a reaction to their spouses failures. 
As I said a moment ago, all of this is far more revealing than the parties sitting in front of me understand. So what do I know? What am I able to extract from these particular conversations?
First of all the primary problem that is revealed in these situations is that there is a serious lack of developed unity. If the couple agree with my assessment, they may think that means that they are not on the same page, do not see the issues the same way, and therefore are unable to get along in peace. While these things might in fact be problematic for them, that is not at all what I mean by underdeveloped unity or oneness. I understand that the fact that they see things differently than one another, and that they don’t agree on solutions is not indicative of a lack of unity. Their propensity to view those differences as problematic is what indicates their oneness has not been developed as it should have. Unity is not a meeting of the minds, unity is the strength obtained by recognizing and valuing the differences possessed as providing more ways to work together…not fewer.
What these couples are effectively doing is indicting, judging and convicting each other as wrong simply because the other does not act, think and respond as they would. They often see every differing response from their spouse as argumentive, and as a personal attack. 
This leads to the second difficulty troubling these couples. Their judgmental attitudes toward one another. Each is standing in judgment of the actions words and thoughts of the other. One of the phrases I use to help couples successfully resolve this problem is to “Keep their eyes on their own paper”. What do I mean by that? I prefer to let Scripture explain. 
While giving the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addressed this very issue. In Matthew 7:1-5 it is recorded that He said; “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?  How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
When we decide that another person should not say, think or respond in a certain way we are judging them. Certainly there are times when this is necessary, and in fact there are occasions where we would not be doing our due diligence if we failed to discern between right and wrong. Parenting is an excellent example of this. We would do far more harm than good if we chose to simply ignore incorrect responses in our children. Scripture indicates that we must parent responsibly. Proverbs tells us that if we want a good outcome we need to offer our children our correction. “Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.” Proverbs 13:24 Another example comes from Proverbs 22:6, Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. It is clear, in the parent/child relationship, we are to make our children aware of their missteps and take the necessary steps ourselves to correct them. I believe however, that even in the parental role, scripturally we are cautioned that the measure we use to judge our children’s activity will be used on us in our interactions with them going forward.
Additionally, we see in scripture that if we have a brother or sister in Christ who has sinned against us we are instructed to go to them privately and make them aware of the problem. Only if that doesn’t bring resolution are we to delicately follow the biblical prescription of involving others, and always from a pure motive of love. Even here we must be cautious to do so in a non-judgmental nature, offering the same level of grace and mercy that we would want shown to us. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Interestingly within the marital relationship, the scripturally prescribed response to a perceived failure is different altogether. I believe this to be for several reasons. I give them in no particular order, though all are offered for careful consideration. First, the response to a judgmental attitude is far more abrasive within a marriage. People respond to perceived spousal judgment with much less tolerance than any other. This is a result of their Oneness. No one easily accepts criticism from an equal, and the reaction is very likely to be a Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in mine!” 
Second, Judgement within the marital relationship is often misplaced. What I mean by this is that misinterpretation of the words, actions, and more importantly, motives occurs with arguably higher frequency between spouses than in any other relationship. Again, the reason for this is that spouses often misunderstand unity, as well as the fact that the marital relationship is of higher consequence than any other one. 
Finally, I believe that we are to respond differently in the marital relationship because we are in fact “one flesh” If we respond to our spouse with judgement…we bring judgment upon ourselves. It is nearly, if not impossible altogether, to judge the actions of one’s spouse from a position of selflessness. The fact is that if we are judging our spouse it is likely because we don’t like the way they have responded toward us…and that is a selfish motive. When we are being judgmental from a position of selfishness, it cannot be offered in a way that is godly, and will therefore be incorrectly applied regardless of the validity of the complaint. 
Scripture prescribes responding to marital difficulty differently than any other relationship as I mentioned a moment ago. 1 Peter 3:1-7 says, Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Obviously, the Apostle Peter wrote this instruction to husbands and wives to help them know how to interact with one another in a way found pleasing to God. As he wrote, Peter understood that the wives who read his instructions to them would have known all too well the story of Sarah and Abraham. He understood they would have known that Sarah spoke with respect to a husband who had not always acted respectably in regards to his treatment of her. Peter made the point that Sarah’s response toward Abraham was the correct one even in light of His mistreatment of her. To the husbands, Peter instructs that when a man’s wife interacts with him, he is to respond with understanding; he is to treat her with honor and care for her as the weaker or more fragile, but also as the more valuable vessel. I believe his intimation here is that the wife is a vessel to be regarded more carefully and of higher value just as one would be more careful with a crystal vase as opposed to one made of iron. In the marital relationship we are to respond to one another with the highest regard at all times and it is my belief that this scripture indicates that within that special relationship we are to let our lack of judgment and the work of the Holy Spirit do all of the convicting.   
Questions to answer:
•	Is it easy or difficult for you to remain non-judgemental within the bounds of your marriage?
•	If you recognize that you have responded to your spouse judgmentally in the past what were the results of that?
•	If you feel that your spouse responds to you judgmentally sometimes, how does that make you feel?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss what your marriage would look like if you knew that judgmental attitudes were rarely or never present.
•	If necessary seek your spouse’s forgiveness for your past judgmental attitudes toward them.
•	Ask God to help you respond to your spouse the way that He wants you to…especially when it is difficult to do so.
So now, learning to respond and react toward your spouse only in the ways that God’s word instructs, trusting that His precepts are perfect for your marriage…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bdbfcc055fbc5cb54278f855d523ddbf.mp3" length="17512803" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bdbfcc055fbc5cb54278f855d523ddbf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/developed-unity</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tasty Goodness]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tasty Goodness
Last week my bride Lynn and I fulfilled a long-awaited dream of ours. We traveled to Italy. That dream has so long been on our list of un-realized dreams because of the magnitu...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tasty Goodness
Last week my bride Lynn and I fulfilled a long-awaited dream of ours. We traveled to Italy. That dream has so long been on our list of un-realized dreams because of the magnitude of such a trip. People like us don’t just up-and-go to Italy. We don’t have the time or resources to simply drop things and take a trip like that. We don’t begrudge people who can, and do…it just simply isn’t our lot in life and we are ok with that. So, how is it then that we ended up experiencing our dream? We were asked to share a marriage conference with a church in Albania, and since we were in the neighborhood…Actually, because one of our connecting flights was in Rome, we decided to take a week of vacation and spend the time there. 
One of the reasons we wanted to go to Italy in the first place is because of a book we read years ago. The novel was set in Italy and the author did a compelling job of describing meals that went on for hours. My wife and I are both fans of Italian cuisine, and as such, the author’s description of some of those endless meals called to both of us as strongly as the mythological Sirens in Homer’s well known work, The Odyssey. 
Our weeklong stay in Rome was based out of a one bedroom apartment in the heart of the ancient city. From our front door we were treated to a labyrinth of crowded narrow streets that led to such amazing notable places as the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and Trevi Fountains, just to name a few. Though there are undoubtedly many, I have never personally been to a city steeped so richly in world history. I felt and still feel overwhelmed at having had the opportunity to visit such a place. 
As I mentioned a few moments ago however, we were not there merely for the sights the city had to offer…we were there for the food! Each morning we wandered the streets searching out a different café to sit and enjoy a pastry and a cappuccino and coffee. Each afternoon the search was on for another restaurant along the byway to or from one of the aforementioned sights for a delicious salad or sandwich, and every evening the highlight was a walking quest for the perfect culinary respite for a wonderful dinner that would last as long as permissionably reasonable. We completed each of those dinners with an order of tiramisu. We wanted to try our favorite Italian dessert at each of the restaurants we ate dinner at to see who had the best available…the jury is still out.
So why am I sharing all of this with you? Is it to brag? Absolutely not! Is it to prove we are gluttons? I hope it does not, that week was for us the anomaly, certainly not the norm. Is it to make you hungry…yes and no. See, we spent the week tasting, tasting, and then tasting some more, because it was all so good. It was so wonderful that it made quite an impression on me. I can not give you street names, but I can direct you from any of the notable stops in Rome how to get to each of the amazing places we feasted. 
Psalm 34:8 says, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! The city of Rome is filled with good places to eat, the problem is that a few hours later what has been consumed is gone forever and must be replaced. Not so with God. When you taste and see that the Lord is good, you come away full and though it will make you desire more and more of Him, what has already been taken in, remains…in fact it multiplies within your mind, heart and...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tasty Goodness
Last week my bride Lynn and I fulfilled a long-awaited dream of ours. We traveled to Italy. That dream has so long been on our list of un-realized dreams because of the magnitude of such a trip. People like us don’t just up-and-go to Italy. We don’t have the time or resources to simply drop things and take a trip like that. We don’t begrudge people who can, and do…it just simply isn’t our lot in life and we are ok with that. So, how is it then that we ended up experiencing our dream? We were asked to share a marriage conference with a church in Albania, and since we were in the neighborhood…Actually, because one of our connecting flights was in Rome, we decided to take a week of vacation and spend the time there. 
One of the reasons we wanted to go to Italy in the first place is because of a book we read years ago. The novel was set in Italy and the author did a compelling job of describing meals that went on for hours. My wife and I are both fans of Italian cuisine, and as such, the author’s description of some of those endless meals called to both of us as strongly as the mythological Sirens in Homer’s well known work, The Odyssey. 
Our weeklong stay in Rome was based out of a one bedroom apartment in the heart of the ancient city. From our front door we were treated to a labyrinth of crowded narrow streets that led to such amazing notable places as the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and Trevi Fountains, just to name a few. Though there are undoubtedly many, I have never personally been to a city steeped so richly in world history. I felt and still feel overwhelmed at having had the opportunity to visit such a place. 
As I mentioned a few moments ago however, we were not there merely for the sights the city had to offer…we were there for the food! Each morning we wandered the streets searching out a different café to sit and enjoy a pastry and a cappuccino and coffee. Each afternoon the search was on for another restaurant along the byway to or from one of the aforementioned sights for a delicious salad or sandwich, and every evening the highlight was a walking quest for the perfect culinary respite for a wonderful dinner that would last as long as permissionably reasonable. We completed each of those dinners with an order of tiramisu. We wanted to try our favorite Italian dessert at each of the restaurants we ate dinner at to see who had the best available…the jury is still out.
So why am I sharing all of this with you? Is it to brag? Absolutely not! Is it to prove we are gluttons? I hope it does not, that week was for us the anomaly, certainly not the norm. Is it to make you hungry…yes and no. See, we spent the week tasting, tasting, and then tasting some more, because it was all so good. It was so wonderful that it made quite an impression on me. I can not give you street names, but I can direct you from any of the notable stops in Rome how to get to each of the amazing places we feasted. 
Psalm 34:8 says, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! The city of Rome is filled with good places to eat, the problem is that a few hours later what has been consumed is gone forever and must be replaced. Not so with God. When you taste and see that the Lord is good, you come away full and though it will make you desire more and more of Him, what has already been taken in, remains…in fact it multiplies within your mind, heart and spirit! Jesus made the point that not only will one who tastes of Him find Him to be good, it is most necessary that we feed on Him if we want to truly live. In John 6:47-51 Jesus said, 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Nothing truly satisfies like Jesus does. Everything else fades away with time, and when all else has slipped away, only our relationship with Jesus remains. My life has proven all too well that youth and the strength it provides is only for a time. Jobs and careers come and go. Wealth is fleeting. Even the important relationships we have with others, marriages, family and friends, someday come to an end…but when we accept Christ as our Lord, our walk with our sweet, sweet Savior abides forever. Nothing can change it. Nothing can detract from it, nothing can bring it to an end…it is eternal.
As I mentioned, I can, while my memory remains, tell you just how to get to some amazing restaurants in Rome. If you follow those directions, you are sure to have a great meal that is very tasty. More importantly, I have tasted of the Lord and found Him to be good. Likewise as long as my memory remains I will be able to give direction of where to find some of that same goodness. If you turn into the Psalms and you walk past the 18th one you will find an especially tasty treat in the 19th Psalm between the 7th and the 11th verses. If you continue down that particular path of Psalms I especially enjoy the one right between the 99th and 101st. If you want to venture to another part of the Word I am partial to Job 11:13-19. Additionally I always enjoy Matthew 19 and Mark 10 and who can forget 1 Corinthians 13. I love the full meat course found in the book of Romans, and for dessert…its hard to pass Philippians by, but if you want something sweeter yet try 1 John. 
I know many of you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, what recommendations can you make? I’d love to have the opportunity to try some of your favorite dishes from God’s word. Don’t keep them to yourself, it is far more fun and profitable to share Jesus with everyone you meet…we all need to feast on Him to truly live…and there is more than enough to go around.
So now, telling everyone you can about how you have tasted of the Lord and found Him to be better than you could ever have imagined…go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c838565e30dc58d2201f73814766894f.mp3" length="10572100" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c838565e30dc58d2201f73814766894f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/tasty-goodness</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Two Become One]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. 
This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating a wedding ceremony for a sweet young couple. As I spoke to them during the ceremony I reminded them of sever...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. 
This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating a wedding ceremony for a sweet young couple. As I spoke to them during the ceremony I reminded them of several things I had shared with them during their pre-marital counseling. I reiterated to them and their guests that though I was being given the honor of pronouncing the newlyweds to be husband and wife, it was not I who was marrying them. I directed them to the truth that is was in fact God who would be taking the two of them and making them one. Jesus said in Mathew 19:4-6 “Have you not read that in the beginning He who created them, made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh.’” Then Jesus added this statement, “And so they are no longer two, but one flesh, therefore what God has joined together let not man separate.” Jesus was clear, when a man and a woman are married, though one authorized to do so speaks the words, and though a governmental entity endorses the process, it is God and God alone who is able to marry a couple together and make the two become one. Having made that point, Jesus was correct to say that what is joined together by God should not be considered something to ever be undone by any human being.
After laying that groundwork I mentioned to the couple that since it was God who was in fact marrying them, I felt that there were some things He would want them to remember as they began their lives as husband and wife. 
First, I told them that I believe God would ask them to remember that it was by His own design and hand that they were made so differently one from another. That it was with great purpose and intent that He designed the two of them to think differently than each other, to need differently than one another and to react differently than the other. I mentioned that God would tell them to always keep in mind He did this for their blessing…not to distract or disappoint them. He would ask them to embrace all of the differences understanding that those differences were designed to enhance their relationship…not detract from it. Finally I reminded them that God would challenge them to see the differences as things of beauty to be cherished and not as flaws requiring change. 
Genesis 1:26 and 27 speak of the fact that when God decided to create mankind with the intent that we would reflect Him He created both a man and a woman. Two similar vessels yet containing vastly different qualities and characteristics all designed to be reflective of their Creator, especially when joined together in marriage. While He created us differently than one another, each having our own unique strengths and abilities, He intends for us to see those differences as valuable in assisting us to work together for a common purpose. This becomes abundantly clear as we look at the entirety of those two simple verses. Then God said, “Let Us (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, differing in function yet always united in purpose)make man ( or mankind) in Our image, according to Our likeness; (to act and function as we act and function in total unison) Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (this will be their united purpose for which we...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. 
This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating a wedding ceremony for a sweet young couple. As I spoke to them during the ceremony I reminded them of several things I had shared with them during their pre-marital counseling. I reiterated to them and their guests that though I was being given the honor of pronouncing the newlyweds to be husband and wife, it was not I who was marrying them. I directed them to the truth that is was in fact God who would be taking the two of them and making them one. Jesus said in Mathew 19:4-6 “Have you not read that in the beginning He who created them, made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh.’” Then Jesus added this statement, “And so they are no longer two, but one flesh, therefore what God has joined together let not man separate.” Jesus was clear, when a man and a woman are married, though one authorized to do so speaks the words, and though a governmental entity endorses the process, it is God and God alone who is able to marry a couple together and make the two become one. Having made that point, Jesus was correct to say that what is joined together by God should not be considered something to ever be undone by any human being.
After laying that groundwork I mentioned to the couple that since it was God who was in fact marrying them, I felt that there were some things He would want them to remember as they began their lives as husband and wife. 
First, I told them that I believe God would ask them to remember that it was by His own design and hand that they were made so differently one from another. That it was with great purpose and intent that He designed the two of them to think differently than each other, to need differently than one another and to react differently than the other. I mentioned that God would tell them to always keep in mind He did this for their blessing…not to distract or disappoint them. He would ask them to embrace all of the differences understanding that those differences were designed to enhance their relationship…not detract from it. Finally I reminded them that God would challenge them to see the differences as things of beauty to be cherished and not as flaws requiring change. 
Genesis 1:26 and 27 speak of the fact that when God decided to create mankind with the intent that we would reflect Him He created both a man and a woman. Two similar vessels yet containing vastly different qualities and characteristics all designed to be reflective of their Creator, especially when joined together in marriage. While He created us differently than one another, each having our own unique strengths and abilities, He intends for us to see those differences as valuable in assisting us to work together for a common purpose. This becomes abundantly clear as we look at the entirety of those two simple verses. Then God said, “Let Us (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, differing in function yet always united in purpose)make man ( or mankind) in Our image, according to Our likeness; (to act and function as we act and function in total unison) Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (this will be their united purpose for which we have made them alike and yet so different from one another, to manage all that they can see, hear, taste, smell and touch) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; (God’s purpose for creating mankind was clearly to reflect Him) male and female He created them. (God, being so much greater than we are, needed to create both a man and a woman to be capable of containing all of the characteristics necessary to be reflective of Himself) 
Second, I reminded the couple that I believe that as God is joining them He would want them to be reminded that as a married couple they will now have even greater capacity to look and sound like Him. I told them that this would be made evident as they interact with each other as well as with those around them. I reminded them that God would want them to recognize that the design of marriage was intended to complete the process of creating them in His image, and I encouraged them that as they allowed God to inextricably join them one with the other their potential to be more like him became exponentially increased.
I was able to share this with them because God shares it with us in His own word. Genesis chapter two gives us greater detail about how the two verses I referenced a moment ago in Genesis 1:26 & 27 came to be. In chapter two we read that first God created Adam from the dust of the ground. That He saw and stated that Adam was not completely capable of living up to the intended purpose of reflecting God by himself. There we read that to remedy this God took bone and flesh from Adam and created Eve. As a result, Adam was able to make the declaration in Genesis 2:23 that he and Eve were a married couple. And Adam said, (upon being presented with Eve) “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.” (Adam essentially said we are one flesh, a term used by God and later, Christ to refer to marriage. Adam made note of the fact that He and Eve were created married) God seemingly endorsed Adam’s understanding in the very next verse where it is recorded that God said; And for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh.
Third, I was able to remind the couple God knows they are human, made in his likeness but not perfect in all of their ways as He is. Understanding that…the opportunity for them to look more like Him will always be right there in their marriage each day. I encouraged them that God deals with all of us with grace and mercy and so He would always want the two of them to use grace and mercy liberally with each other. Love is always increased through these characteristics…never depleted by them. 
Hebrews 4:16 tells us that because of our relationship with Jesus we know that we know that we can come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. As intended reflectors of God it should be no surprise that He would want us to respond to one another in the same way that He responds to us. 
I closed my charge to that young couple with these thoughts.  I told them that as God married them and made them one that I could be confident that He would say to them what He had already said in His word. As they are married, they are no longer two, but one. I told them that He would encourage them to think no longer as individuals, but as part of something bigger and greater than themselves. He would remind them that He intends to be an important part of their marriage, and that if they would rely on Him for the inner strength, nothing will ever be able to separate the two of them as long as they both would live.
I was able to tell them that with joy and boldness because Jesus is actually the one who said it first. As I noted when I began today, in Mathew 19:6 it is recorded for us that when questioned about what happens when two people marry, Jesus replied, “…They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together let not man separate”. 
What a joy it is for me when I am given the privilege to minister to a couple in that special way! I am thankful that I am afforded that particular opportunity with regularity in my ministry as the counseling pastor here at our Crossroad Community Church. I pray for that young couple as I have for each of the many couples I have been blessed to work with and officiate weddings for, that they might have all of the blessings reserved for those who use their marriages to be good reflectors of their Creator, the One who made them one.
So now, with a greater understanding of what God wants you to be in your marriage, reflect Him in every possible way…and go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9ab2e21a52dcc13d26b5726ac01c4b84.mp3" length="13667273" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9ab2e21a52dcc13d26b5726ac01c4b84.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/two-become-one</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:29</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Our Answer to Sin (Mark 15 : 33-47) - November 6, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Our Answer to Sin (Mark 15 : 33-47) - November 6, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 15 : 33-47.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Our Answer to Sin (Mark 15 : 33-47) - November 6, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 15 : 33-47.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

00:27 - Mark 15 : 33-34
3:23 - Exodus 10 : 21-22
5:03 - Mark 15 : 35-36
5:33 - John 19: 28
7:37 - Luke 24 : 44
16:34 - - John 19: 29-30
17:10 - Psalms 69 : 20-21
17:30 - Mark 15 : 36
17:48 - Luke 23 : 46
20:27 - Psalms 31 : 4-5
20:46 - Mark 15 : 38-39
25:47 - Matthew 27 : 54
27:22 - Mark 15 : 40-45
35:36 - John 19 : 31-39
39:08 -  Mark 15 : 46-47]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Our Answer to Sin (Mark 15 : 33-47) - November 6, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 15 : 33-47.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

00:27 - Mark 15 : 33-34
3:23 - Exodus 10 : 21-22
5:03 - Mark 15 : 35-36
5:33 - John 19: 28
7:37 - Luke 24 : 44
16:34 - - John 19: 29-30
17:10 - Psalms 69 : 20-21
17:30 - Mark 15 : 36
17:48 - Luke 23 : 46
20:27 - Psalms 31 : 4-5
20:46 - Mark 15 : 38-39
25:47 - Matthew 27 : 54
27:22 - Mark 15 : 40-45
35:36 - John 19 : 31-39
39:08 -  Mark 15 : 46-47]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c1b94cfda0dc22293fcfc7b93925d0e0.mp3" length="27418731" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c1b94cfda0dc22293fcfc7b93925d0e0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/our-answer-to-sin-mark-15-33-47-november-6-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>48:06</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sow into the Kingdom of God (Mark 5 : 1-15) - October 23, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sow into the Kingdom of God (Mark 5 : 1-15) - October 23, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 5 : 1-15.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Comm...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Sow into the Kingdom of God (Mark 5 : 1-15) - October 23, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 5 : 1-15.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

00:43 - Mark 15 : 1
1:06 - Matthew 27 : 1
1:39 - Mark 15 : 1
1:57 - Matthew 27 : 3-8
10:59 - Mark 15 : 2
11:20 - John 18 : 28-38
23:58 - Luke 23 : 4-12
30:13 - Mark 15 : 3-14
33:11 - John 19 : 6-15
34:54 - Matthew 27 : 19
35:47 - John 19 : 10-15
44:55 - Mark 15 : 15
]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Sow into the Kingdom of God (Mark 5 : 1-15) - October 23, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 5 : 1-15.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

00:43 - Mark 15 : 1
1:06 - Matthew 27 : 1
1:39 - Mark 15 : 1
1:57 - Matthew 27 : 3-8
10:59 - Mark 15 : 2
11:20 - John 18 : 28-38
23:58 - Luke 23 : 4-12
30:13 - Mark 15 : 3-14
33:11 - John 19 : 6-15
34:54 - Matthew 27 : 19
35:47 - John 19 : 10-15
44:55 - Mark 15 : 15
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1b818a5bc98515ca42b9aeccd2450188.mp3" length="30828291" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1b818a5bc98515ca42b9aeccd2450188.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/sow-into-the-kingdom-of-god-mark-5-1-15-october-23-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 53-65) - October 16, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 53-65) - October 16, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark Mark 14 : 53-65.  For more information on how to get connected with Cros...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 53-65) - October 16, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark Mark 14 : 53-65.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

1:02 - Mark 14 : 53-65
2:10 John 18 : 13-19
10:54 - Matthew 26 : 58
11:25 -  14 : 54-55
12:20 - Deuteronomy 17 : 6
13:22 - Mark 14 : 56-61
18:43 - Isaiah 53 : 7
21:20 - 1 Peter 2 : 21-23
30:59 - Mark 14 : 61
31:44 - Matthew 26 : 63
33:14 - Daniel 7 : 13-14
38:08 - Mark 14 : 63-65
44:32 - Matthew 26 : 67-68]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 53-65) - October 16, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark Mark 14 : 53-65.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

1:02 - Mark 14 : 53-65
2:10 John 18 : 13-19
10:54 - Matthew 26 : 58
11:25 -  14 : 54-55
12:20 - Deuteronomy 17 : 6
13:22 - Mark 14 : 56-61
18:43 - Isaiah 53 : 7
21:20 - 1 Peter 2 : 21-23
30:59 - Mark 14 : 61
31:44 - Matthew 26 : 63
33:14 - Daniel 7 : 13-14
38:08 - Mark 14 : 63-65
44:32 - Matthew 26 : 67-68]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9070ed9f108092f4769c86f4969fc7bf.mp3" length="32438959" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9070ed9f108092f4769c86f4969fc7bf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/never-give-up-god-has-a-plan-mark-14-53-65-october-16-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 16 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Because I Said So... - October 13th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…“Because I said so”.
When I was a kid, the words “Because I said so” were among my least favorite to hear. Probably because they were usually used to explain why I had to do something I didn’...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…“Because I said so”.
When I was a kid, the words “Because I said so” were among my least favorite to hear. Probably because they were usually used to explain why I had to do something I didn’t want to do. “But why do I have to clean my room?” “Because I said so”. “Why do I have to go with you, can’t I just stay home?” “Because I said so”. “Awe, C’mon mom, why do I have to go to bed right now?” “Because I said so”. Mom and dad used that phrase a lot. It was kind of a catch all. I thought before I had children of my own that they used it because they didn’t really have a good reason for whatever it was they were saying I had to do at the time. Now I understand it was really offered for the same reason I came to utilize it, to stifle any further argument. It works in that regard because there really isn’t a sensible rebuttal that can stand up to “Because I said so”. My parents weren’t being lazy as I had once thought…they were simply tired of being asked why, when, where or how we had to do something they had asked us to do. In hindsight, nearly everything they used that phrase to justify were things that were for our own good. Did you know “Because I said so” reasoning is actually biblical?
Jesus Himself once told the disciples “Because I said so” when they asked Him why they had to do something that seemed over-the-top to them. In Luke chapter 17 it is recorded for us that Jesus was teaching His disciples about forgiveness. He told them that if someone were to do something that offended them they simply had to forgive that person. He went on to express the part they thought was over-the-top. He told them that even if the person were to repeatedly offend them each day causing them the same harm over and over again they must forgive that person. The disciple’s response to this teaching was that they wanted to believe that Jesus was right, but His commandment to them was so outlandish, they were going to need help gaining more ability to believe than they already possessed. In a very real sense they were politely asking Jesus why on earth He would ask them to do such a thing.
Jesus response is found in Luke 17:7-10. In the New Living Translation it reads as follows. 7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”
Jesus couldn’t have been more direct if He had simply said to them, “Because I said so”. In fact that is exactly what He was doing. He was pointing out the nature of their relationship to Him. Yes, they were considered His friends, it was He who referred to them that way, but He was also the teacher, the Rabbi, the Master, and they were the students, the servants. It is no different for us. His word does say we are loved by Him, that we are counted as His brothers and sisters. The bible refers to us as children and friends of God. However, we should have a healthy understanding that we are also His servants, His people, the sheep of His pastures. We can never forget that it is He who has made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100) If we are going to have a correct relationship with God we have to first hav...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…“Because I said so”.
When I was a kid, the words “Because I said so” were among my least favorite to hear. Probably because they were usually used to explain why I had to do something I didn’t want to do. “But why do I have to clean my room?” “Because I said so”. “Why do I have to go with you, can’t I just stay home?” “Because I said so”. “Awe, C’mon mom, why do I have to go to bed right now?” “Because I said so”. Mom and dad used that phrase a lot. It was kind of a catch all. I thought before I had children of my own that they used it because they didn’t really have a good reason for whatever it was they were saying I had to do at the time. Now I understand it was really offered for the same reason I came to utilize it, to stifle any further argument. It works in that regard because there really isn’t a sensible rebuttal that can stand up to “Because I said so”. My parents weren’t being lazy as I had once thought…they were simply tired of being asked why, when, where or how we had to do something they had asked us to do. In hindsight, nearly everything they used that phrase to justify were things that were for our own good. Did you know “Because I said so” reasoning is actually biblical?
Jesus Himself once told the disciples “Because I said so” when they asked Him why they had to do something that seemed over-the-top to them. In Luke chapter 17 it is recorded for us that Jesus was teaching His disciples about forgiveness. He told them that if someone were to do something that offended them they simply had to forgive that person. He went on to express the part they thought was over-the-top. He told them that even if the person were to repeatedly offend them each day causing them the same harm over and over again they must forgive that person. The disciple’s response to this teaching was that they wanted to believe that Jesus was right, but His commandment to them was so outlandish, they were going to need help gaining more ability to believe than they already possessed. In a very real sense they were politely asking Jesus why on earth He would ask them to do such a thing.
Jesus response is found in Luke 17:7-10. In the New Living Translation it reads as follows. 7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”
Jesus couldn’t have been more direct if He had simply said to them, “Because I said so”. In fact that is exactly what He was doing. He was pointing out the nature of their relationship to Him. Yes, they were considered His friends, it was He who referred to them that way, but He was also the teacher, the Rabbi, the Master, and they were the students, the servants. It is no different for us. His word does say we are loved by Him, that we are counted as His brothers and sisters. The bible refers to us as children and friends of God. However, we should have a healthy understanding that we are also His servants, His people, the sheep of His pastures. We can never forget that it is He who has made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100) If we are going to have a correct relationship with God we have to first have a corrected understanding of the relationship.
I have said it before, and undoubtedly I will say it again…many more times, He is God, I am not. I am not supposed to make my own plans for my life and pray that He will get in line with my plans. I simply must let Him lay out His plan for my life and get my thinking in line with His plan.
All of this has the potential to sound very parental and authoritative, and to some degree I suppose it is. Jesus was clear with the disciples, sometimes even God says “Because I said so”. At first glance when He says “Because I said so”, it might seem as if there are no choices to be made if we are to be obedient, but a closer look at scripture shows otherwise. The motive for obedience has everything to do with our response to bending our will to His.
We can do what God has told us to do for two different reasons. We can defer to God out of many good reasons. He is more mighty than we are. He is wiser than we are. He knows the future and we don’t. He controls enough things we don’t have any control over to “cause” us to do what He wants. He holds our very life in His hands. I could go on and on with all of the rational for deferring to God. The problem is that we defer to someone because we are afraid of what will happen if we don’t. I used to defer to my earthly father because He was bigger than I was and He wore a belt I had seen Him take off too many times as it was. I deferred to Him because I was afraid of what might happen if I didn’t.
God wants us to choose to do what He asks us to because we prefer Him. As I said a moment ago, we defer because we are afraid of what will happen if we do not. However, we prefer because we want to experience the Joy of the other as we do what they desired us to. Romans 12:10 tells us that we prefer one another as a sign of our love. When we prefer God, it is a sign that we love Him. Jesus said “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15) In the scripture reference we began with from Luke chapter 17, Jesus wanted to help the disciples…and us to know that forgiveness frees the heart of the offended. It isn’t simply for our good, forgiveness is for our freedom. God himself said of His forgiveness toward us “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” Isiah 43:25   (NLT) God understands that forgiveness frees our heavy hearts and the burden we will carry if we allow unforgiveness to become bitterness.
Sometimes as parents we need an answer to our children’s challenges that has no good rebuttal because we know whatever it is we have instructed them to do is for their own good and their blessing. Sometimes God needs the same strategy when it comes to us. There are occasions just as Christ did with His disciples, that He has to tell us…”Because I said so”.
So now, learning to prefer Christ and obey Him as an act of love…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/55a1a0026a7619868a14ca2550c31339.mp3" length="5161081" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/55a1a0026a7619868a14ca2550c31339.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/because-i-said-so-october-13th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 41-52) - October 9, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 41-52) - October 9, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 41-52.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 41-52) - October 9, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 41-52.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

02:31 - Mark 14 : 41 - 52
05:39 - Matthew 26 : 49-50
06:33 - Mark 14 : 46-47
07:58 - Matthew 26 : 52-54
09:24 - Luke 22 : 49-52
14:10 - Mark 14 : 48-50
16:11 - John 18 : 1-12
29:22 - Mark 14 : 51-52]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Never Give Up God has a Plan (Mark 14 : 41-52) - October 9, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 41-52.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

02:31 - Mark 14 : 41 - 52
05:39 - Matthew 26 : 49-50
06:33 - Mark 14 : 46-47
07:58 - Matthew 26 : 52-54
09:24 - Luke 22 : 49-52
14:10 - Mark 14 : 48-50
16:11 - John 18 : 1-12
29:22 - Mark 14 : 51-52]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4d273b06e94ee131ea5388437eb2d100.mp3" length="25956606" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4d273b06e94ee131ea5388437eb2d100.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/never-give-up-god-has-a-plan-mark-14-41-52-october-9-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2022 08:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>42:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nothing To Fear]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing to fear
On March 4th 1933 newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn into office. During his inaugural speech that day, he uttered a phrase which has been often repeated f...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing to fear
On March 4th 1933 newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn into office. During his inaugural speech that day, he uttered a phrase which has been often repeated for almost 90 years. It is among his more notable and quotable of quotes. In that speech he made the bold statement that “We have nothing to fear except fear itself.” 
At first glance, this statement might not seem to make sense but it was proclaimed as an encouragement to the millions of Americans who heard it that day in person and over the radio. It was intended to encourage the discouraged, disheartened and yes fearful minds of the American public as they were at that time enduring the ravages of the great depression. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what new difficulty lay around the corner weighed heavy on nearly everyone’s mind. The economic impact of the crash of the stock market just a few years before coupled with vast unemployment had people wondering where their next meal might come from. That impending sense of doom was complicated by the Dust Bowl that had left much of the agricultural land of the Midwest unusable to ease the crisis. The outlook for our nation was indeed bleak when President Roosevelt told the entire country that there was “Nothing to fear except fear itself.”
The bible tells us differing things about fear and without proper understanding we might even think them to be contradictory. We are told in numerous places in the bible that we should fear the Lord. In the New King James Version this phrase occurs in 52 different passages of scripture. The Apostle John writes however, that perfect love casts out fear. The one indicates that we should fear, the other, that we should not. So which is it?
This week I read an interesting scriptural account that got me thinking about this concept of fear and whether it is healthy for us or not. Acts 5:1-11 relates the story of Ananias and Sapphira his wife. The setting of this story took place in the infancy of the church. During this time, the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit was completely new. People were not accustomed to being indwelled by the very Spirit of God and as a result they were incredibly responsive to Him. God being the selfless God that He is was through His Spirit impressing on those who were filled with Him to also be completely selfless. As a result, at that time they were wonderfully reflecting their Creator. As a part of their newfound selflessness inspired by the Character of God flowing through them, many were selling their possessions and giving the money to the Apostles. The Apostles were in-turn distributing that money to others who needed it. One man named Joseph, who the Apostles called Barnabas which means Son of encouragement, had some land that he sold so the proceeds could be given to those in need. Apparently, Ananias and Sapphira also had some land that they wanted to sell for the same reason. We can continue with their story directly from the scripture.
Acts 5:1-11 in the New Living Translation reads as follows: But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing to fear
On March 4th 1933 newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn into office. During his inaugural speech that day, he uttered a phrase which has been often repeated for almost 90 years. It is among his more notable and quotable of quotes. In that speech he made the bold statement that “We have nothing to fear except fear itself.” 
At first glance, this statement might not seem to make sense but it was proclaimed as an encouragement to the millions of Americans who heard it that day in person and over the radio. It was intended to encourage the discouraged, disheartened and yes fearful minds of the American public as they were at that time enduring the ravages of the great depression. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what new difficulty lay around the corner weighed heavy on nearly everyone’s mind. The economic impact of the crash of the stock market just a few years before coupled with vast unemployment had people wondering where their next meal might come from. That impending sense of doom was complicated by the Dust Bowl that had left much of the agricultural land of the Midwest unusable to ease the crisis. The outlook for our nation was indeed bleak when President Roosevelt told the entire country that there was “Nothing to fear except fear itself.”
The bible tells us differing things about fear and without proper understanding we might even think them to be contradictory. We are told in numerous places in the bible that we should fear the Lord. In the New King James Version this phrase occurs in 52 different passages of scripture. The Apostle John writes however, that perfect love casts out fear. The one indicates that we should fear, the other, that we should not. So which is it?
This week I read an interesting scriptural account that got me thinking about this concept of fear and whether it is healthy for us or not. Acts 5:1-11 relates the story of Ananias and Sapphira his wife. The setting of this story took place in the infancy of the church. During this time, the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit was completely new. People were not accustomed to being indwelled by the very Spirit of God and as a result they were incredibly responsive to Him. God being the selfless God that He is was through His Spirit impressing on those who were filled with Him to also be completely selfless. As a result, at that time they were wonderfully reflecting their Creator. As a part of their newfound selflessness inspired by the Character of God flowing through them, many were selling their possessions and giving the money to the Apostles. The Apostles were in-turn distributing that money to others who needed it. One man named Joseph, who the Apostles called Barnabas which means Son of encouragement, had some land that he sold so the proceeds could be given to those in need. Apparently, Ananias and Sapphira also had some land that they wanted to sell for the same reason. We can continue with their story directly from the scripture.
Acts 5:1-11 in the New Living Translation reads as follows: But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” 5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” 9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” 10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
What was the fear that gripped that whole community? I believe it was involuntary fear of the Lord. What I mean by that is that in so many of the other aforementioned 52 occurrances in scripture where we are told we should have a fear of the Lord, we are cautioned to do so but in a voluntary sense. In other words, we should choose to fear the Lord. Obviously, God does not want us to be afraid of Him, He desires that we would love Him. The fear of the Lord is most certainly intended to mean that we should have a respect for the awesome power and authority of God. I think that in the account from Acts chapter 5 the newly formed church saw the awesome power and authority of God displayed and their fear of His power was an involuntary response. I think that as a result of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira they realized that God was intolerant of that kind of sin and disrespect toward Him in His new covenant with people that necessitated His only begotten Son be sacrificed to obtain. I believe their fear (and the original text called it terror) was that in God’s eyes, selfishness was deserving of death, rather than let it permeate His church. God was not willing that the church being the representation of the Bride of Christ, be tainted with something that was so contrary to His nature and character. As a result, I believe the people were in fear of the Lord’s willingness to protect and preserve His church.
So why did John write that perfect love casts out fear? What was He speaking about? I referred to this scripture last week.1 John 4:16-19 says, We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love Him because he loved us first. We don’t have to fear because in Jesus we are free of judgement when we stand before God. If we are in personal relationship with Jesus we will be found righteous on that day and have nothing to fear…not even fear itself.
So now, living with a sober respect of the awesome power of God and His love for you that will go on for eternity…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/500320e9e20a75d6a47b381a5e7ac5ad.mp3" length="11607264" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/500320e9e20a75d6a47b381a5e7ac5ad.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/nothing-to-fear</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hearing the Heart]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Hearing the Heart
Each day there are people who come into my office with heavy hearts because they know their marriages are not as they should be. They may say the problem is a lack of commun...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Hearing the Heart
Each day there are people who come into my office with heavy hearts because they know their marriages are not as they should be. They may say the problem is a lack of communication. They may even feel that they try to communicate with one another but they just don’t seem to be able to do so effectively. They may feel as though they are “growing apart”. They feel distance in their relationship, but don’t know what to do about it. They often tell me that though they once felt close most the time, now those occurrences seem fewer and farther apart as time goes by.
What has happened to so many couples to cause such feelings to exist? Perhaps your marriage has experienced some of these same thoughts and emotions. The problem that is troubling so many couples is a slow loss of hearing. I’m not talking about the inability of soundwaves to cause vibrations on the eardrums of these couples, although it may sometimes seem like there is a failure in that area as well. The hearing loss I am referring to is the increasing loss of ability to hear the heart of the other. Just as most people in their youth have little or no problem hearing soundwaves, most couples while dating and even during the honeymoon phase of their marriages, hear each other’s hearts loud and clear, and respond in loving and respectful ways. However, just as many people also become hard-of-hearing in older ages, often times couples lose the ability to pick up on the heart-cries of their spouse as the years go by.
My paternal grandfather succumbed to an inner ear disease in his late fifties. Over the course of several years, the soft tissue and bones in his ears became depleted to the point of becoming useless for their intended purpose. As a result, he became as he described it, “Deaf as a post”. In actuality, though one of his ears was completely deaf the “good ear” retained about 10% of its former ability to hear sound. One day while they were visiting I was attempting to tell him about something that was going on in my world, and he was doing his very best to hear me with limited success. I was nearly yelling into his good ear, trying my best to communicate with him. This process which took about two or three times as long with him as with any able hearing person was underway when my grandmother walked into the room and in her small voice which wasn’t much bigger than she was, asked, “Eddie dear, would you like a cup of tea?” His head turned as he looked her way and answered, “Yes Mary, I would love some”, and turned to face me once again as we tried to continue our difficult attempt at a conversation.
I was mind-blown. If I had not just witnessed it, I would not have believed what had just taken place. How was it that I was so difficult for him to hear even while shouting, but she could walk into a room filled with family, say a few softly spoken words and get right through to him on the first try? Simply stated, he was used to listening to her. At that point in their marriage, He had been tuning into the sweet yet raspy sound of her voice for nearly 75 years. Though he was physically deaf, he had not lost the ability to hear her. They had also not lost the ability to hear each other’s hearts. Their story was of two young kids meeting and falling in love during the waning years of the depression. Their tough upbringing and a newfound faith in Jesus Christ had highlighted their ability to choo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Hearing the Heart
Each day there are people who come into my office with heavy hearts because they know their marriages are not as they should be. They may say the problem is a lack of communication. They may even feel that they try to communicate with one another but they just don’t seem to be able to do so effectively. They may feel as though they are “growing apart”. They feel distance in their relationship, but don’t know what to do about it. They often tell me that though they once felt close most the time, now those occurrences seem fewer and farther apart as time goes by.
What has happened to so many couples to cause such feelings to exist? Perhaps your marriage has experienced some of these same thoughts and emotions. The problem that is troubling so many couples is a slow loss of hearing. I’m not talking about the inability of soundwaves to cause vibrations on the eardrums of these couples, although it may sometimes seem like there is a failure in that area as well. The hearing loss I am referring to is the increasing loss of ability to hear the heart of the other. Just as most people in their youth have little or no problem hearing soundwaves, most couples while dating and even during the honeymoon phase of their marriages, hear each other’s hearts loud and clear, and respond in loving and respectful ways. However, just as many people also become hard-of-hearing in older ages, often times couples lose the ability to pick up on the heart-cries of their spouse as the years go by.
My paternal grandfather succumbed to an inner ear disease in his late fifties. Over the course of several years, the soft tissue and bones in his ears became depleted to the point of becoming useless for their intended purpose. As a result, he became as he described it, “Deaf as a post”. In actuality, though one of his ears was completely deaf the “good ear” retained about 10% of its former ability to hear sound. One day while they were visiting I was attempting to tell him about something that was going on in my world, and he was doing his very best to hear me with limited success. I was nearly yelling into his good ear, trying my best to communicate with him. This process which took about two or three times as long with him as with any able hearing person was underway when my grandmother walked into the room and in her small voice which wasn’t much bigger than she was, asked, “Eddie dear, would you like a cup of tea?” His head turned as he looked her way and answered, “Yes Mary, I would love some”, and turned to face me once again as we tried to continue our difficult attempt at a conversation.
I was mind-blown. If I had not just witnessed it, I would not have believed what had just taken place. How was it that I was so difficult for him to hear even while shouting, but she could walk into a room filled with family, say a few softly spoken words and get right through to him on the first try? Simply stated, he was used to listening to her. At that point in their marriage, He had been tuning into the sweet yet raspy sound of her voice for nearly 75 years. Though he was physically deaf, he had not lost the ability to hear her. They had also not lost the ability to hear each other’s hearts. Their story was of two young kids meeting and falling in love during the waning years of the depression. Their tough upbringing and a newfound faith in Jesus Christ had highlighted their ability to choose to be grateful for anything and everything they had…especially the Lord in their lives, and each other. They determined early in their marriage that they had seen enough heartache and difficulty already and that they didn’t need to add to it. One day while offering me some marital advice, my grandfather told me that because of their life experience before meeting Jesus and each other my grandparents had decided nothing would ever be big enough to fight about, or to allow to come between them. They probably would not have articulated it this way, but they determined early on not to ever lose the ability to hear each other’s heart.
So why is it so easy to lose the ability to hear the heart of our spouse? I believe it is important to recognize that it is a choice to do so. This is vital because otherwise we might not realize we can also chose to remedy the problem by beginning to listen carefully once again. Grandpa couldn’t simply choose to hear with his physical ears once again, He had not chosen to stop hearing in the first place, disease took that from him. Hearing our spouse’s heart is a different matter. We can as just like my grandparents, choose to never stop listening for each other’s heart. If we fail, and soon recognize the problem, the remedy is within our control. 
Many things precipitate the choice to stop listening to the heart of our spouse. Marital hurt can instigate it. Ungratefulness can be the cause. It can be motivated by pride. Selfishness is often the culprit. Too much outside life-noise can also begin to drown out the ease of hearing another’s heart. There are many causes, but thankfully there are also just as many solutions. 
The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others. (New Century Version) Here we see examples of pride and or selfishness being possible causes for losing the ability to hear another’s heart. Paul also offers the solution to restoring our hearing…Humility. Paul instructed the Philippian church to be humble and honor others above themselves. This is wonderful marital advice as well. Choosing to see your spouse as more important than you are will help tune your heart’s ears into their heart’s cry. When we approach another, especially the one with whom we are intended to enjoy a oneness condition, with a heart of humility, it becomes easy to hear what is troubling or causing their heart concern. When we desire to be interested in their life over the interest we take in ours, the condition of their heart will become as easy to hear as if it were shouting in our direction.
Paul also wrote to the church in Ephesus instruction that can help us regain the ability to hear our spouse’s heart. Ephesians 5:20-25 in the New Living Translation says,  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her. The first part of this scripture speaks to the action my grandparents chose to take in their attempt to keep open lines of communication between their hearts…gratefulness. Paul exhorted the Ephesians as well as us by extension, to give thanks to God for everything…including our spouses! I find in my practice that a failure to regularly thank God for one’s spouse (especially when we disagree or are displeased with them) is often the cause of a decreased ability to hear their heart. Proverbs 19:14 tells us that our parents leave us land and money but the Lord gives us a good marriage as our inheritance. Since our marriages are a part of our inheritance from God, we certainly should be grateful to Him for giving us our specific spouse. Paul went on to say that because of our reverence and love for Jesus, we are to submit to one another. He continued by telling us just how to do that. He instructed wives to submit to the leadership of their husbands, to be a support to them. He also instructed husbands to lay down their own desires and dreams and to lift up their wives and regard them as more important than anything else, even life itself.
When we accept in our heart the instruction of the Holy Spirit as penned by Paul, it becomes exceedingly easier to hear our spouse’s heart. Listening for what is important to them, hearing their cares and concerns, joining in with them in their happiness and joy increases us. My faith and personal experience bears out this biblical principle. When we choose to hear our spouse’s heart, that loving concern motivates them to want to know what ours is expressing. 
Questions to answer:
•	Do you find it easy or difficult to hear your spouse’s heart?
•	What things help you do that well?
•	What things hinder your ability to hear their heart loud and clear?
Actions to take:
•	Decide what changes you need to choose that will help you hear your spouse’s heart more clearly and in response to God, enact those changes going forward.
•	Ask God to help you recognize more quickly when your ability to hear your spouse’s heart is waning, and to help you desire to make the adjustments necessary to remedy the problem.
So now, reflect God’s character in your marriage, re-learn to hear your spouse’s heart as readily and clearly as you once did, and…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6e58c8cbdde936da4e1a1fa6e56e8de0.mp3" length="15357506" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6e58c8cbdde936da4e1a1fa6e56e8de0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/hearing-the-heart</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:40</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Who Are Your Three (Mark 14 : 32-42) - October 2, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Who Are Your Three (Mark 14 : 32-42) - October 2, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 32-42.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Who Are Your Three (Mark 14 : 32-42) - October 2, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 32-42.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Betts Message (Mark 14 : 32-42)
1:30- Mark 14 : 32-34
10:47 - Mark 5: 37-39
12:39 - Mark 9 : 2
15:04 - Philippians 3 : 7-10
22:49 - Mark 14 : 35-42
36:01 - Luke 22 : 41-45
41:00 - John 16 : 5-6
41:55 - Hebrews 5 : 5-9]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Who Are Your Three (Mark 14 : 32-42) - October 2, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 32-42.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Betts Message (Mark 14 : 32-42)
1:30- Mark 14 : 32-34
10:47 - Mark 5: 37-39
12:39 - Mark 9 : 2
15:04 - Philippians 3 : 7-10
22:49 - Mark 14 : 35-42
36:01 - Luke 22 : 41-45
41:00 - John 16 : 5-6
41:55 - Hebrews 5 : 5-9]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a7578b9a0a61c45054fe52dbd457b88e.mp3" length="35483251" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a7578b9a0a61c45054fe52dbd457b88e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/who-are-your-three-mark-14-32-42-october-2-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:49</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Business Of Logistics - September 29th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Today the thoughts I want to share with you are surrounding The Business of Logistics
Whenever my wife Lynn and I travel to our summer cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virg...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Today the thoughts I want to share with you are surrounding The Business of Logistics
Whenever my wife Lynn and I travel to our summer cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, efficiency dictates that we travel down through the Shenandoah Valley on Interstate 81. As we travel along there are seemingly as many semi-trucks as there are cars…sometimes more. Logistics companies or independent drivers whose job it is to move the products of a manufacturer to places they are needed own most of those trucks. If those logistics companies do that well, and get the product where it needs to be, on time, they will be successful. In that type of business only a few things really matter, among them…being available to move the product, and getting it where it needs to go when it needs to get there. Though the freight is on board the truck, the driver does not consider it to be their own, and they don’t choose when it will be delivered. That driver knows the product is owned by the manufacturer and the owner decides where and when it needs to be delivered.
As a Christ follower, did you know you are in the logistics business? 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love. God is the source of all love. In fact we can see that when we read the whole verse. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. John is quite clear, God is love and there is no other source of love. If you are showing love it is because you are connected to God the originator of the love. You don’t have to experience much of life to realize that when people claim be the originator of love they mess it up. When people try to take credit for the love they deliver, they ruin it. It is only when we recognize that the love is not ours, and we are simply in the logistics business, taking the love from its source (God) to its destination (others), that we are able to deliver it correctly. And by the way…we have been employed to deliver it.  
1 Peter 1:22 in the New Living Translation says  You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. Essentially, this verse is telling us that when we accepted God’s free gift, making us righteous through the sacrifice of His Son’s death in our place, we became employed by God to deliver His love to others. When the truck driver delivers the load to the destination, that driver knows they did not make the product on board, but it is in their possession so they can get it where it needs to go. The love we have is not our own. It came from God and is in our possession only so we can deliver it where it is needed. Logistically speaking our job is to take sincere love (God’s love) to each other as brothers and sisters. And by the way, we have been tasked with emptying the truck at the dock. We are to love deeply with all of our heart.  
In 1 John 3:18 we are given further delivery instructions. It says, Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Again we are being cautioned somewhat as we were before. There we instructed to make sure we were sincere. Here it says it again just in a different way. I guess it must be important if it is being reiterated. In this verse we are being warned not to deliver Go...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Today the thoughts I want to share with you are surrounding The Business of Logistics
Whenever my wife Lynn and I travel to our summer cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, efficiency dictates that we travel down through the Shenandoah Valley on Interstate 81. As we travel along there are seemingly as many semi-trucks as there are cars…sometimes more. Logistics companies or independent drivers whose job it is to move the products of a manufacturer to places they are needed own most of those trucks. If those logistics companies do that well, and get the product where it needs to be, on time, they will be successful. In that type of business only a few things really matter, among them…being available to move the product, and getting it where it needs to go when it needs to get there. Though the freight is on board the truck, the driver does not consider it to be their own, and they don’t choose when it will be delivered. That driver knows the product is owned by the manufacturer and the owner decides where and when it needs to be delivered.
As a Christ follower, did you know you are in the logistics business? 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love. God is the source of all love. In fact we can see that when we read the whole verse. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. John is quite clear, God is love and there is no other source of love. If you are showing love it is because you are connected to God the originator of the love. You don’t have to experience much of life to realize that when people claim be the originator of love they mess it up. When people try to take credit for the love they deliver, they ruin it. It is only when we recognize that the love is not ours, and we are simply in the logistics business, taking the love from its source (God) to its destination (others), that we are able to deliver it correctly. And by the way…we have been employed to deliver it.  
1 Peter 1:22 in the New Living Translation says  You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. Essentially, this verse is telling us that when we accepted God’s free gift, making us righteous through the sacrifice of His Son’s death in our place, we became employed by God to deliver His love to others. When the truck driver delivers the load to the destination, that driver knows they did not make the product on board, but it is in their possession so they can get it where it needs to go. The love we have is not our own. It came from God and is in our possession only so we can deliver it where it is needed. Logistically speaking our job is to take sincere love (God’s love) to each other as brothers and sisters. And by the way, we have been tasked with emptying the truck at the dock. We are to love deeply with all of our heart.  
In 1 John 3:18 we are given further delivery instructions. It says, Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Again we are being cautioned somewhat as we were before. There we instructed to make sure we were sincere. Here it says it again just in a different way. I guess it must be important if it is being reiterated. In this verse we are being warned not to deliver God’s love only in the form of words, but rather, it must be delivered with action. Would a delivery driver ever arrive at his destination, note to the receiver that the product was on board, and then simply drive away claiming the delivery had been made? Of course not! The driver has to open the truck doors, unload the truck, and then upon receipt of delivery, the driver proceeds to the next destination. John is saying that if we express love only with words the load has not been delivered. Love must be distributed by action, because love is always actionable. Love is not an emotion…fondness is an emotion. According to God’s word, every descriptor we have of agape love or Godly love is actionable. Love is a verb not a noun.
Another concern logistics drivers must keep in mind is that the load arrive in good condition. Sometimes those trucks I see on Route 81 are refrigerated. Those trucks are often delivering perishable items that must be kept at a certain temperature so that they are in good salable condition when they arrive at their destination. If the truck contains fruit but it has spoiled, it is still fruit but it is of no use because it is no longer desirable. God’s word speaks to us about that as well. When we are delivering God’s love where He has asked us to, if we aren’t careful we can let the load become ruined. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 cautions us to keep the love we carry in good condition so we don’t ruin it for the end user. If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. If we want God to find us useful to Him, we must make sure the load is delivered where it needs to be, on time…and in good condition.
So now that we know what the load is, where it needs to go, and the condition He is asking us to deliver it in, let’s take a look at the bill of lading to see the specifics of what is supposed to be on the truck and what isn’t. 1 Corinthians 4-7 continues with that information. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
I would like to end by simply reading the entirety of the loading and delivery instructions that I began my thoughts today with an excerpt from. 1 John 4:7-21 says, Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
So now, Employed by God in His logistics business, love, love, then show some more love so that when you have conveyed all the love He needs you to you can hear that you have been a good and faithful deliverer of His love…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9c8adc082bf2fb55947285bb72e5287f.mp3" length="6792156" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9c8adc082bf2fb55947285bb72e5287f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-business-of-logistics-september-29th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2022 10:34:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Antidote for Ungratefulness - September 27th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken coming to you once again with my Monday Marriage Message, thanks for taking the time to join me. If you enjoy these marriage podcasts and find them to be helpful or encouraging, please share them with friends and family. 
This week...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken coming to you once again with my Monday Marriage Message, thanks for taking the time to join me. If you enjoy these marriage podcasts and find them to be helpful or encouraging, please share them with friends and family. 
This weekend I heard a preacher make an incredibly deep comment. The subject He was speaking about was not marriage, but as soon as he made this profound statement, I thought just how fitting it is in the marital context as well. His proclamation; “Gratefulness is the antidote for ungratefulness!” You might be thinking, “Really…that’s it?”, but I promise accepting the truth and consequence of that statement can radically transform any marriage.
What things do you wish were different in your marriage? Go ahead, pause the podcast and take some time to make a list. When the list of things you wish were different is completed, make another list of the things from the first one that you complain about to your spouse, to others, and yes even to yourself. If you have compiled your lists, we are ready to begin again…Among the people you complain to, perhaps you have even been taking these things to God. Certainly there is no problem with that, He invites us to bring our cares and concerns to Him (1 Peter 5:7). However, we must be careful how we do this, God asks us to cast our cares upon Him, but He does not welcome our grumbling. In fact, the bible tells us that the grumbling or ungratefulness of His people is one of the things He finds problematic. His word teaches us that one of the greatest sins of the Israelite people that He freed and led out of Egypt was their ungratefulness. In contrast, Philippians 2:13,14 instructs us to; Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
This is an interesting scripture. These verses don’t even try to make the insinuation that our lives are free of trouble and therefore should be without complaint. This passage takes the difficulties of our lives and yes perhaps even our marriages into account. It says that we should avoid complaining and disputing (ungrateful behavior) in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. In other words, God knows our lives and yes often our marriages are not ideal situations. He understands there are many difficulties we must endure, many problems we have to work through, and yet He cautions that ungrateful actions and attitudes on our part are to be avoided. Why is that? First, the verse just before these says that implementing these instructions are how we work out our salvation. This does not mean that we do these things to obtain our salvation, but that they make our salvation evident. By acting contrary to “normal behavior”, we and others have opportunity to see God’s impact on our lives demonstrated. Second, the verses above tell us gratefulness is the key to us becoming blameless and harmless. This means that when we choose gratefulness over ungratefulness we respond differently. We don’t allow ourselves to further the difficulty of the situation, rather we become a part of the solution. Studies have long shown that an attitude of gratefulness prompts positive responses, which in turn foster positive outcomes. Choosing to be grateful when a complaint would seemingly be more appropriate, allows us to respond to challenging circumstances and difficult peo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken coming to you once again with my Monday Marriage Message, thanks for taking the time to join me. If you enjoy these marriage podcasts and find them to be helpful or encouraging, please share them with friends and family. 
This weekend I heard a preacher make an incredibly deep comment. The subject He was speaking about was not marriage, but as soon as he made this profound statement, I thought just how fitting it is in the marital context as well. His proclamation; “Gratefulness is the antidote for ungratefulness!” You might be thinking, “Really…that’s it?”, but I promise accepting the truth and consequence of that statement can radically transform any marriage.
What things do you wish were different in your marriage? Go ahead, pause the podcast and take some time to make a list. When the list of things you wish were different is completed, make another list of the things from the first one that you complain about to your spouse, to others, and yes even to yourself. If you have compiled your lists, we are ready to begin again…Among the people you complain to, perhaps you have even been taking these things to God. Certainly there is no problem with that, He invites us to bring our cares and concerns to Him (1 Peter 5:7). However, we must be careful how we do this, God asks us to cast our cares upon Him, but He does not welcome our grumbling. In fact, the bible tells us that the grumbling or ungratefulness of His people is one of the things He finds problematic. His word teaches us that one of the greatest sins of the Israelite people that He freed and led out of Egypt was their ungratefulness. In contrast, Philippians 2:13,14 instructs us to; Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
This is an interesting scripture. These verses don’t even try to make the insinuation that our lives are free of trouble and therefore should be without complaint. This passage takes the difficulties of our lives and yes perhaps even our marriages into account. It says that we should avoid complaining and disputing (ungrateful behavior) in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. In other words, God knows our lives and yes often our marriages are not ideal situations. He understands there are many difficulties we must endure, many problems we have to work through, and yet He cautions that ungrateful actions and attitudes on our part are to be avoided. Why is that? First, the verse just before these says that implementing these instructions are how we work out our salvation. This does not mean that we do these things to obtain our salvation, but that they make our salvation evident. By acting contrary to “normal behavior”, we and others have opportunity to see God’s impact on our lives demonstrated. Second, the verses above tell us gratefulness is the key to us becoming blameless and harmless. This means that when we choose gratefulness over ungratefulness we respond differently. We don’t allow ourselves to further the difficulty of the situation, rather we become a part of the solution. Studies have long shown that an attitude of gratefulness prompts positive responses, which in turn foster positive outcomes. Choosing to be grateful when a complaint would seemingly be more appropriate, allows us to respond to challenging circumstances and difficult people in ways that will move to heal rather than further the hurt. Finally, when we choose gratefulness, we stand out. It’s easy to be ungrateful for problematic situations; anyone can do that. It is normal to be ungrateful for perplexing circumstances. No one thinks we’re unjustified if we complain about the difficult relationships in our lives. However, as Christ followers, indwelled by His Holy Spirit we are enabled and instructed to respond differently than the world around us. 
When you consider it carefully, gratefulness and selflessness go hand-in-hand. The same correlation can be made for ungratefulness and selfishness. When we are being ungrateful, essentially we are saying we don’t like what we are enduring or how we are being treated. Our attention is on what we don’t think we deserve, what we don’t appreciate that others are doing, or how we want to be treated differently. This kind of inward attention is clearly selfish. However, when we employ the antidote for ungratefulness and choose to be grateful, our position and direction change. Gratitude flows outward toward others and upward toward God. Rather than being inward focused on ourselves, gratitude makes us outward focused on others, in other words, more selfless. 
Interestingly, selfishness causes tunnel vision, whereas selflessness dramatically widens our view. The former asks the question how am I being affected by the situations and circumstances around me, the latter asks how can I affect the situations and circumstances I encounter. The first seeks to be helped, the second, looks to see how it can be of help. If you have heard me make note of it once you have heard me proclaim it many times, Marriage is intended to be reflective of God. Clearly, God is selfless. God created everything we can comprehend, and then gave it all to us to use and enjoy. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof Psalm 24:1 says, and He uses it all to provide for us and sustain us each and every day. Most impressively, God made the ultimate sacrifice by allowing His son to die in our place so we could live eternally with Him. God is selfless in every way, and so, our marriages, intended to reflect Him are also purposed to reflect selflessness. Selflessness is the atmosphere in which a marriage breathes easily. Selfishness on the other hand sucks the very breath out of marriages. It develops an environment that will slowly deplete the life of any marriage, ultimately bringing it to a slow and painful suffocation. When you consider that ungratefulness promotes selfishness and gratefulness supports selflessness, gratitude becomes the antidote for much more than ungratefulness alone.
Consider of all of the problems that arise from selfishness in a marriage. Many of the things you come up with in response to that query, may have been found on those lists I asked you to compile at the beginning of this podcast. When we consider the things we complain about in our marriages, they are likely fueled by selfishness. When you also consider that ungratefulness on our part only serves to further selfishness in the relationship, this time from our direction, the importance of a grateful heart becomes increasingly evident.
James wrote that we are to count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4). In his letter, James laid out the strategy for a obtaining a grateful heart in adversity. He said that we could be joyful in our various difficulties knowing that a grateful response to these problems will develop our patience. What I believe James was saying is that the more we choose gratefulness as a response to problems, the easier gratefulness in the face of difficulty becomes. Most of us have proven this to be true on some level in our own lives. As experience teaches us that certain problems are not “the end of the world”, our level of patience with those particular problems increases. We may even come to a point where something that formerly would have caused great difficulty for us, is now responded to as if it were no big deal at all. I think James meant for us to understand that the more we respond to trying circumstances with joy and gratefulness as God desires us to, the more prone we are to follow His Holy Spirit’s prompting in our additional responses to that difficult situation. As a result, the positive outcomes bring about a patience in trials yet to come. James went on to say, when fully developed patience make us perfect and complete. Apparently, God wants to utilize the difficulties in our lives and in our marriages as a refining process to bring about the changes necessary to make us more fully reflective of Him.
Questions to answer: 
•	In light of God’s instruction found in the scriptures we looked at today, what items from your original list of things you wish were different in your marriage have you been responding to incorrectly?
•	When your spouse is ungrateful toward you, what response does that elicit in you?
•	With that in mind, how might gratefulness on your part toward your spouse impact situations the two of you encounter more positively?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss the correlation between gratefulness and selflessness and the connection between ungratefulness and selfishness. Talk about how these connections have impacted your marriage both positively and negatively.
•	If you have listened to past podcasts about the primary relational needs of Love and Respect Husbands, discuss how gratefulness & ungratefulness on your wife’s part impacts your view of the respect she has for you. Wives, discuss how gratefulness & ungratefulness on your husband’s part impacts your view of the love he has for you.
•	As a couple, seek each other’s forgiveness for ungratefulness toward one another, ask God to forgive a selfish and ungrateful spirit that has perhaps resided in your marriage, and ask Him to help you together to do a better job of reflecting Him and His ways.
So now, with a grateful heart toward each other and toward God for all He has done and continues to do in the perfecting process of your marital mirror…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9280e04a7244462d1fa7134d23488f47.mp3" length="7865979" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9280e04a7244462d1fa7134d23488f47.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/antidote-for-ungratefulness-september-27th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:06:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart - September 25th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Saint Clair Sterling]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Saint Clair Sterling Bring us an uplifting message for Teen Challenge weekend.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small g...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Saint Clair Sterling Bring us an uplifting message for Teen Challenge weekend.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Saint Clair Sterling Bring us an uplifting message for Teen Challenge weekend.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f0e97652c35ab6d5d8c5fb0709c66ea4.mp3" length="26372207" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f0e97652c35ab6d5d8c5fb0709c66ea4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/give-thanks-with-a-grateful-heart-september-25th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>43:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fat Man's Misery - September 22nd, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Fat Man’s Misery
Lest anyone believe I am being insensitive or have stooped to “fat shaming”, let me put that to rest right away. The title for this post comes from the name of a very narrow...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Fat Man’s Misery
Lest anyone believe I am being insensitive or have stooped to “fat shaming”, let me put that to rest right away. The title for this post comes from the name of a very narrow passage in the subterranean recesses of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. I was actually surprised that a quick Google search revealed that the name of that passage has not been changed. I guess social justice doesn’t really run that deep after all.
I was introduced to “Fat man’s misery” as a young boy. Somewhere around the age of twelve my parents took me and my two brothers to Mammoth Cave for a vacation. We enjoyed tent camping, campfires, and spelunking for an entire week. Mammoth Cave, aptly named is the world’s longest known cave system and has several different tours available for visitors. While there we did many things that left lifelong (to this point anyway) impressions on me. The 40 plus years since I was there have not taken from me vivid memories of that vacation. One I will never forget was my first experience with total and absolute darkness. My parents allowed my younger brother Gary and I to take a children’s tour without them one afternoon. Following a park ranger with lanterns affixed to helmets on our heads we crawled through a small entrance to one of the innumerable recesses that make up the entirety of Mammoth Cave. After a walk inside of perhaps 200 or 300 yards, the guide had us sit down on rocks, be completely quiet and one by one switch off the lights on our helmets. Lastly, the ranger turned off her light and the darkness enveloped us completely. It was a surreal experience. I recall expecting that my eyes would adjust to the darkness and I would regain at least some ability to see, but that never happened. I remember thinking that I understood what it must be like to be totally blind. I also remember beginning to feel uneasy and insecure in the total darkness and silence. Though the spiritual depths of this are begging to be explored, and maybe I will in a later episode, I want to move on to another memory from that family trip.
During another tour of the caves we took as a family, we followed our guide as a group of people made their way down a long set of steel stairs to one of the entrances to the cave. About an hour later, we emerged in a completely different place in the forest hundreds of yards from where we began our journey. There are several things from that particular tour that I remember. There was a huge room where the “ceiling” was several stories above. That room, named “The Cathedral” was so called because of its size and sound echoing acoustics. I was surprised and somewhat shaken to learn several years ago that the “ceiling” weighing many thousands of tons had come crashing to the floor. Weird to think that as a young boy I had stood under that very space looking up at all that rock, now understood to have been somewhat precariously perched above us. 
As a part of that tour we meandered through a series of fissures in the rock that had been worn into smooth paths. Sometimes the “walls” were wide and ten or twenty feet apart, other times much closer maybe a four or five foot span. At one place, the path narrowed to about fifteen or eighteen inches and the walls were only about four and a half feet high. This part of the path, known as “Fat Man’s Misery” was so named not only because it is so narrow but also low and requires one to bend over to pa...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Fat Man’s Misery
Lest anyone believe I am being insensitive or have stooped to “fat shaming”, let me put that to rest right away. The title for this post comes from the name of a very narrow passage in the subterranean recesses of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. I was actually surprised that a quick Google search revealed that the name of that passage has not been changed. I guess social justice doesn’t really run that deep after all.
I was introduced to “Fat man’s misery” as a young boy. Somewhere around the age of twelve my parents took me and my two brothers to Mammoth Cave for a vacation. We enjoyed tent camping, campfires, and spelunking for an entire week. Mammoth Cave, aptly named is the world’s longest known cave system and has several different tours available for visitors. While there we did many things that left lifelong (to this point anyway) impressions on me. The 40 plus years since I was there have not taken from me vivid memories of that vacation. One I will never forget was my first experience with total and absolute darkness. My parents allowed my younger brother Gary and I to take a children’s tour without them one afternoon. Following a park ranger with lanterns affixed to helmets on our heads we crawled through a small entrance to one of the innumerable recesses that make up the entirety of Mammoth Cave. After a walk inside of perhaps 200 or 300 yards, the guide had us sit down on rocks, be completely quiet and one by one switch off the lights on our helmets. Lastly, the ranger turned off her light and the darkness enveloped us completely. It was a surreal experience. I recall expecting that my eyes would adjust to the darkness and I would regain at least some ability to see, but that never happened. I remember thinking that I understood what it must be like to be totally blind. I also remember beginning to feel uneasy and insecure in the total darkness and silence. Though the spiritual depths of this are begging to be explored, and maybe I will in a later episode, I want to move on to another memory from that family trip.
During another tour of the caves we took as a family, we followed our guide as a group of people made their way down a long set of steel stairs to one of the entrances to the cave. About an hour later, we emerged in a completely different place in the forest hundreds of yards from where we began our journey. There are several things from that particular tour that I remember. There was a huge room where the “ceiling” was several stories above. That room, named “The Cathedral” was so called because of its size and sound echoing acoustics. I was surprised and somewhat shaken to learn several years ago that the “ceiling” weighing many thousands of tons had come crashing to the floor. Weird to think that as a young boy I had stood under that very space looking up at all that rock, now understood to have been somewhat precariously perched above us. 
As a part of that tour we meandered through a series of fissures in the rock that had been worn into smooth paths. Sometimes the “walls” were wide and ten or twenty feet apart, other times much closer maybe a four or five foot span. At one place, the path narrowed to about fifteen or eighteen inches and the walls were only about four and a half feet high. This part of the path, known as “Fat Man’s Misery” was so named not only because it is so narrow but also low and requires one to bend over to pass through. I can only assume that some people have had to turn around and return the way they came, unable to navigate “Fat Man’s Misery”. Even then at my young age that experience caused me to consider Matthew 7:13-14 that I had heard about in Sunday school. That scripture reads as follows in the New King James Version, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, there are few who find it. 
Obviously, that particular passage came to mind all those years ago in that cave because the way in front of me was so narrow and difficult to traverse. I remember thinking however, that this narrow path in front of me was the only way to the destination…the exit of the cave. In my way of boyish thinking, if you wanted to get to the preferable destination then there was only one choice…forward. I remember pondering this scripture as a boy and wondering the same thing about eternity. If eternal life in Heaven was only through the narrow gate, even if the path was difficult, why would anyone ever choose anything else? What allure could the wide gate with the easy path have?
I like the way the paraphrase “The Message” puts these verses. It says, “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention. The reason I like this particular paraphrase of this scripture is because it so accurately reflects our present societal reality. Overwhelmingly we respond to surveys that we are people of Christian belief. Though it is declining somewhat, just two years ago 65% of American adults considered themselves to be Christian. I can say with a good deal of certainty that 65% of the American adult population is not looking for the narrow gate and the difficult path. The fact is that it didn’t matter to those people who were unable to navigate “Fat Man’s Misery” what percentage of others couldn’t either. They were the ones that found themselves unable to arrive at the destination they desired. They were each for all intents and purposes a statistic of one. The same is true for us in regards to our relationship with Jesus. It is called a personal relationship because it is necessarily personal. It will be developed to the degree that we allow and desire to see it developed. There are all kinds of things in life that seek to take our attention but when all is said and done there is only one way to eternity with God…having a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. With such important implications that relationship should get the Lion’s share of our focus.
In his gospel, the Apostle John records that Jesus himself said this.  In John 14:6 Jesus told His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus was clear there is only one way to the destination of eternal life in Heaven with Him. He is The Way, indicating that there is no other. Why? Because He is The Truth. Truth is an absolute. There is only one truth and the ultimate truth leads to life…Eternal Life. So, why is it so difficult? Why so narrow? Essentially, we make it so. It is one of those things of which I like to say it is difficult but not complicated. It isn’t complicated because the process is simple…Make Jesus Lord. It is difficult because we have to slip off of the throne of our own lives and allow Him His rightful place there. In the natural, we don’t want to do that. We like to be in control. We like to make the rules. We like to decide the direction we will go. Simply put, we like to think we are in charge. The gate to destruction is so wide because people want to believe they can make the rules, they can be in charge of their own lives…they can be their own lord and sit on their own throne…and if they are “Basically good people”, they will get to go to heaven someday. 
Jesus said that’s not how it works. Only those who are righteous can spend eternity…or even a nano-second for that matter in the presence of God. Romans 3:22-25 lays out plainly that because of our sin we have a problem, but through genuine personal relationship with Jesus (the way the truth and the life) we have been gifted a solution. Those verses read as follows in the New Living Translation, We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood (in our place).
You are also a statistic of one. When faced with the narrow gate and the difficult path will you turn away and go back the way you came, or will you follow Jesus. Just as our guide knew the way out of the cave and led us back into the light of day, Jesus said “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Following Jesus is the only way to emerge in eternal life with God.
So now, entering the narrow gate with a smile on your lips and a grateful heart that Jesus has made a way for you…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e4b57a21dc7ac5e7123f40977f760eb9.mp3" length="7274775" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e4b57a21dc7ac5e7123f40977f760eb9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fat-mans-misery-september-22nd-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Sep 2022 10:43:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:40</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Conflict Worldly Wisdom vs Wordly Wisdom - Session Seven - September 19th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. This is will be the seventh and final installment in the series looking at Marital conflicts…Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom.
In this edition, we will look at the Worldly Wisdom position that...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. This is will be the seventh and final installment in the series looking at Marital conflicts…Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom.
In this edition, we will look at the Worldly Wisdom position that “The Ends Justify The Means”. Most of us understand that concept and many intuitively and internally shudder when we consider it, knowing there is something we find unsavory about the idea. Even so, on some level most people subscribe to it just the same. We drive faster than the posted speed limit because we have places to go, people to see and things to do. Social media has such a hold over us that we feel compelled to “Check it…just for a second” even though we are being paid and trusted by an employer to be doing other things with our time on the clock. The justifications don’t stop there. In marriage many are willing to allow the ends to justify the means. Maybe we tell our spouse “Little white lies” because telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth might leave us vulnerable to their criticism. Perhaps there is an expenditure that we know our spouse wouldn’t approve of, but it is justified because we really want what we have our eye on. It may be that we join in at work or with friends as conversations center around our distaste for the things our spouses do. Even if we don’t feel right about it, we justify that everyone is doing it, and we want our friends or co-workers to find us acceptable. These are some examples we might view as benign, there are others that are engaged in every day that are much more harmful. People use all kinds of justifications for engaging in activities that have the potential to be incredibly detrimental to their marriages. 
Wordly Wisdom insists that the ends do not justify the means. Jesus said that our yes needs to be yes, and our no should clearly mean no. (Mathew 5:37) We often interpret this scripture to simply mean that if we say yes or no we shouldn’t need to add anything to illustrate that we really mean what we say. However, a deeper understanding has to include the overall effect this has on our integrity. If we avoid wishy-washiness, and if our yes always means yes and if our no always means no, we won’t need to swear by anything else…people will simply be able to count on us. Perhaps most importantly, our spouse. If we are consistent about what we choose and the things we are not willing to allow in our lives, our spouse can enjoy the confidence that our every action, thought and word is for their benefit and blessing.
Wordly Wisdom also argues that the ends do not justify the means, but in fact, it is we who are supposed to end up justified. In other words, God wants to use our marriages to guide us into a life of justice and righteousness. In his book, The Joy of the Sacred Marriage Gary Thomas suggests that God is far more concerned that our marriages make us holy, than that they make us happy. He rightly says God uses our marriages perhaps more so than any other experience in life to move us toward holiness. I simply say that according to Genesis 1 and 2 God designed marriage to reflect His image and likeness. Our marriages are purposed to be a mirror God can look into and see Himself. To Gary Thomas’s point, God is holy and therefore we are to be holy also. 1 Peter 1:13-16 says, So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus C...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. This is will be the seventh and final installment in the series looking at Marital conflicts…Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom.
In this edition, we will look at the Worldly Wisdom position that “The Ends Justify The Means”. Most of us understand that concept and many intuitively and internally shudder when we consider it, knowing there is something we find unsavory about the idea. Even so, on some level most people subscribe to it just the same. We drive faster than the posted speed limit because we have places to go, people to see and things to do. Social media has such a hold over us that we feel compelled to “Check it…just for a second” even though we are being paid and trusted by an employer to be doing other things with our time on the clock. The justifications don’t stop there. In marriage many are willing to allow the ends to justify the means. Maybe we tell our spouse “Little white lies” because telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth might leave us vulnerable to their criticism. Perhaps there is an expenditure that we know our spouse wouldn’t approve of, but it is justified because we really want what we have our eye on. It may be that we join in at work or with friends as conversations center around our distaste for the things our spouses do. Even if we don’t feel right about it, we justify that everyone is doing it, and we want our friends or co-workers to find us acceptable. These are some examples we might view as benign, there are others that are engaged in every day that are much more harmful. People use all kinds of justifications for engaging in activities that have the potential to be incredibly detrimental to their marriages. 
Wordly Wisdom insists that the ends do not justify the means. Jesus said that our yes needs to be yes, and our no should clearly mean no. (Mathew 5:37) We often interpret this scripture to simply mean that if we say yes or no we shouldn’t need to add anything to illustrate that we really mean what we say. However, a deeper understanding has to include the overall effect this has on our integrity. If we avoid wishy-washiness, and if our yes always means yes and if our no always means no, we won’t need to swear by anything else…people will simply be able to count on us. Perhaps most importantly, our spouse. If we are consistent about what we choose and the things we are not willing to allow in our lives, our spouse can enjoy the confidence that our every action, thought and word is for their benefit and blessing.
Wordly Wisdom also argues that the ends do not justify the means, but in fact, it is we who are supposed to end up justified. In other words, God wants to use our marriages to guide us into a life of justice and righteousness. In his book, The Joy of the Sacred Marriage Gary Thomas suggests that God is far more concerned that our marriages make us holy, than that they make us happy. He rightly says God uses our marriages perhaps more so than any other experience in life to move us toward holiness. I simply say that according to Genesis 1 and 2 God designed marriage to reflect His image and likeness. Our marriages are purposed to be a mirror God can look into and see Himself. To Gary Thomas’s point, God is holy and therefore we are to be holy also. 1 Peter 1:13-16 says, So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” Here we are being told that the point of our lives and in fact our marriages is to be holy like God is holy. We are supposed to be clean and clear mirrors that God can look into and see himself. When we accept the worldly view that says the “Ends justify the means”, we risk allowing our mirror to become dirty, clouded, scratched up and far less capable of producing a good reflection of our God. 
What about the dirt, scratches and the cloudiness we have allowed to accumulate on our marital mirrors because we have accepted that in certain situations, the ends justify the means? Thankfully, God has an answer for that. 1 John 1:9 tells us that If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. God desires to forgive us for the dirt and damage we have inflicted on our mirrors. He promises that if we ask him to, He will clean us of all of the dirt we have allowed to rest upon us. In Ephesians 5:16 He lets us know that He even wants to help us redeem time. Though most of us would like to have the ability to do so, we simply can’t go back in time and fix errors we have committed. However, we serve a God who can take those errors and transform them into wisdom essentially redeeming the time in which the errors took place. So, there is even a plan for the dirt and many of the scratches we have allowed to cover our marital mirrors.  God wants to forgive us for every scratch, every bit of cloudiness and all of the dirt we have allowed to accumulate there. He not only wants to wash our mirrors clean so that he can see Himself more clearly, but He will even buff out some of the scratches so they don’t take away from His reflection either. 
Some scratches are too deep to buff out and eliminate completely. Some marital mirrors have been through too much and some of the damage remains even after forgiveness and a good cleaning. So what do we do about that? God has a plan to address that damage as well. Romans 8:28-30 offers a promise to take the deep scratches and the chipped portions of our marital mirrors that have happened as a result of allowing the ends to justify the harmful means and even use those to justify us, and help us better reflect God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Thank God for His miraculous marital mirror restoration abilities!
Though God has graciously offered to restore our marital mirrors, He also asks us to refrain from damaging them further. The Apostle Paul Spoke to that in Romans Chapter 6:1-11 There Paul wrote, Well then, should we keep on sinning (in other words, damaging our mirrors) so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 
God wants to look into the mirror of each of our marriages and see an unblemished reflection of Himself. He is Holy so what He expects to see when He looks at your marriage, my marriage…is holiness. He promised to forgive us of the dirtiness of sin we have so carelessly splattered all over our mirrors and once again make us clean. He has enabled us through the redemption of time to have some of the lesser scratches polished back out. He has also said that if we will allow  Him to, He even wants to use the deeper scratches and chips to cause us to reflect Him even better. God also hopes we will be very careful with our mirrors going forward, and that we will realize just how valuable they are to Him
Questions to answer:
•	Has allowing the end to justify the means created problems for your marriage?
•	What difficulties has this caused the two of you in your attempts to reflect God like you want to?
•	If you make the priority of your lives as one to reflect the One who gave it to you, what differences could that make in your marriage?
Actions to take:
•	Gratefully give God thanks for His desire to take the imperfections of your marital mirror and restore its ability to reflect Him…then make reflecting God THE priority of your marriage.
So now, taking incredible care of your marital mirror so it can do what it was intended to do and reflect God…GO be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/026664dcd7b0f4f51b8e55633372997e.mp3" length="7723006" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/026664dcd7b0f4f51b8e55633372997e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-conflict-worldly-wisdom-vs-wordly-wisdom-session-seven-september-19th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2022 08:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Let Him Be Your Guide - September 19, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Let Him Be Your Guide (Mark 14 : 27-31) September 19, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 27-31.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Commun...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Let Him Be Your Guide (Mark 14 : 27-31) September 19, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 27-31.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Betts Message (Mark 14 : 27-31)
2:32 - Zechariah 13 : 7
4:30 - Genesis 3 : 24
6:44 - Mark 14 : 28
7:56 - Luke 22 : 31
16:05 - Mark 14 : 29-31
21:45 - John 13 : 36
23:40 - John 21 : 18-19
24:48 - 2 Peter 1 : 12-15
33:55 - 2 Peter 1 : 10-11
37:24 - 1 Peter 1 : 4-5
40:11 - Hebrews 11 : 16
42:55 - John 13 : 37-38]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Let Him Be Your Guide (Mark 14 : 27-31) September 19, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.  Pastor Rick continues out of the book of Mark 14 : 27-31.  For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Betts Message (Mark 14 : 27-31)
2:32 - Zechariah 13 : 7
4:30 - Genesis 3 : 24
6:44 - Mark 14 : 28
7:56 - Luke 22 : 31
16:05 - Mark 14 : 29-31
21:45 - John 13 : 36
23:40 - John 21 : 18-19
24:48 - 2 Peter 1 : 12-15
33:55 - 2 Peter 1 : 10-11
37:24 - 1 Peter 1 : 4-5
40:11 - Hebrews 11 : 16
42:55 - John 13 : 37-38]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a1792d7f6e8a688c873ad2f253f87ef2.mp3" length="34690632" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a1792d7f6e8a688c873ad2f253f87ef2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/let-him-be-your-guide-september-19-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Part Deux Tell]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Part Deux Tell. 
For those listening to this podcast as opposed to reading it who know my infatuation with a good pun, I am spelling the word do, D-E-U-X as in the number two in French. So, f...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Part Deux Tell. 
For those listening to this podcast as opposed to reading it who know my infatuation with a good pun, I am spelling the word do, D-E-U-X as in the number two in French. So, for your benefit this edition is entitled “Part two – Do Tell. This is in fact part two of our look at the scriptural account I introduced last week in the episode entitled “Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures”. In that message I pointed out that the nameless desperate woman we read about in Mark chapter five who had experienced a twelve year battle with a hemorrhage also had a desperate faith that Jesus could make her whole again. She determined in her heart that if she could just get near enough to Jesus to touch His clothes, she would be healed. The law that governed her actions due to her “unclean” condition didn’t allow for her to approach Him as so many others did. As we read last week, the Bible tells us that she approached Jesus from behind, and my belief is that she did that to avoid violating the law she was restricted by. Her righteous attempt to obey the letter of the law and at the same time act in her desperate faith in Jesus’ ability to heal her is remarkable. Her desperate faith compelled her forward to her exchange with her Messiah, but didn’t extinguish her desire to obey her understanding of God’s law. I wonder as she approached Jesus from behind, were her quivering lips whispering the words “Unclean…unclean” hoping they would not be heard this one time and give her presence away? We read last week that as soon as she touched Jesus’ robe her bleeding stopped and she knew that she was whole. This week we are going to pick the account up there as another understanding was taking place…so now, Part – Deux - Tell.
Today we resume the account we began reading last week in Mark Chapter Five. Mark 5:30-34 in the New Century Version says, At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His followers said, “Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus continued looking around to see who had touched him. The woman, knowing that she was healed, came and fell at Jesus’ feet. Shaking with fear, she told him the whole truth. Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace; be healed of your disease.”
Last week I told you how this woman was treated under the law, and how in her desperate actions she was ministered to by the power of Grace. In that segment of the passage we discovered that it was an extraordinary thing that she did to get to Jesus because of the Law, but that in so doing He did a more incredible thing in her life through the awesome touch of His Grace. Today I want to focus on the second exchange that took place between this woman and Jesus immediately after she knew she that was healed the instant she touched the hem of His clothes.
This healing account describes the first exchange as Jesus felt the healing power go out of him…and she felt her illness leave her. The ‘parade’ must have come to a halt because the Bible says that Jesus stopped, turned, and asked the question “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples were astonished at this question! By this time, they were quite used to people rushing up to see Jesus, pushing up to Him with no account for His personal space. I imagine they saw this crowd no different...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Part Deux Tell. 
For those listening to this podcast as opposed to reading it who know my infatuation with a good pun, I am spelling the word do, D-E-U-X as in the number two in French. So, for your benefit this edition is entitled “Part two – Do Tell. This is in fact part two of our look at the scriptural account I introduced last week in the episode entitled “Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures”. In that message I pointed out that the nameless desperate woman we read about in Mark chapter five who had experienced a twelve year battle with a hemorrhage also had a desperate faith that Jesus could make her whole again. She determined in her heart that if she could just get near enough to Jesus to touch His clothes, she would be healed. The law that governed her actions due to her “unclean” condition didn’t allow for her to approach Him as so many others did. As we read last week, the Bible tells us that she approached Jesus from behind, and my belief is that she did that to avoid violating the law she was restricted by. Her righteous attempt to obey the letter of the law and at the same time act in her desperate faith in Jesus’ ability to heal her is remarkable. Her desperate faith compelled her forward to her exchange with her Messiah, but didn’t extinguish her desire to obey her understanding of God’s law. I wonder as she approached Jesus from behind, were her quivering lips whispering the words “Unclean…unclean” hoping they would not be heard this one time and give her presence away? We read last week that as soon as she touched Jesus’ robe her bleeding stopped and she knew that she was whole. This week we are going to pick the account up there as another understanding was taking place…so now, Part – Deux - Tell.
Today we resume the account we began reading last week in Mark Chapter Five. Mark 5:30-34 in the New Century Version says, At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His followers said, “Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus continued looking around to see who had touched him. The woman, knowing that she was healed, came and fell at Jesus’ feet. Shaking with fear, she told him the whole truth. Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace; be healed of your disease.”
Last week I told you how this woman was treated under the law, and how in her desperate actions she was ministered to by the power of Grace. In that segment of the passage we discovered that it was an extraordinary thing that she did to get to Jesus because of the Law, but that in so doing He did a more incredible thing in her life through the awesome touch of His Grace. Today I want to focus on the second exchange that took place between this woman and Jesus immediately after she knew she that was healed the instant she touched the hem of His clothes.
This healing account describes the first exchange as Jesus felt the healing power go out of him…and she felt her illness leave her. The ‘parade’ must have come to a halt because the Bible says that Jesus stopped, turned, and asked the question “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples were astonished at this question! By this time, they were quite used to people rushing up to see Jesus, pushing up to Him with no account for His personal space. I imagine they saw this crowd no differently than they had seen countless others before, and so they tried to point out the obvious. “Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, ‘Who touched me?” their incredulousness at his query did not deter Jesus, He continued looking to see who it was that had touched His clothes. I think He knew exactly who it was, I believe that just as He did with the woman at the well, He already knew this poor woman’s entire life story. But, just like she had been on a mission to get to Jesus, I think He also had a worthy goal in mind by coming to a halt and asking “Who touched me?” 
What happened next exemplifies a valuable lesson for us. The woman who had for so long tried to remain hidden away from others, was now being summoned right into the spotlight. Jesus desired to have another exchange with her, this time a verbal one…He wanted to have a loving conversation with her. For well over a decade, she had lived as an outcast, banished by her leaders, ostracized by her peers, rejected by everyone. Now in this moment, she was being sought after by the Rabbi, Healer, Master, her Messiah! No wonder she came and fell before Him trembling as she stammered her way through her story that He likely already knew so well! But Jesus was up to something. He was teaching...her...the crowd...us. The lesson among others...when you reach out to Jesus and He meets your needs, no matter how big...or small they seem...you’ve got to tell somebody! Jesus wants us to testify to others what He has done for us! All of us were created to bring Him glory. All of us were created for His pleasure. We all have a great, lofty and noble purpose...to give praise to the One who gives to us…everything we have! 
My guess is that was not the last time this woman told her story about the day Jesus healed her. I imagine she told it so many times no one she knew or met thereafter was left unaware. I bet she never stopped telling how Jesus had taken her illness, her failures, her sinfulness, her desperation, all of it, and with one measure of His incredible Grace, made right everything that was wrong in her life!
After their conversation, Jesus dismissed her in peace, healed, and probably most important to her, accepted! This version says He addressed her as “Dear woman”, the original text however, says He used the Greek word “Thugater” and means daughter, and in that language would have included any female descendant regardless of how far removed. Jesus was claiming her as His own. He was saying that spiritually they were now in relationship, while physically he was pronouncing that he was her Creator and in that sense she was indeed His daughter. While some or much of that may have escaped this simple woman, it did not elude Jesus. He was tenderly letting her know He loved her immensely and intensely, and whether she understood it or not…throughout eternity…He always had.
Jesus cares the same for each of us. So what has He done for you? Are you telling everyone you can about it? Are you giving Him the glory for what He has done in your life? Are you using the examples of His touch of Grace in your life to spur others to seek that same touch in theirs? He hasn’t blessed you with His Power, His Grace, His forgiveness so you can keep it to yourself. In fact, others often see His blessing on our lives, and if we don’t tell them that it is by His Gracious hand alone that we get to experience those blessings, we are in effect taking the credit for ourselves. If Jesus has been so very, very good to you...and...He has, then part two is do tell...do tell...and then do tell some more!
So now…Desperate times call for Desperate measures, so Do Tell everybody you can about the Power of Jesus’ Grace in your life…and Go Be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0f3747f8b3395860bb2dc7e0a258165f.mp3" length="12381445" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0f3747f8b3395860bb2dc7e0a258165f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/part-deux-tell</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Conflicts...Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom Session Six]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This will be the sixth installment in my series on Marital Conflicts between Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom. 
When it comes to marriage, we do a lot of things d...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This will be the sixth installment in my series on Marital Conflicts between Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom. 
When it comes to marriage, we do a lot of things differently than we did before we got married. We consider things we never did before. We choose differently than we did as a single person. When we interact with our spouse, most of us react to them differently than we might toward anyone else…at least on the outside. Why is this? On the surface that may seem to be a silly question, but in reality it is one of the more serious questions we can ask. People who enjoy highly successful marriages ask that question and recognize it requires an answer.
Worldly wisdom has many answers to the questions, “Why do we act differently after marrying than we did previously?” and, “Why do we react differently toward our spouse than with many other people”. More than a few men are likely to respond “Happy wife…Happy life.” Though they are attempting to be humorous, worldly wisdom, common sense has taught them there is a modicum of truth to that answer. If you ask many women why they respond differently toward their husbands, they might say, “To keep the peace” or “I’m just trying not to rock the boat”. These answers and most others to these questions reveal a deeper truth. When it comes to marriage worldly wisdom indicates that the motivation for acting differently as a married person ultimately is to keep your spouse happy. 
So what’s the problem with that? Sounds like a pretty selfless thing to do. Shouldn’t we want to keep our spouse happy? Isn’t it right to try to give them what they want? Shouldn’t we interact with our spouse differently than we might with others? At first glance those responses might seem right and to make good sense, but probe a little deeper and a less than righteous motive begins to surface. Why do we want to keep our spouse happy? The answer to that question is as plain as day in the various answers people give to my original question. “Happy wife…Happy life”…is the goal more to have a happy wife…or the resulting happy life that can be enjoyed if she is happy? “Trying to avoid rocking the boat, or keeping the peace”…Who exactly is it you are hoping will enjoy some peace? The fact of the matter is, if we act differently after marrying, and we are following the common sense narrative that our goal ought to be to keep our spouse happy, we are deluding ourselves. Those thoughts are self-righteous cop-outs for our real motives. We want a happy life…we want a little peace and quiet, we want…we want…we want. All of the sudden it doesn’t seem to be such a selfless approach. Sounds like not much has changed actually. Before we get married, we do things to enjoy peace and happiness, after we marry, it seems we try to keep someone else placated, so we can we can continue to enjoy peace and happiness. Sorry to wake you from living the dream.
So, what is the difference between that attitude and Wordly Wisdom? Motive. When we look at what God has to say about how we should act toward our spouse after we marry, the key difference is motive. Today I want to share just a few of God’s instructions to married people. I am intentionally selecting specific ones that are difficult for people to accept. Why choose these? The fact of the matter is that if we can wrap our minds and hearts around the correct motivation for the most difficult of ins...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. This will be the sixth installment in my series on Marital Conflicts between Worldly Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom. 
When it comes to marriage, we do a lot of things differently than we did before we got married. We consider things we never did before. We choose differently than we did as a single person. When we interact with our spouse, most of us react to them differently than we might toward anyone else…at least on the outside. Why is this? On the surface that may seem to be a silly question, but in reality it is one of the more serious questions we can ask. People who enjoy highly successful marriages ask that question and recognize it requires an answer.
Worldly wisdom has many answers to the questions, “Why do we act differently after marrying than we did previously?” and, “Why do we react differently toward our spouse than with many other people”. More than a few men are likely to respond “Happy wife…Happy life.” Though they are attempting to be humorous, worldly wisdom, common sense has taught them there is a modicum of truth to that answer. If you ask many women why they respond differently toward their husbands, they might say, “To keep the peace” or “I’m just trying not to rock the boat”. These answers and most others to these questions reveal a deeper truth. When it comes to marriage worldly wisdom indicates that the motivation for acting differently as a married person ultimately is to keep your spouse happy. 
So what’s the problem with that? Sounds like a pretty selfless thing to do. Shouldn’t we want to keep our spouse happy? Isn’t it right to try to give them what they want? Shouldn’t we interact with our spouse differently than we might with others? At first glance those responses might seem right and to make good sense, but probe a little deeper and a less than righteous motive begins to surface. Why do we want to keep our spouse happy? The answer to that question is as plain as day in the various answers people give to my original question. “Happy wife…Happy life”…is the goal more to have a happy wife…or the resulting happy life that can be enjoyed if she is happy? “Trying to avoid rocking the boat, or keeping the peace”…Who exactly is it you are hoping will enjoy some peace? The fact of the matter is, if we act differently after marrying, and we are following the common sense narrative that our goal ought to be to keep our spouse happy, we are deluding ourselves. Those thoughts are self-righteous cop-outs for our real motives. We want a happy life…we want a little peace and quiet, we want…we want…we want. All of the sudden it doesn’t seem to be such a selfless approach. Sounds like not much has changed actually. Before we get married, we do things to enjoy peace and happiness, after we marry, it seems we try to keep someone else placated, so we can we can continue to enjoy peace and happiness. Sorry to wake you from living the dream.
So, what is the difference between that attitude and Wordly Wisdom? Motive. When we look at what God has to say about how we should act toward our spouse after we marry, the key difference is motive. Today I want to share just a few of God’s instructions to married people. I am intentionally selecting specific ones that are difficult for people to accept. Why choose these? The fact of the matter is that if we can wrap our minds and hearts around the correct motivation for the most difficult of instructions, the remainder of them become much easier.
Eph 5:33 says, Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. This scripture gives two distinctly different marital directives, one to the husband the other to the wife. They are distinct because they are specific as to who must do what. The commands are different for the husband and the wife, and they are difficult on numerous levels. When we break it down there is a lot in this short verse. 
Nevertheless, as in always…under any circumstances…never allowing for less than this…let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself. This means that every husband must meet their wife’s specific needs as an act of love. This scriptural instruction is given as an imperative. In other words, it is without caveat. There is no situation where this command is waived. Husbands must always love their wife by meeting her specific needs regardless of how loveable…or unlovable she might seem at any given time. To the wife, the command is shorter but no simpler. Let the wife see that…again, there is no alternative offered, the command is implied to be at all times, that…she respect her husband. Again, this means that every wife must respect her husband in every situation whether he is acting in respectable ways or not. The insistence that the husband love, and the wife respect, regardless…is what makes these two commands so difficult for people to accept. 
I don’t know your situation, but I know that in my own marriage these commands can be problematic. I am not always respectable, but my wife is instructed clearly, that she must respect me, without fail. Though I would argue with her, she would say she is not always lovable, and yet I am commanded that regardless, I am to love her by meeting each and every one of her specific needs. So what makes it possible to obey these two very difficult commands? Motive. If I try to love Lynn all the time by meeting her individual needs, and I attempt to do that for her, I will fail. Why? Because my motives are all wrong. Sooner than later, likely much sooner, I will revert to the worldly motive of making her happy so I can be happy. If she tries to respect me at all times, for my sake, she will also eventually fail, and her motive will wrongly become to keep the peace…ultimately her own peace. The two of us must keep in mind that the command to love does not come from her, and the command to respect does not come from me. Both of those commands come from God himself through His word. With that understanding, our motives are corrected. When I am being loving toward Lynn…I am loving her for God, the One who asked me to. When Lynn is being respectful toward me…she is not doing that for me, she is doing it for her Lord who asked her to. We each get the benefit of the other’s obedience, but their obedience is an act of worship before the Lord. God’s word says this is how it should be. 1 Samuel 15:22 says …“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams”.
Another scriptural instruction for married people that gives them great difficulty in our present day and age is 1 Cor. 7:4. That bit of Wordly Wisdom says this, The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Talk about a scripture that flies in the face of our present culture’s belief system! Worldly wisdom dictates the mottos we hear shouted with conviction regularly these days like, “My body, my choice”, God’s word says…not so fast. As the founder of the “One Flesh” marital relationship, God recognizes that we cannot become one with another and yet retain personal autonomy. In a sense when Lynn and I chose to ask God to make us one, I gave my authority over my own body to Lynn and she gave authority over her body to me. We did not simply exchange authority over our bodies, that would simply reverse roles, leaving the question of autonomy intact and leaving us exposed to the other’s selfishness. In effect, I gave authority over my body to the oneness of our marriage of which Lynn is an equal voice, and she gave the authority over her body to that same marital entity of which I am an equal member. As a result, autonomy isn’t even a consideration. When this scripture is viewed correctly all of the arguments used against it fall away. If adhered to as intended, our personal autonomy doesn’t enter the equation, and as a result sinful action like abuse, manipulation, and any other misuse of this scripture to cause harm, become impossible. 
Again, correct motivation is what makes this work. As in the example a few moments ago, the command for authority over the other’s body does not come from one another…it comes from God. If we give authority over our own bodies to the marriage, and we do it in response to God, our motivation is to please Him. With correct motivation, selfishness toward our spouse is abated and selflessness toward God takes its place. As before, our spouse enjoys the benefit, but it is not done for our spouse…it is done for our God.
The Apostle Paul summed up the question of correct motivation for us in Col 3:18-19,23-24. In the New Living Translation these verses read as follows: Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly… Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for [one another]. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
Questions to answer: 
•	Do you recognize the selfish motivations behind ideas like “Happy wife, happy life” and “Just trying to keep the peace”?
•	When you think about it, do you find that your motivation for doing the right thing is sometimes wrong?
•	What differences do you think it would make if you and your spouse were to become intentional about doing the things the Bible says you should in regards to your marriage, and making a point to do them for your Lord?
Actions to take:
•	When you recognize that you are disappointed because your spouse did not respond to you the way you hoped, correct your motivation by reminding yourself that you did not do whatever it was you did for your spouse…you did it because God asked you to.
•	Ask God to help you maintain a correct selfless motivation of obedience to Him as you interact with your spouse even when they do not respond in kind.
So now, being obedient to God’s commands to you as a husband or as a wife…especially the difficult ones…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e476d1ed94a376776432a87639492c52.mp3" length="17148169" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e476d1ed94a376776432a87639492c52.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-conflictsworldly-wisdom-vs-wordly-wisdom-session-six</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Shine For The Light (Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28) - September 11, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Shine For The Light (Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28) - September 11, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. It is our Baptism and Picnic weekend and Pastor Rick talks out of Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Shine For The Light (Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28) - September 11, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. It is our Baptism and Picnic weekend and Pastor Rick talks out of Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28
For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Shine For The Light (Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28) - September 11, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. It is our Baptism and Picnic weekend and Pastor Rick talks out of Romans 6 : 1-13 & Galatians 3 : 27-28
For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9b418fa18dff4cd97cd1b0d56ad149f9.mp3" length="34222858" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9b418fa18dff4cd97cd1b0d56ad149f9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/shine-for-the-light-romans-6-1-13-galatians-3-27-28-september-11-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures - September 8th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures.
Have you ever experienced desperate times? My life hasn’t been trouble free by any means, but in comparison to the experiences of other’s I’m not...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures.
Have you ever experienced desperate times? My life hasn’t been trouble free by any means, but in comparison to the experiences of other’s I’m not sure I would look back at my life and say it was filled with desperate times. When I compare my experiences to the people who lived through the dark days of the depression in the 1930’s, or those who experienced the horrors of war, or any of the other desperate times in history, my difficulties…even the worst of them don’t begin to compare. Most of us do have personal examples of this statement being found true at some point in our lives however. When I was diagnosed with cancer it didn’t seem ludicrous at all that I was in a hurry to let a surgeon cut the cancerous organ from my body regardless of the other physical difficulties that would likely ensue. I guess it is true, desperate times do call for desperate measures. Today I want to look at an account in God’s word of a desperate time in a certain woman’s life, and the desperate measures she was willing to take in response her difficulty.
Mark 5:21-29 Say this, Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.  
This account makes mention of two unrelated desperate people. Jairus, who was a part of the church leadership system that despised Jesus, pleaded with Him to come to his house and heal his little girl who was dying. I imagine it must have been a difficult thing for him to get on his knees and beg Jesus (someone his peers hated) to come and heal someone even more important to him that he personally had no ability to help. Why was Jairus willing to do that? Desperate times call for desperate measures. In that same crowd, the bible says, there was another desperate person. A woman who had spent all of her money on doctors who were unable to stop her hemorrhaging for twelve long years! The bible tells us that though she had done all she knew how to do to that point, she had gotten no better and was in fact getting worse. 
I’m not sure in our modern western society many of us really understand what the true scope of that woman’s problem was. We can read about her condition, but I’m not sure most of us really understand what it must have been like for her. No doubt, all those years she had been tired and weak both physically and emotionally. At that time in Israel, she would have been treated as a total outcast both physically and spiritually. According to Levitical law she was unclean, and would have caused any...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures.
Have you ever experienced desperate times? My life hasn’t been trouble free by any means, but in comparison to the experiences of other’s I’m not sure I would look back at my life and say it was filled with desperate times. When I compare my experiences to the people who lived through the dark days of the depression in the 1930’s, or those who experienced the horrors of war, or any of the other desperate times in history, my difficulties…even the worst of them don’t begin to compare. Most of us do have personal examples of this statement being found true at some point in our lives however. When I was diagnosed with cancer it didn’t seem ludicrous at all that I was in a hurry to let a surgeon cut the cancerous organ from my body regardless of the other physical difficulties that would likely ensue. I guess it is true, desperate times do call for desperate measures. Today I want to look at an account in God’s word of a desperate time in a certain woman’s life, and the desperate measures she was willing to take in response her difficulty.
Mark 5:21-29 Say this, Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.  
This account makes mention of two unrelated desperate people. Jairus, who was a part of the church leadership system that despised Jesus, pleaded with Him to come to his house and heal his little girl who was dying. I imagine it must have been a difficult thing for him to get on his knees and beg Jesus (someone his peers hated) to come and heal someone even more important to him that he personally had no ability to help. Why was Jairus willing to do that? Desperate times call for desperate measures. In that same crowd, the bible says, there was another desperate person. A woman who had spent all of her money on doctors who were unable to stop her hemorrhaging for twelve long years! The bible tells us that though she had done all she knew how to do to that point, she had gotten no better and was in fact getting worse. 
I’m not sure in our modern western society many of us really understand what the true scope of that woman’s problem was. We can read about her condition, but I’m not sure most of us really understand what it must have been like for her. No doubt, all those years she had been tired and weak both physically and emotionally. At that time in Israel, she would have been treated as a total outcast both physically and spiritually. According to Levitical law she was unclean, and would have caused anyone she touched, anyone who touched her, or even sat where she had, to become unclean as well. When she left her home she would have been forced to keep her distance from others and to loudly warn them she was unclean so they would not risk coming in contact with her. According to the law if she had gone into the temple in her condition the penalty would have been death. Her uncleanliness kept her from relationships with people and from worshipping her God the way she had been brought up to do. Things had become desperate for her indeed! 
This woman had no doubt heard about Jesus and the power He seemed to have to heal people at will. She decided that she had to see Him. But how? If she went out to the crowds to find him, and was heard yelling “Unclean...unclean!” she would never get anywhere near Him. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures.’ I don’t know for sure because we aren’t told, but I imagine as she approached Jesus she was being careful to avoid touching other people in the crowd. The Bible records that she came up behind Jesus, I believe she did this to keep the law and avoid coming into contact with anyone else. I would imagine most of those crowding up to Him would have been in front and to the sides of Jesus trying to get His attention. I think she decided that coming from behind was the only way she could get near Jesus and still do what was required by the Law. The scripture does tell us that she believed that if she could just touch His clothes she would be healed. As she did what her faith compelled her to do, we read she was indeed instantly healed.
In that moment there was an exchange between this desperate woman and Christ, her Messiah. We will read that power went out of Him and her illness left her. This account goes on to tell us much more of the verbal exchange between her and Jesus, and next week I plan to look at that part of the account in greater detail. Today however. I want to focus on this part of her story.
This woman had desperate faith, so desperate that she did the unfathomable and something even more incredible happened for her. Under the Law by touching Jesus her action should have made Christ unclean, instead through the power of Grace she was made clean by Him. The same thing happens for us when we come to Jesus with our sin. Prior to accepting that His death on the cross was to make payment for the penalty of our sin, we can’t have access to God. Our sin in God’s presence would necessitate our death, the same penalty the law required if that woman entered the temple while she was considered unclean. What she knew in her heart was that she needed to get close to Jesus and she believed that if she could just touch His clothes she would be healed. Her faith would not be deterred. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and so she set out to find her way to Jesus. 
Like the woman in this account, we have to approach Christ with a determined faith, we have to come to a place where we realize nothing else, no one else, can save us from the disease of our sin. We have to be desperate for a healing from sin that seems to flow out of our lives no matter how hard we might try to contain it. That cleansing and healing can only come through the powerful Grace of Jesus Christ. As we approach Him and His holiness that our mere sinful presence should defile, we have the same incredible experience that woman did, Grace. Isaiah 53:5 says, But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. The power of Grace is what allowed her after all those years to finally to be healed and once again clean. The power of Grace is also what allows us to made righteous in God’s sight in spite of our past sinful nature. And that same power of Grace is what enables and allows us to enjoy a wonderful relationship with Jesus, our perfect Lord. Grace does what nothing else can, and desperate faith is what grants us access to that Grace.   
Next week my thoughts on a Thursday will look at part two of that woman’s story…“Deux Tell” 
So now, desperate to increasing your relationship with Jesus, and taking whatever desperate measures necessary to see that desire become a reality in your life…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a590e1fbdc2e136f163674162b4b084d.mp3" length="7316767" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a590e1fbdc2e136f163674162b4b084d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures-september-8th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2022 13:59:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Equalizer (Mark 14 : 22-26) - September 4, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Equalizer (Mark 14 : 22-26) - September 4, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 22-26 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church G...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Equalizer (Mark 14 : 22-26) - September 4, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 22-26 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 22-26 
0:22 - Genesis 4 : 2-12
6:45 - Hebrews 11 : 4
7:59 - Hebrews 12 : 22-24
10:43 - Genesis 14 : 18-20
13:25 - Exodus 24 : 3-8
16:42 - Exodus 12 : 21-27
20:17 - Mark 14 : 22-26
24:01 - 1 Corinthians 10 : 16-17
28:35 -1 Corinthians 11 : 23-26
32:33 - Opportunity to give your life to the Lord
37:12 - Communion
42:20 - Congregational Hymns]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Equalizer (Mark 14 : 22-26) - September 4, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 22-26 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 22-26 
0:22 - Genesis 4 : 2-12
6:45 - Hebrews 11 : 4
7:59 - Hebrews 12 : 22-24
10:43 - Genesis 14 : 18-20
13:25 - Exodus 24 : 3-8
16:42 - Exodus 12 : 21-27
20:17 - Mark 14 : 22-26
24:01 - 1 Corinthians 10 : 16-17
28:35 -1 Corinthians 11 : 23-26
32:33 - Opportunity to give your life to the Lord
37:12 - Communion
42:20 - Congregational Hymns]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b449d764d6f0a236a7e2142b33d28a91.mp3" length="32696316" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b449d764d6f0a236a7e2142b33d28a91.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-equalizer-mark-14-22-26-september-4-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Three Simple Steps To Finding The Will Of God In Your Life!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Three Simple Steps to finding the will of God in your life.
Have you ever noticed that the marketing world loves to use “Three Simple Steps” to sell us nearly anything? No matter what you may...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Three Simple Steps to finding the will of God in your life.
Have you ever noticed that the marketing world loves to use “Three Simple Steps” to sell us nearly anything? No matter what you may be looking for…or maybe not looking for, someone wants to sell you their fool-proof, money back guaranteed solution in just “Three Simple Steps”. There a books upon books available that utilize this principle. There is one simply called Three Simple Steps – A Map To Success In Business And Life . Another one that looked interesting was Will Work For Fun: Three Simple Steps For Turning Any Hobby Into A Business. You can find three simple steps to losing weight, buying your next car or house, cooking gourmet meals or becoming wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. There is probably somebody out there who has tried to market a book about three simple steps to counting to three…hmmm, I am an author,  maybe I should consider…no it wouldn’t be right…funny, but not right.
Why are we so ready to buy something if it is broken down into three simple steps? Who ever got anywhere exciting by taking just three simple steps? I can clearly see from where I sit, where three simple steps will take me in any given direction…so let me check…nope, nothing earth shattering or life changing is just three simple steps away from me right now. So, what ever happened to ideas like “Anything worth having is worth working for”, or “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”, or one of my personal favorites…”If it was that easy, everybody would be doing it”. As far as I can tell, everybody isn’t meeting with wild success. So, can we agree not everything can be broken down into three simple steps?
The Apostle Paul did write about three simple steps for finding the will of God in your life, but this wasn’t a marketing ploy to sell books, nor was it deceptive in any way. This one is the God’s honest truth. These three steps are laid out for us in his letter to the Thessalonian church. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says this: Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Three simple steps, laid out in three simple verses. Simply put however, these simple steps seem kind of complicated. How are we supposed to always be joyful? Are we supposed to start praying and never get to the part where we sign off with a reverent “Amen”? Are really expected to be thankful in all circumstances? One might counter that these three simple steps don’t look simple at all…they look impossible!
Ok let’s start with step one -  Always be joyful. Paul indicates here as well as other places like in in his letter to the Philippian church that joy is always appropriate. In Philippians 2:17,18 he writes, But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. In Philippians 3:1 he writes, Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord… And further in Philippians 4:4 he says it again,  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Ok, so I’m starting to detect a pattern here…Paul really does think it is possible to always be joyful. So I went to my trusty Greek-English Bible and looked it up. It seems that what Paul was trying to convey is that God’s grac...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Three Simple Steps to finding the will of God in your life.
Have you ever noticed that the marketing world loves to use “Three Simple Steps” to sell us nearly anything? No matter what you may be looking for…or maybe not looking for, someone wants to sell you their fool-proof, money back guaranteed solution in just “Three Simple Steps”. There a books upon books available that utilize this principle. There is one simply called Three Simple Steps – A Map To Success In Business And Life . Another one that looked interesting was Will Work For Fun: Three Simple Steps For Turning Any Hobby Into A Business. You can find three simple steps to losing weight, buying your next car or house, cooking gourmet meals or becoming wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. There is probably somebody out there who has tried to market a book about three simple steps to counting to three…hmmm, I am an author,  maybe I should consider…no it wouldn’t be right…funny, but not right.
Why are we so ready to buy something if it is broken down into three simple steps? Who ever got anywhere exciting by taking just three simple steps? I can clearly see from where I sit, where three simple steps will take me in any given direction…so let me check…nope, nothing earth shattering or life changing is just three simple steps away from me right now. So, what ever happened to ideas like “Anything worth having is worth working for”, or “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”, or one of my personal favorites…”If it was that easy, everybody would be doing it”. As far as I can tell, everybody isn’t meeting with wild success. So, can we agree not everything can be broken down into three simple steps?
The Apostle Paul did write about three simple steps for finding the will of God in your life, but this wasn’t a marketing ploy to sell books, nor was it deceptive in any way. This one is the God’s honest truth. These three steps are laid out for us in his letter to the Thessalonian church. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says this: Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Three simple steps, laid out in three simple verses. Simply put however, these simple steps seem kind of complicated. How are we supposed to always be joyful? Are we supposed to start praying and never get to the part where we sign off with a reverent “Amen”? Are really expected to be thankful in all circumstances? One might counter that these three simple steps don’t look simple at all…they look impossible!
Ok let’s start with step one -  Always be joyful. Paul indicates here as well as other places like in in his letter to the Philippian church that joy is always appropriate. In Philippians 2:17,18 he writes, But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. In Philippians 3:1 he writes, Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord… And further in Philippians 4:4 he says it again,  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Ok, so I’m starting to detect a pattern here…Paul really does think it is possible to always be joyful. So I went to my trusty Greek-English Bible and looked it up. It seems that what Paul was trying to convey is that God’s grace or favor toward us is something we should always be joyful for because that grace is always is present in our lives. In other words, God’s grace is always with me regardless of my day-to-day situations. Paul isn’t necessarily telling me to be joyful for the specifics of my day, they may be viewed in a positive or negative light, but I can and should be joyful that God’s grace accompanies me through all of those situations whatever their outcome may be. I can be joyful because no matter what I face, I do not face it alone. My joy can be found in the One who accompanies me, even if it cannot be found in what we are walking through together.
Now for step two – Never stop praying. I shared regarding this scripture just a few weeks ago in my podcast entitled Dad…Dad…Dad…Dad. There I went into greater detail breaking down the meaning of this particular passage. In that episode I pointed out that in Luke chapter 11 Jesus told a story about a man who woke up his neighbor in the middle of the night to ask for some food he needed because an unexpected guest had arrived at his home, and he had nothing to feed him. Jesus said that the sleepy neighbor would likely refuse to help because of the late hour, but that if the one at the door continued to knock incessantly, his neighbor would in fact, give him what he needed, not because of their friendship, but because of his persistent knocking and asking. He went on to say this about the value of Simple step number two...never stop praying. His words are recorded for us in Luke 11:9-10, there he said, And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks the door will be opened. In verse 13 he let us know what those who ask, seek and knock, could expect…God will give to them the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. According to Galatians 5:22-23 with The Holy Spirit’s influence we are able to face every situation life throws our way with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. After all, we were created in His image and His likeness, asking that the fruit of His Own Spirit might be displayed in our lives certainly fulfills God’s will that we would be reflective of Him. Additionally, Jesus made the point that God does not answer us because He is annoyed by our persistence as the sleepy neighbor in His story was. Jesus was quite clear. God is good and responds to us out of love, not frustration. God desires that we ask, seek and knock continually because that action on our part indicates to Him our desire for a continual relationship with Him. James 4:8 tells us that if we draw near to God, God will in return draw near to us. 
Simple step number three to finding the will of God in your life – Be thankful in all circumstances. Paul understood a great psychological truth. An attitude of gratitude causes us to view the things that are happening in our lives with corrected vision. Giving thanks to God every day is an act of faith, because not every occurrence in our life is a positive one. Some things are downright negative, bad, wrong…maybe even evil. So are we really supposed to give thanks for all those negative circumstances we encounter? Absolutely. Even more so in those situations. Meeting our literal God-given potential to be reflective of Him is relatively easy when all is going exactly as we would like it to. In those instances, we may not even see a great need for His assistance, but when all is not going well, or perhaps seemingly nothing is going as we want it to, giving thanks will illustrate our faith in God. A grateful attitude during times of duress, difficulty or even despair highlights our belief that He is interceding for us and that He will use those challenging times for our good by helping us to become even more like Christ. (Romans 8:26-29) One of the scriptures that is near and dear to my heart that speaks so clearly of why, when where and how we should give thanks in all circumstances is found in Psalm 100. Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Finally, Hebrews 12:28 offers an unshakable reason for step three…be thankful in all circumstances… Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
So there you have it, just three simple steps. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances and God’s word says the result of those are that this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
So now, you have the three simple steps…following those steps and finding God’s will for your life…Go Be Awesome! 
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1c1ef575caf04866f57018694f53780b.mp3" length="15218433" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1c1ef575caf04866f57018694f53780b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/three-simple-steps-to-finding-the-will-of-god-in-your-life</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Conflicts - Session Five]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Marital Conflicts – Session Five
Continuing with our series of marital conflicts between worldly wisdom and Word-ly wisdom, found in the Bible, today I want to speak about the potential of our...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Marital Conflicts – Session Five
Continuing with our series of marital conflicts between worldly wisdom and Word-ly wisdom, found in the Bible, today I want to speak about the potential of our marriages. Worldly wisdom or common sense dictates that its participants determine the potential of any marriage. How far that marriage will go, how long it will last, what it will look like and what it will leave as a legacy is all up to the two people who have entered into it. This understanding hinges on the premise that a marriage is made of two people who enter into an agreement to stick together and stick it out as long as there is continued value in doing so. The potential of their marriage is determined by the purposes they alone decide their marriage has and how much they are willing to do to see those fulfilled. This thinking allows that there is no standard to be maintained except that which is decided upon by that particular couple. No one else ought ever have any ability, authority or right to impose any guidelines or regulations onto their marriage. Whatever is ok for that couple is ok, after all whatever happens behind their closed doors is up to them…Right? 
Why would this thought process seem reasonable? For starters, no one likes to be told what to do. As human beings we start life out with this mindset and most of us end it with little to no discernable change. We like to make our own rules so that we can adjust them whenever it suits us and we prefer not to be required to give answer for our changes. In our marriages, we conclude that we possess autonomy so that we are able to rest in the false belief that we cannot act in error. The problem with this thought process for marital longevity is that by definition, autonomy can’t really be shared…not even by as few as two people. Selfish desire will eventually cause conflict and disharmony highlighting the fallacy of the marital unity being experienced in that setting. Additionally, if a couple agrees that they alone are qualified to determine the standards for their marriage, they become the only ones who should decide that the marriage should dissolve if and when it no longer produces the desired outcome. They believe no one else has the authority to challenge that decision. Finally, in order to maintain a (quote-unquote)“successful marriage” the supposed autonomous couple will likely need to downgrade some of the formerly decided potential of their marriage commensurate with the disappointing outcomes they experience. If those involved in the marriage are not the ones deciding the purposes of their own marriage, this lowering of potential and expectations becomes impossible. For many couples, determining their own marriage’s purpose and potential is not only desirable, but must necessarily be kept fluid for their success to be assured.
When you say the quiet part out loud it sounds kind of shallow doesn’t it? So, what does Wordly wisdom have to say about the subject? What are God’s thoughts when it comes to the potential of our marriages? If we look at our marriages as something we have done, we set the parameters and decide the potential. However, if we view our marriages as something God has done, we must look to Him for the guidelines designed to ensure we arrive at the full potential He sees in every marriage as He joins a man and a woman together as one.
In Genesis 1:26 we find that the purpose of creating ma...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Marital Conflicts – Session Five
Continuing with our series of marital conflicts between worldly wisdom and Word-ly wisdom, found in the Bible, today I want to speak about the potential of our marriages. Worldly wisdom or common sense dictates that its participants determine the potential of any marriage. How far that marriage will go, how long it will last, what it will look like and what it will leave as a legacy is all up to the two people who have entered into it. This understanding hinges on the premise that a marriage is made of two people who enter into an agreement to stick together and stick it out as long as there is continued value in doing so. The potential of their marriage is determined by the purposes they alone decide their marriage has and how much they are willing to do to see those fulfilled. This thinking allows that there is no standard to be maintained except that which is decided upon by that particular couple. No one else ought ever have any ability, authority or right to impose any guidelines or regulations onto their marriage. Whatever is ok for that couple is ok, after all whatever happens behind their closed doors is up to them…Right? 
Why would this thought process seem reasonable? For starters, no one likes to be told what to do. As human beings we start life out with this mindset and most of us end it with little to no discernable change. We like to make our own rules so that we can adjust them whenever it suits us and we prefer not to be required to give answer for our changes. In our marriages, we conclude that we possess autonomy so that we are able to rest in the false belief that we cannot act in error. The problem with this thought process for marital longevity is that by definition, autonomy can’t really be shared…not even by as few as two people. Selfish desire will eventually cause conflict and disharmony highlighting the fallacy of the marital unity being experienced in that setting. Additionally, if a couple agrees that they alone are qualified to determine the standards for their marriage, they become the only ones who should decide that the marriage should dissolve if and when it no longer produces the desired outcome. They believe no one else has the authority to challenge that decision. Finally, in order to maintain a (quote-unquote)“successful marriage” the supposed autonomous couple will likely need to downgrade some of the formerly decided potential of their marriage commensurate with the disappointing outcomes they experience. If those involved in the marriage are not the ones deciding the purposes of their own marriage, this lowering of potential and expectations becomes impossible. For many couples, determining their own marriage’s purpose and potential is not only desirable, but must necessarily be kept fluid for their success to be assured.
When you say the quiet part out loud it sounds kind of shallow doesn’t it? So, what does Wordly wisdom have to say about the subject? What are God’s thoughts when it comes to the potential of our marriages? If we look at our marriages as something we have done, we set the parameters and decide the potential. However, if we view our marriages as something God has done, we must look to Him for the guidelines designed to ensure we arrive at the full potential He sees in every marriage as He joins a man and a woman together as one.
In Genesis 1:26 we find that the purpose of creating mankind was to reflect the image and likeness of God. In verse 27 we are told that the creation of mankind required both a male and a female. This fact is often viewed solely as a necessary component for the procreation of people and the survival of the human race. Though it is true that it takes a man and a woman to create another human being, regardless of current disinformation, that purpose is secondary (as noted in verse 28) following the primary purpose of reflecting the Creator (found in verse 26). We read in Genesis 2:21-23 that God created Adam and Eve, the first man and woman as a married couple identified by Adam’s recognition that they were created by God “One Flesh”. Following Adam’s proclamation, (in verse 24) God proclaimed that every marriage going forward from that time would be a re-creation of the “One Flesh” condition experienced and enjoyed by Adam and Eve. As I have said before, the Apostle Paul reiterated that fact in Ephesians 5:31-32. Jesus Himself spoke of the oneness of marriage being something continually re-created by God and not by man, in Matthew 19:3-6 and Mark 10:2-9. God’s primary purpose for marriage was then and still is today,to create a singular entity of oneness that is reflective of His image and His likeness. Since He is the originator of the union we call marriage, and the purpose for marriage is also specifically noted as being His, then a perfect, infallible God would necessarily give the potential for every marriage to meet that intended purpose. Your marriage absolutely contains the potential to act as “One Flesh” and to reflect the image and likeness of God. Any other conclusion would be blasphemous. 
In Luke 17:6 Jesus spoke of possessed potential. That verse says: So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea’, and it would obey you”. This verse has often been misunderstood to mean that if we had faith as big as a tiny seed, we could command incredible things to take place and they would happen just as we said. When the original Greek is examined however, we find that what Jesus was really saying was that a mustard seed though very small, does not question its potential to become a very large plant. It simply lives up to its potential. Jesus made this statement following His disciples asking for additional faith to do something He said they should do. Essentially, they were questioning the potential they had to accomplish His plans for them. Following Jesus’ words about the mustard seed simply fulfilling its potential, Jesus expounded further. In the following verses Jesus asked His disciples a question. He asked if a servant should expect that after a partial day of obedient service, the master would likely tell them to stop serving him, take it easy for a while, do whatever they wanted to do, and then later resume service to their master? Or, He asked them, should a servant expect that faithful obedience would be the requirement until the potential for the day had been reached and their purpose had been fulfilled? Jesus was expressing that the master determines the purpose and potential for the day. It is not for the servant to question the goal, but simply to obey, expecting the potential will be realized. Much like the mustard seed does not decide for itself what it should grow to be, but rather simply expects its God given potential will be achieved.
God has placed the Potential in your marriage to be reflective of Him. He has installed the ability to meet that potential through the development and growth of your “One Flesh” condition. According to Jesus, your job, my job, is simply to obediently do our best to realize our full potential allowing Him to enable us to do what we lack within ourselves. The potential is there, all we have to do is refrain from denying that potential exists and allow it to be developed by Him. A mustard seed does not deny its own potential but also cannot become the large plant it is purposed to be without the sun, rain and nutrient rich soil, all things added by God. Mark 9:23 speaks to this. It records that Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible for him who believes”. In other words, what God wants to see take place in our lives and in our marriages absolutely can be done if we are willing to allow Him to help us reach our full potential and see His purposes realized in our lives.
Psalm 19, one of my personal favorites, speaks of the perfect ways of God. It tells us that if we will acknowledge that His ways and plans for our lives (and marriages) are superior to anything we could imagine, the results will be sweet and desirable for Him and us as well.
Psalm 19:7-11 
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, 
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Questions to Answer:
•	In the past, what would you have said the purposes of your marriage were?
•	What would you have said the potential was for your marriage to see those purposes realized?
•	How much potential did your marriage have to reach both of your purposes for your marriage?
•	How much potential do you see in your marriage to fulfill the purpose God has for it?
Actions to Take:
•	Discuss why you answered the final question for today the way you did.
•	Talk about the steps of obedience the two of you could take to move your marriage toward reaching its God-given potential.
•	Pray and ask God to help you be obedient to Him in this regard and ask Him to give the two of you what you lack to fulfill His purposes for your marriage.
So now, allowing God to determine the purpose for your marriage, and simply agreeing with Him that the full potential can and will be achieved…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/399f62d861993101029a97904a99ed87.mp3" length="16793884" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/399f62d861993101029a97904a99ed87.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-conflicts-session-five</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[He's Looking for Faithfulness (Mark 14:10-21) - August 28, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[He's Looking for Faithfulness (Mark 14:10-21) - August 28, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 10-21 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Commun...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[He's Looking for Faithfulness (Mark 14:10-21) - August 28, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 10-21 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Q & A from the congregation
4:59 - Todays message is on Judas
8:59 - Mark 14 : 10-21
20:45 - Matthew 26 : 25
21:35 - John 13 : 2-18
43:42 - Psalm 41 : 9-11
44:28 - John 13 : 19-30]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[He's Looking for Faithfulness (Mark 14:10-21) - August 28, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues out of Mark 14 : 10-21 

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Q & A from the congregation
4:59 - Todays message is on Judas
8:59 - Mark 14 : 10-21
20:45 - Matthew 26 : 25
21:35 - John 13 : 2-18
43:42 - Psalm 41 : 9-11
44:28 - John 13 : 19-30]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f3ad9c40031db753cf7f23149c6e2a42.mp3" length="36360309" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f3ad9c40031db753cf7f23149c6e2a42.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/hes-looking-for-faithfulness-mark-1410-21-august-28-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Aug 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Just So You Know, There Will Be A Test! - August 25th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just So You Know, There Will Be A Test!
When I was a young student in school. I hated hearing those dreaded words…”Just so you know, there will be a test”! I wasn’t particularly bad at taking...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just So You Know, There Will Be A Test!
When I was a young student in school. I hated hearing those dreaded words…”Just so you know, there will be a test”! I wasn’t particularly bad at taking tests, I was simply too busy to prepare for them, and my desire to prioritize fun and play over studying, made tests stressful as well as just plain bothersome. As I sit here today sharing my thoughts on a Thursday with you I am reminded that those stress inducing words were most often uttered on a Thursday because so many of those tests came on a Friday. As a fourth and Fifth grader I had the same teacher. Miss Biga was my all-time favorite teacher even back then…though she still holds that distinction today. Then and now, I understood my good fortune to have had her be my teacher for two consecutive years. Though she was, and remains my favorite, she also would remind our class with regularity, “Just so you know, there will be a test”. In those particular grades, many of those weekly tests were designed to demonstrate our command of vocabulary words and the correct spelling of each of them. Miss Biga and her insistence to teach all of her pupils to possess a strong vocabulary is probably the one person more responsible than any other for turning me into what my wife refers to as a “Word-Nerd”. 
Those weekly vocabulary lists often contained Homonyms, just to make it tricky. Most of us know these to be words that either sound the same but have different meanings, are spelled the same but have different sounds and meanings…or both. I remember one time when she went all-in for 25 little mind explosions at once by teaching us there were additional words to describe each of the options above. Just to prove my status as a word nerd…words that sound the same but have different meanings are actually called Homophones. Examples of these would be t-o…t-o-o…and t-w-o, or t-h-e-i-r…t-h-e-r-e…and t-h-e-y-‘-r-e. On the other hand, Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but have different sounds and meanings. These include l-e-a-d which can be pronounced lead, a heavy metal or lead, to show someone the way, another example might be w-i-n-d, wind is moving air, but to wind means to use revolutions to accomplish a task like winding up a kite string. I know there is some argument as to whether a Homonym can be either a Homograph or a Homophone or if it must be both, but Miss Biga said it must be both…so that is the correct definition…take it from a word-nerd! Just so you know, there is going to be a test!
Today I want to introduce you to the most important vocabulary list you will ever possess. To simplify I will not include any Homonyms, Homographs or Homophones. However to make it difficult enough that you feel the need to pay attention…if I haven’t lost you already…and I hope I haven’t because this is very important…I will use rhyming words. Are you ready? There are only two words on this all-important vocabulary list…Selfish and Selfless. They may sound similar, but they actually have completely opposite meanings! Most, if not all of us know what these two words mean, but I find we are less than adept at recognizing which we are employing at times. Moreover, I believe we often overlook the true ramifications of which of these we are choosing. Last week in my other podcast… the Monday Marriage Message, I made the point that worldly wisdom will make allowances for there being times selfish...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just So You Know, There Will Be A Test!
When I was a young student in school. I hated hearing those dreaded words…”Just so you know, there will be a test”! I wasn’t particularly bad at taking tests, I was simply too busy to prepare for them, and my desire to prioritize fun and play over studying, made tests stressful as well as just plain bothersome. As I sit here today sharing my thoughts on a Thursday with you I am reminded that those stress inducing words were most often uttered on a Thursday because so many of those tests came on a Friday. As a fourth and Fifth grader I had the same teacher. Miss Biga was my all-time favorite teacher even back then…though she still holds that distinction today. Then and now, I understood my good fortune to have had her be my teacher for two consecutive years. Though she was, and remains my favorite, she also would remind our class with regularity, “Just so you know, there will be a test”. In those particular grades, many of those weekly tests were designed to demonstrate our command of vocabulary words and the correct spelling of each of them. Miss Biga and her insistence to teach all of her pupils to possess a strong vocabulary is probably the one person more responsible than any other for turning me into what my wife refers to as a “Word-Nerd”. 
Those weekly vocabulary lists often contained Homonyms, just to make it tricky. Most of us know these to be words that either sound the same but have different meanings, are spelled the same but have different sounds and meanings…or both. I remember one time when she went all-in for 25 little mind explosions at once by teaching us there were additional words to describe each of the options above. Just to prove my status as a word nerd…words that sound the same but have different meanings are actually called Homophones. Examples of these would be t-o…t-o-o…and t-w-o, or t-h-e-i-r…t-h-e-r-e…and t-h-e-y-‘-r-e. On the other hand, Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but have different sounds and meanings. These include l-e-a-d which can be pronounced lead, a heavy metal or lead, to show someone the way, another example might be w-i-n-d, wind is moving air, but to wind means to use revolutions to accomplish a task like winding up a kite string. I know there is some argument as to whether a Homonym can be either a Homograph or a Homophone or if it must be both, but Miss Biga said it must be both…so that is the correct definition…take it from a word-nerd! Just so you know, there is going to be a test!
Today I want to introduce you to the most important vocabulary list you will ever possess. To simplify I will not include any Homonyms, Homographs or Homophones. However to make it difficult enough that you feel the need to pay attention…if I haven’t lost you already…and I hope I haven’t because this is very important…I will use rhyming words. Are you ready? There are only two words on this all-important vocabulary list…Selfish and Selfless. They may sound similar, but they actually have completely opposite meanings! Most, if not all of us know what these two words mean, but I find we are less than adept at recognizing which we are employing at times. Moreover, I believe we often overlook the true ramifications of which of these we are choosing. Last week in my other podcast… the Monday Marriage Message, I made the point that worldly wisdom will make allowances for there being times selfishness is the reasonable and perhaps even the responsible choice. Finding Godly wisdom, otherwise known as scripture to tell us when the right time for selfish behavior is…that is more difficult, and by “More difficult” I mean it doesn’t exist. Finding occasions of Christ, (our ultimate example) choosing selfishness as the correct choice is seemingly even less likely, and by “Less likely” I mean it never happened. In fact, One day Jesus was teaching about the importance of choosing correctly, choosing selflessness over selfishness. As were many of His teachings, it was, as I like to say, “Difficult but not complicated”. It was and is to this day difficult because that pesky worldly wisdom wants to argue all of the reasons selfishness would be the reasonable and responsible path to take. It isn’t complicated, because as Jesus pointed out selfishness is only necessary when we are afraid we won’t be cared for as we feel we should be. Of selflessness, he made the important note, we have to utilize faith, we have to trust God to take care of our needs while we care for the needs of others. It is difficult…but it isn’t complicated.
The teaching I spoke of a moment ago is found in Luke 12:22-34. I would like to read this scripture from a paraphrase of the New Testament that I especially appreciate. Aptly named The Remedy and written by Dr. Timothy Jennings this version focuses on the construct of love and selflessness upon which God operates and desires for us to operate within as well. 
22Then turning to his interns, Jesus said: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about how the future will turn out, about where your next meal will come from, or with what to clothe your body.23Life is not built to operate on the survival-of-the-fittest principle — constantly seeking to get food for yourself, or wear the latest fashion.24Look at the ravens: they don't worry about planting, or harvesting, or storing food in barns or silos, because your heavenly Father is constantly giving of himself to feed them. You are infinitely more valuable than the birds!25Who of you by worrying has added even a single hour to your life?26If your worry can't do this simple thing, then why worry about the rest?
27"Look at the lilies of the field: they don't sew or weave, yet I tell you that Solomon in his most magnificent robes was not dressed as one of these.28If that is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is here today and gone tomorrow, will he not do much more for you? Oh, how you trust him so little.29Stop worrying all the time, saying, 'Oh, where will we get groceries? What is there to drink?'30The pagans, who don't know God, are constantly preoccupied with getting for self and seeking to survive at all costs. But your heavenly Father knows all your needs and longs to provide them,31so seek first to live in harmony with God's kingdom of giving and all your needs will be met as well.
32"Don't live in fear, fear is part of the infection of sin and turns your mind to self. It is your heavenly Father's pleasure to give you his kingdom of love.33So live to give, sell what you don't need, and give to bless the less fortunate. Let your hearts cherish and hold to love and therefore be like a purse that won't decay, filled with an eternal treasure that will never run out, and which no thief can steal.34For what you treasure most is where your heart is.
We often look at this passage to gain instruction concerning worry in general. I believe it to be specifically pertaining to worrying about the results of following Christ’s example of selflessness. When you read them carefully even the other more well-known translations are focused on worry as it relates to giving to others and trusting God to care for us. This teaching of Jesus’ pointed out several things. We do in fact have physical needs like food and clothing, but just as God meets those needs for seemingly unimportant things like birds and flowers in abundant ways, how much more will He meet the needs of the only thing He created in His own image and likeness? Second, it points out that thinking selfishly is the natural thought of those who do not know God, because they don’t have the ability to place faith in that which they deny exists. However, as people who claim to love God and follow Christ, our mindset should be different. We ought to trust God to take care of us. Finally, Jesus pointed out the great test…I told you there would be a test. If we truly trust God to meet our needs we can afford to be selfless to the point of selling everything we have and giving it to those who are in need, because we know that our needs, both the physical here and now, and the spiritual which are eternal, WILL BE met by God. Essentially, we will learn that we can choose selflessness because we don’t have to look out for number one in light of the fact that Number One is looking out for us.
So now, preparing for the tests as they come, trust God to take good, good care of you and choose selflessness toward others…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5e3498a85884b6f483d02525faac0e4d.mp3" length="6009005" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5e3498a85884b6f483d02525faac0e4d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/just-so-you-know-there-will-be-a-test-august-25th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:48</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Conflicts - Session Four]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. In this edition, we are continuing to explore the series of marital conflicts found between worldly wisdom and the infallible God who created us, and who instituted the prim...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. In this edition, we are continuing to explore the series of marital conflicts found between worldly wisdom and the infallible God who created us, and who instituted the primary human relationship, marriage.
A few weeks ago, I spoke of the difference between the Bible’s understanding of marital oneness and the contrasting view of two individuals simply engaged in a mutual agreement. The latter is increasingly viewed by the world as an agreement that is less binding than many formal business contracts are. Most see marriage as something just as easily undone as it was entered into, if one or both of the individuals desire to do so. In this common sense view of marriage two individuals, any two individuals really, can be connected to one another ‘as long as desire to do so shall last’. 
In the former…God’s plan, a man and a woman are joined together by Him, and they become “One Flesh”. (Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:5) The Bible teaches marriage is a miraculous recreation of the oneness shared by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. (Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:7-8 and Ephesians 5:31-32). As I have shared with you in the past, the original Greek word Jesus chose to use when describing the “Oneness” of the marital union translates well into our vernacular as homogenized, or mixed too thoroughly to be separated again into its original components.  
With that in mind, let’s explore a widely accepted common sense approach to honesty and marriage. If marriage is simply an agreement between two people to cohabitate by a set of guidelines they alone agree upon, then they are able to choose the level of honesty that will be exercised in their marriage. When worldly wisdom is employed, it is understood that there are likely certain things that a person should not, or does not need to divulge. That list of exclusions usually begins with anything that may upset one’s spouse. This can include many things. For example, if someone at work had been flirting or making comments that were inappropriate, that would probably be reserved. If someone of the opposite gender had been a little too personal on social media, that kind of information would likely be omitted as well. What about a spouse who has been struggling with temptations to engage in activities that would be hurtful to the marriage? What if your spouse is doing something that is bothersome to you? How about the amount of money that is being independently spent , or the things it is spent on? How about important past events in the lives of spouses prior to meeting one another? When we believe we can operate successfully within marriage as two people who remain autonomous individuals, many things are rationalized as better left unsaid. 
When it comes to honesty vs. dishonesty there is an interesting contrast. There are two kinds of dishonesty…but there is only one form of truth. Dishonesty can be served in the form of a lie of commission; these are when we tell someone something that is simply not true. Moreover, and likely much more often, dishonesty is offered as a lie of omission. These are far more prevalent because we rationalize that if we have not told someone something that is patently untrue, we are not guilty of lying. The truth is, withholding information is often intended to deceive. When we try to mislead someone with a lack of information, we are attempting to help them gain an understanding that does mesh w...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. In this edition, we are continuing to explore the series of marital conflicts found between worldly wisdom and the infallible God who created us, and who instituted the primary human relationship, marriage.
A few weeks ago, I spoke of the difference between the Bible’s understanding of marital oneness and the contrasting view of two individuals simply engaged in a mutual agreement. The latter is increasingly viewed by the world as an agreement that is less binding than many formal business contracts are. Most see marriage as something just as easily undone as it was entered into, if one or both of the individuals desire to do so. In this common sense view of marriage two individuals, any two individuals really, can be connected to one another ‘as long as desire to do so shall last’. 
In the former…God’s plan, a man and a woman are joined together by Him, and they become “One Flesh”. (Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:5) The Bible teaches marriage is a miraculous recreation of the oneness shared by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. (Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:7-8 and Ephesians 5:31-32). As I have shared with you in the past, the original Greek word Jesus chose to use when describing the “Oneness” of the marital union translates well into our vernacular as homogenized, or mixed too thoroughly to be separated again into its original components.  
With that in mind, let’s explore a widely accepted common sense approach to honesty and marriage. If marriage is simply an agreement between two people to cohabitate by a set of guidelines they alone agree upon, then they are able to choose the level of honesty that will be exercised in their marriage. When worldly wisdom is employed, it is understood that there are likely certain things that a person should not, or does not need to divulge. That list of exclusions usually begins with anything that may upset one’s spouse. This can include many things. For example, if someone at work had been flirting or making comments that were inappropriate, that would probably be reserved. If someone of the opposite gender had been a little too personal on social media, that kind of information would likely be omitted as well. What about a spouse who has been struggling with temptations to engage in activities that would be hurtful to the marriage? What if your spouse is doing something that is bothersome to you? How about the amount of money that is being independently spent , or the things it is spent on? How about important past events in the lives of spouses prior to meeting one another? When we believe we can operate successfully within marriage as two people who remain autonomous individuals, many things are rationalized as better left unsaid. 
When it comes to honesty vs. dishonesty there is an interesting contrast. There are two kinds of dishonesty…but there is only one form of truth. Dishonesty can be served in the form of a lie of commission; these are when we tell someone something that is simply not true. Moreover, and likely much more often, dishonesty is offered as a lie of omission. These are far more prevalent because we rationalize that if we have not told someone something that is patently untrue, we are not guilty of lying. The truth is, withholding information is often intended to deceive. When we try to mislead someone with a lack of information, we are attempting to help them gain an understanding that does mesh with the reality of the situation, which is a lie. As I said a moment ago, there are two kinds of lies…but there is only one form of the truth. Our justice system understands this and as a result has long employed the following oath when swearing in a witness in a court of law…”Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth…the whole truth…and nothing but the truth?”
So, what does God’s word say about telling the truth in regards to marriage? What does the Bible have to say about being totally honest with your spouse? The Word of God indicates that a person we are “One” with should be able to expect that our dealings with them will be totally above board, fully honest and true. In Ephesians chapter four, Paul gave instruction to the Christians in Ephesus, and wrote that they should no longer live as they did before. He admonished them that the time for being dishonest had come to an end, and that they needed to treat those they were “One” with in Christ, fairly, completely honestly and in godly ways. In the Amplified Version Ephesians 4:25 says, Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ]. When writing this Paul knew that the readers would understand the phrase “all parts of one another” because of the example of their own marriages. As we operate within our marriages the application of this scripture should be no less striking. God desires that we be truthful with everyone, but He also wants us to understand that as components of a “Oneness” relationship both you and your spouse ought to be able to have the highest expectation of truthfulness. 
I often use the following illustration to show why this is so. I ask people if they can hold an item so tightly in their right hand that their left hand will be unaware of the contents hidden in the right? Of course, this I would be impossible due to the central nervous system which connects both hands. Those two hands are separate from one another, just as a husband and wife possess separate bodies. Though the right and left hand resemble one another they are also opposites, just as men and women are alike and yet opposites in many ways. One may have ability not possessed by the other. One may be stronger than the other. Regardless of these differences, there is no ability for secrecy between a person’s two hands because though they are separate and different, they are a part of the same body. According to the scripture I referenced a moment ago, there also should be no expectation that meaningful secrecy would ever exist between a husband and a wife. 
In order for truth to have the pure outcome it should, it must never be misleading in any way as we read in the previous scripture, AND according to the following one, must be delivered with love as the sole motivation. Ephesians 4:15 says But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ (Amplified Version). Speaking the truth in love removes any opportunity for ulterior motives such as “Sugar-coating” or “Brutal honesty”. Those terms are used solely to justify further deceit or a harsh and unloving opinion, neither of which is truth or loving. My mother used to say “If you can’t find something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” A well-meant sentiment, but scripturally unsound especially when it comes to marriage. Love and speaking the truth in Love will enable you to find something loving and true to say. The dangerous misinterpretation of this verse is…“IF you tell the truth, do so in love” However, the scripture clearly says “But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing Christ’s truth]. Speaking and in fact, living the truth is not optional, nor is expressing that truth with any other motive but love. According to these verses, learning to do this is what matures us in Christ as we follow His example. Physical maturity doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it take place without growing pains. Spiritual maturity is no different. Learning to be thoroughly honest with our spouse with the sole motivation of love (meaning the truth is always told with an intent to bless) is not necessarily easy. However, it is imperative that we learn to do it if we are to walk in the fullness of God’s design for the “Oneness” relationship of marriage. Keep in mind, if the right hand could actually keep the left from knowing what it possessed, it would indicate a serious mental illness. If one spouse regularly operates as if the other has no need to know what is a part of their life, words, actions, or thoughts, it is equally indicative of a serious marital illness.
1 Corinthians 3:6 sums up this concept well, [Love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 
Questions to Answer:
•	What kinds of things do you and your spouse struggle to be totally honest with one another about?
•	Are you both comfortable with the level of honesty (or dishonesty) that your marriage operates at?
•	How could the two of you learn to be more honest with one another than you currently are? ***Full Disclosure***Answering this question honestly may reveal some areas where dishonesty has been allowed to abide in your marriage.
Actions to Take:
•	Talk about the reasons why the two of you may have avoided a complete level of honesty with one another to this point in your marriage.
•	Discuss the benefits of learning to be more honest with one another going forward.
•	Talk about fears you may have of operating your marriage in a state of total honesty.
•	Discuss what “Sugar-coating” the truth or the use of “Brutal honesty” has done to the openness the two of you share, and how both of them have hindered the development of your “Oneness”.
So now, learning to do everything in your marriage in truth and love…Go Be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b65260f72d1dfc3926cdc5600baf0b6d.mp3" length="15166978" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b65260f72d1dfc3926cdc5600baf0b6d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-conflicts-session-four</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Servanthood (Youth Weekend) - August 21, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Aaron Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Servanthood (Youth Weekend) - August 21, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Aaron Betts shares testimony and talks about the latest youth missions trip to Montana. The youth from the trip are some of the special gue...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Servanthood (Youth Weekend) - August 21, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Aaron Betts shares testimony and talks about the latest youth missions trip to Montana. The youth from the trip are some of the special guest speakers.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Aaron Betts Youth Director opening and testimony
3:58 - Fin
9:13 - Adam
12:10 - Jules
14:34 - Rebeka
19:20 - Isabella
23:15 - Aaron talking about the events that happened during the missions trip
39:42 - Jack
42:22- Summer
52:27 - Aaron Closing Remarks and prayer]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Servanthood (Youth Weekend) - August 21, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Aaron Betts shares testimony and talks about the latest youth missions trip to Montana. The youth from the trip are some of the special guest speakers.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Aaron Betts Youth Director opening and testimony
3:58 - Fin
9:13 - Adam
12:10 - Jules
14:34 - Rebeka
19:20 - Isabella
23:15 - Aaron talking about the events that happened during the missions trip
39:42 - Jack
42:22- Summer
52:27 - Aaron Closing Remarks and prayer]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6f1d779fbb112053aff81a5bc8e1568a.mp3" length="35320132" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6f1d779fbb112053aff81a5bc8e1568a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/servanthood-youth-weekend-august-21-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 21 Aug 2022 08:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dad...Dad...Dad...Dad!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2fc31a25b144e5900a9c38be8b337458.mp3" length="14268547" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2fc31a25b144e5900a9c38be8b337458.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/daddaddaddad</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:13:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Conflicts - Session Three]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. As we continue in our series of marital conflicts found between common sense aka worldly wisdom and the Word of God.
This week I want to look at how to get what we n...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. As we continue in our series of marital conflicts found between common sense aka worldly wisdom and the Word of God.
This week I want to look at how to get what we need out of our marriages. Essentially there are different things that men and women need from marriage. I have spoken of these in past episodes. Primarily, women need to know that they are loved for the things they say, think, do and believe if the relationships they engage in are to be in good standing. Men on the other hand are more interested in knowing that they are respected for what they think, say, do and believe. If they find that someone, anyone really, does not respect them for these things, a good relationship cannot ensue until this problem is remedied. Make no mistake, men need to be loved, just not to the same extent that they need respect. Likewise, women need respect, however, the love of others toward them is their primary concern. These two relational needs, love and respect, also translate well as the need for security and sufficiency. If a woman feels secure in a relationship all is well within that relationship. This truth is magnified when it pertains to the marital relationship. If a man feels as though he is seen as being sufficient to accomplish goals set for him, he will thrive in those relationships. Again, this truth is amplified in the marital relationship.
These relational needs, love and respect, security and sufficiency, are so important to us as women and men that they rank extremely high on our list of needs. In fact, if they are absent for more than a short period of time, a family tie, a friendship, or even an employment my not survive. Within the oneness relationship of marriage, they become critical. The duration of time that can be successfully managed if these needs are going unmet there is dramatically shorter than in any other relationship.
These needs simply have to be fulfilled. The intensity with which we will seek to have them met is almost unmatched. The marital conflict between natural thinking and God’s word is derived from how we get these all-important needs met.  
Worldly wisdom tells us that there is a formula for having these needs met. When these primary needs are unmet, an intensifying level of stress occurs. As I said a moment ago, if the relationship is secondary, in other words it is with extended family, friends or an employer, the level of stress will be problematic, but if it occurs within the primary relationship of marriage, it is even more intense and escalates even more quickly. The reason for this is that married couples rightly believe that the person they are one with should recognize above all others what the needs of their spouse are and have an unencumbered desire to meet those needs. They see little to no difference between the importance of a husband or wife’s desire to meet their spouse’s needs and a mother’s desire to feed her children or a father’s desire to provide for his family. 
When the stress associated with these primary needs being unmet escalates the natural inclination is to withhold the needs of the other. In other words if my need for respect is unmet by my wife or if I feel she sees me as insufficient to be successful in some way, my natural response to that will be to withhold love from her. It is important to note that this action is initially in no way intended to be mean or uncaring, but ra...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. As we continue in our series of marital conflicts found between common sense aka worldly wisdom and the Word of God.
This week I want to look at how to get what we need out of our marriages. Essentially there are different things that men and women need from marriage. I have spoken of these in past episodes. Primarily, women need to know that they are loved for the things they say, think, do and believe if the relationships they engage in are to be in good standing. Men on the other hand are more interested in knowing that they are respected for what they think, say, do and believe. If they find that someone, anyone really, does not respect them for these things, a good relationship cannot ensue until this problem is remedied. Make no mistake, men need to be loved, just not to the same extent that they need respect. Likewise, women need respect, however, the love of others toward them is their primary concern. These two relational needs, love and respect, also translate well as the need for security and sufficiency. If a woman feels secure in a relationship all is well within that relationship. This truth is magnified when it pertains to the marital relationship. If a man feels as though he is seen as being sufficient to accomplish goals set for him, he will thrive in those relationships. Again, this truth is amplified in the marital relationship.
These relational needs, love and respect, security and sufficiency, are so important to us as women and men that they rank extremely high on our list of needs. In fact, if they are absent for more than a short period of time, a family tie, a friendship, or even an employment my not survive. Within the oneness relationship of marriage, they become critical. The duration of time that can be successfully managed if these needs are going unmet there is dramatically shorter than in any other relationship.
These needs simply have to be fulfilled. The intensity with which we will seek to have them met is almost unmatched. The marital conflict between natural thinking and God’s word is derived from how we get these all-important needs met.  
Worldly wisdom tells us that there is a formula for having these needs met. When these primary needs are unmet, an intensifying level of stress occurs. As I said a moment ago, if the relationship is secondary, in other words it is with extended family, friends or an employer, the level of stress will be problematic, but if it occurs within the primary relationship of marriage, it is even more intense and escalates even more quickly. The reason for this is that married couples rightly believe that the person they are one with should recognize above all others what the needs of their spouse are and have an unencumbered desire to meet those needs. They see little to no difference between the importance of a husband or wife’s desire to meet their spouse’s needs and a mother’s desire to feed her children or a father’s desire to provide for his family. 
When the stress associated with these primary needs being unmet escalates the natural inclination is to withhold the needs of the other. In other words if my need for respect is unmet by my wife or if I feel she sees me as insufficient to be successful in some way, my natural response to that will be to withhold love from her. It is important to note that this action is initially in no way intended to be mean or uncaring, but rather to cause her to see that I have a need that is not being met and the intensity with which the lack is affecting me. At this point in the process, my withholding of her need is simply to help her identify a problem exists. The problem is that as Dr Emerson Eggerichs identified in his book, Love and Respect, we have just entered the “Crazy Cycle” Dr. Eggerichs notes the “Crazy Cycle” as follows; Without her respect, he reacts without love, without his love, she reacts without respect. He calls this a cycle because until it will continue as long as it goes unchecked. 
As a result, in my example above, when I withhold my love from my wife to help her see I have found her to be disrespectful, it actually provokes further disrespect instead of the correction I was hoping for. This sends the cycle spinning further, and I become increasingly unloving as she responds with increasing disrespect. 
What is actually occurring is a power grab of sorts. I feel the need to be respected, she feels the need to be loved. I must be found sufficient in her eyes, she needs to feel secure in our relationship. Worldly wisdom dictates that if you truly need something and it is not being given to you, you must take it. So when a wife is feeling unloved, or a husband is feeling disrespected the inclination is to make their spouse give what is needed. The formula as I shared moments ago is this. If your spouse is being unkind by withholding what you need, then be more unkind to them to make them want to be kind to you…What?!? That’s crazy! Yes…yes it is. That strategy has been faithfully employed as best I can tell throughout human history with extremely limited success…and yet millions of people are still trying to make it work this very moment.
So what is the Bible’s answer to this very real problem? The common sense approach which I just noted really makes no sense at all, is selfishness. “I’m not getting what you are supposed to give me so I am going to withhold that which I am supposed to give you”. God’s word indicates that our problem is one of spelling. It is not S-E-L-F-I-S-H-N-E-S-S that we are supposed to employ to remedy this problem it is S-E-L-F-L-E-S-S-N-E-S-S. God’s word indicates that our response to having our greatest relational need withheld is not to selfishly withhold our spouses need but rather to give it to them…in bushels. Romans 12:10 says, “In love prefer one another” Philippians 2:3-4 says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 tells us, No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. The paradox is this. If I try to make my spouse meet my needs, she will be left wondering who will meet hers, and will feel as though she must first make sure her own needs are met before focusing any attention on mine. However, God’s word says that if instead, I focus all of my attention on meeting the needs my wife has, she will be freed to focus on mine because hers are already being met. 
In his book, Dr. Eggerichs identified a second cycle he calls the “Energized Cycle”. This cycle states that when a husband treats his wife with love, she responds by treating him with respect. As he experiences her respect, he in turn responds to her with more love. This cycle reflects the correct response to an unmet need as noted in the scriptures above. However, without the correct motivation, attempts to move forward in this way will soon falter. So what is the motivation that will allow us to continue to meet the relational and other needs of our spouse, freeing them to meet ours? 
The necessary motivational switch is found in correctly identifying where the command originates. The “Crazy Cycle” occurs because the command to meet the need is a selfish one and comes from the one who is in need. When I command my wife’s respect, she understands that I do not have the authority or ability to enforce such a command, and so she quite naturally resists the command from me. Let there be no mistake, I and other men also quite naturally resist the command from our wives to give them the love they need for the same reasons. As a result if the command is seen as coming from our spouse we will either choose to resist, or comply in the hopes that they will also meet our need. Both are examples of selfish thinking. However, if I acknowledge the command comes from God as I illustrated for you a few moments ago, then my response is toward Him and not my spouse. If I do this, I will love her as she needs me to, but I will have done it for my God who instructed me to. Dr Eggerichs identified this as the Rewarded Cycle”, His love given to his wife as unto Jesus Christ regardless of her respect toward him, Her respect given to her husband as unto Jesus Christ, regardless of her husband’s love toward her.
The concept behind the “Rewarded Cycle” is actually laid out quite clearly in scripture. Ephesians 5:21 tells us to Submit to one another (give the other what they need) out of reverence for Christ (because it is what God’s word tells us to do).
Questions to answer:
What is your natural response when your spouse does not meet your needs? 
Is that response Selfish or selfless?
In what ways would you respond to them differently in the same situations if Jesus were in the room?
Actions to Take:
Ask God to help you to begin responding to your spouse in response to your love for Him.
Read Love and Respect by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs as a part of your marriage building strategy.
So now, focus on meeting your spouses needs freeing them to meet yours, and do it because your loving Heavenly Father asked you to…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/930dafc5c36b5b0c0da7fbccde1dd6e3.mp3" length="15171371" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/930dafc5c36b5b0c0da7fbccde1dd6e3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-conflicts-session-three</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2022 15:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[How Much Do You Love Jesus (Mark 14 : 1-9) - August 14, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues teaching from Mark 14 : 1-9

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues teaching from Mark 14 : 1-9

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

01:48 - Mark 14 : 1-2
02:36 - Matthew 26 : 1-5
05:15 - John 11 : 45-12 : 8
26:32 - Mark 14 : 3-9
48:10 - Alabaster Box - Performed by Sarah Lewis]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Continues teaching from Mark 14 : 1-9

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

01:48 - Mark 14 : 1-2
02:36 - Matthew 26 : 1-5
05:15 - John 11 : 45-12 : 8
26:32 - Mark 14 : 3-9
48:10 - Alabaster Box - Performed by Sarah Lewis]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3f10dd37b8633559bb922cf1d9be29d1.mp3" length="37098049" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3f10dd37b8633559bb922cf1d9be29d1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/how-much-do-you-love-jesus-mark-14-1-9-august-14-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Number One Is Looking Out For Me]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ Hi, this is Pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Number One Is Looking Out For Me.
Human beings have long struggled with the urge to look out for number one a.k.a. thinking of ourselves first. In fact, the original failure of mankind was...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ Hi, this is Pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Number One Is Looking Out For Me.
Human beings have long struggled with the urge to look out for number one a.k.a. thinking of ourselves first. In fact, the original failure of mankind was the result of this very compulsion. God created Adam and Eve, and the Bible tells us he placed them in a garden of perfection. They had everything they could ever need supplied for them by a good, good God who only desired what was best for them. The plan was that they would trust God to meet their every need and He would do so based on His love for them and their love for and complete trust in Him. Most of us recognize the story of their failure. The serpent, Satan, came and used deceit to convince them that God was holding out on them. Satan persuaded them to act out of selfishness and choose to take for themselves the one thing God had directed them to avoid. In that moment they were convinced God was not as good as He claimed to be and decided they needed to look out for themselves. Their spiritual enemy had succeeded at arguing the case that their selfishness was reasonable and therefore needed to be acted upon.
Satan’s playbook has not changed. He still seeks to convince us to be selfish. Almost everyone has some aversion to outright selfishness. Most people don’t like to be thought of as selfish and so try to operate in a way that downplays it’s existence in their lives. Interestingly, the few who seemingly don’t care if others find them selfish, are often the loudest about pointing out others selfishness, especially toward them. On one level or the other human beings don’t like selfishness. Why is that, and how then are we convinced to be so selfish? We don’t like selfishness because we have been created in the image and likeness of God. God is not selfish, He is selfless, and so in a sense selfishness goes against our created nature. If that is true, then how are we convinced to be selfish? I said last week that Satan is the father of all lies and the master of the plausible ones. In order to convince us we should not trust God to give us all we need and therefore look out for our own best interest, our enemy only needs to help us see that our selfishness is reasonable. He only has to show us that any responsible person would do the same thing given the same set of circumstances. 
Jesus had to deal with this very problem. The other day I was reading an account in the book of Luke and this truth became glaringly obvious. In Luke 4 we read about Jesus’ time spent in the wilderness and the temptation He endured there for forty days. Verses 1-4 say: Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” 
This account is from the start of Jesus’ ministry. The word tells us that this happened after forty days of fasting! I have fasted before but never for forty days…not even close to it. I cannot even imagine the extent of the hunger Jesus must have experienced on that day. What I do know is that the devil used that extreme hunger as the basis for his attempt at a plausible lie. What Satan w...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ Hi, this is Pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Number One Is Looking Out For Me.
Human beings have long struggled with the urge to look out for number one a.k.a. thinking of ourselves first. In fact, the original failure of mankind was the result of this very compulsion. God created Adam and Eve, and the Bible tells us he placed them in a garden of perfection. They had everything they could ever need supplied for them by a good, good God who only desired what was best for them. The plan was that they would trust God to meet their every need and He would do so based on His love for them and their love for and complete trust in Him. Most of us recognize the story of their failure. The serpent, Satan, came and used deceit to convince them that God was holding out on them. Satan persuaded them to act out of selfishness and choose to take for themselves the one thing God had directed them to avoid. In that moment they were convinced God was not as good as He claimed to be and decided they needed to look out for themselves. Their spiritual enemy had succeeded at arguing the case that their selfishness was reasonable and therefore needed to be acted upon.
Satan’s playbook has not changed. He still seeks to convince us to be selfish. Almost everyone has some aversion to outright selfishness. Most people don’t like to be thought of as selfish and so try to operate in a way that downplays it’s existence in their lives. Interestingly, the few who seemingly don’t care if others find them selfish, are often the loudest about pointing out others selfishness, especially toward them. On one level or the other human beings don’t like selfishness. Why is that, and how then are we convinced to be so selfish? We don’t like selfishness because we have been created in the image and likeness of God. God is not selfish, He is selfless, and so in a sense selfishness goes against our created nature. If that is true, then how are we convinced to be selfish? I said last week that Satan is the father of all lies and the master of the plausible ones. In order to convince us we should not trust God to give us all we need and therefore look out for our own best interest, our enemy only needs to help us see that our selfishness is reasonable. He only has to show us that any responsible person would do the same thing given the same set of circumstances. 
Jesus had to deal with this very problem. The other day I was reading an account in the book of Luke and this truth became glaringly obvious. In Luke 4 we read about Jesus’ time spent in the wilderness and the temptation He endured there for forty days. Verses 1-4 say: Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” 
This account is from the start of Jesus’ ministry. The word tells us that this happened after forty days of fasting! I have fasted before but never for forty days…not even close to it. I cannot even imagine the extent of the hunger Jesus must have experienced on that day. What I do know is that the devil used that extreme hunger as the basis for his attempt at a plausible lie. What Satan was suggesting (that Jesus turn some stones into bread so he could eat) was completely possible. Jesus was indeed hungry. The stones were present, and Jesus had the power to transform those stones into piping hot delicious bread. It would seem perfectly reasonable for him to do just that, perhaps even responsible. After all, the forty days of fasting had ended according to this scripture. Turning the stones to bread so that he could solve the problem of extreme hunger was both plausible and reasonable. It would have also been selfish. How? Look at the challenge posed by Satan. “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” The challenge was ‘Don’t wait for God’s supply, if you are who you say you are, then look out for yourself and get what you need.’  Essentially Satan was saying ‘it would be perfectly reasonable and responsible for you to be selfish in this moment and look out for yourself first, in this situation it’s what anyone would do if they were the Son of God.’ Jesus answer was “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Jesus response essentially was, ‘My Father knows what I need and He will provide for me, I don’t need to look out for number one because Number One is looking out for me.’
There is another account from the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth where He was again tempted by a reasonable and some might say responsible remedy to an even greater difficulty than forty days without food. This one is recorded in Luke 23:33-39. They say; And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 
Not once, not twice, but three times Jesus was tempted to be selfish and save himself from the agony He was enduring on the cross. First, it was the church leaders of the very religion that was supposed to worship Him who were sneering and making fun of Him as He hung, nailed to the cross through His hands and feet. They did not believe for a moment He could have saved Himself or they would not have been so brazen as to stand in such close proximity while antagonizing him. If they had believed, He was who He said He was, they would have stood in fear and trembling of what He could do to them if He did decide to come down from the cross. No, they were quite certain it was the nails holding Him there and not His incredible love for them. 
Next, we read that the soldiers who had nailed him to the cross began to join in with those church leaders making fun of Jesus. We read that they mocked him, essentially by saying that any real king would have had an army at the ready to save Him. Instead, He chose to hang there and die for the actions of the filthy men who had excruciatingly driven spikes through his flesh, and who had earlier that day beaten him and enjoyed the sport of it. Their Creator chose to be murdered by His own creation for the express purpose of ensuring a way to spend eternity loving and blessing those very men. 
Finally, even one of the two guilty men being justifiably crucified alongside Jesus began to question His Lordship and say that if He really was the Messiah then He should save not only Himself but them as well. The temptation from all three groups was the same, to be selfish, to think of Himself. After all, it would be responsible to remove Himself from the pain and agony He was enduring. It would be reasonable to show the created just WHO had created them! No one would blame Jesus for proving that all the things He had claimed about Himself were true…especially in light of His circumstances. But instead we go on to read in verse 46 that His response to the temptation for the most reasonable of selfishness was And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father into Your hands I commit my spirit,” Having said this, He breathed His last. Essentially, His answer was once again, ‘My Father knows what I need and He will provide for me, I don’t need to look out for number one because Number One is looking out for me.’
As Christ followers who desire to guide our lives by His example, it is important to have a new definition of Looking out for Number One, because Number One is looking out for us. When we come to understand that God is number One and we look to Him to supply all our needs, no matter how critical they may be, we are empowered to subdue selfishness and embody selflessness in every situation. In those times, we think our selfishness might be reasonable, and perhaps even responsible…Jesus’Pastor Ken Brown Jr example says no.
So now, choosing selflessness in every circumstance, to closer resemble your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/50b77748fedee1ba69af4f5322122129.mp3" length="14052273" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/50b77748fedee1ba69af4f5322122129.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/number-one-is-looking-out-for-me</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:45</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Conflict #1 What is the purpose of marriage?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c8fffc1a4a4ee14ef39eb3d2bdda3eaf.mp3" length="17290464" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c8fffc1a4a4ee14ef39eb3d2bdda3eaf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-conflict-1-what-is-the-purpose-of-marriage</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:35:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Walk Like You Have a Purpose - August 4th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Walk Like You Have a Purpose”
My maternal grandfather had many sayings, some were repeatable, most are not. No matter which of those two categories they fell into, almost all of them had some...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Walk Like You Have a Purpose”
My maternal grandfather had many sayings, some were repeatable, most are not. No matter which of those two categories they fell into, almost all of them had some truth or consequence he was trying to convey. I shared one of his grandpa-isms in a podcast a year or so ago. In that episode I shared that he taught me, while I was learning to drive to “Watch where I was going or I would end up going where I was watching.” That was one of his better repeatable quotes.  One that I heard more than a few times as a boy, especially when I was doing what he liked to call “Lollygagging” was “Boy, you need to walk like you have a purpose”. I don’t think grandpa considered the biblical truth behind that one when he used it on me, he just wanted me to keep up with him and not “Lollygag” There is however, some real biblical truth in that grandpa-ism.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior there is some expectation on God’s part that we will begin to walk like we have a purpose. Prior to coming to an understanding of our need for Him to lead and to guide, each of us made our way through life “Lollygagging”. Believe it or not, the Miriam-Webster dictionary actually offers a definition for the term Lollygagging. It is defined as: Fooling around or wasting time. When we walk through life without a personal relationship with our Creator, we are doing little more than aimlessly and foolishly wandering through, and wasting our lives. However when we begin that relationship in earnest everything changes, and in the words of my grandpa, we have to walk like we have a purpose. So what does that look like? Just how should we walk?
For starters, we need to walk differently than we did before…no more lollygagging. Romans 6:4 says: Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. In a sense when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior we should begin to walk like we have a new lease on life. In reality, our entire creation has become new, and likewise our walk should look new. It should appear to us and others to be different than it did before. But how?
We can now walk in wisdom. As people made one with Christ, we now have access to some things we never did before. The Bible says that now we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. God gives us the ability to walk not as fools (as before) but as wise. As we walk in that wisdom He promises to redeem the time or help us correct past mistakes and missteps and even sometimes see the results of those past poor decisions reversed and reconciled to our new walk with Him. We can even walk in wisdom when we don’t know the right thing to do. James 1:5 in the New Living Translations says:  If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. So walk like you have a purpose and walk in wisdom.
According to God’s word, we can walk in Love. In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul exhorts us to walk in love as Christ did. Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offeri...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”Walk Like You Have a Purpose”
My maternal grandfather had many sayings, some were repeatable, most are not. No matter which of those two categories they fell into, almost all of them had some truth or consequence he was trying to convey. I shared one of his grandpa-isms in a podcast a year or so ago. In that episode I shared that he taught me, while I was learning to drive to “Watch where I was going or I would end up going where I was watching.” That was one of his better repeatable quotes.  One that I heard more than a few times as a boy, especially when I was doing what he liked to call “Lollygagging” was “Boy, you need to walk like you have a purpose”. I don’t think grandpa considered the biblical truth behind that one when he used it on me, he just wanted me to keep up with him and not “Lollygag” There is however, some real biblical truth in that grandpa-ism.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior there is some expectation on God’s part that we will begin to walk like we have a purpose. Prior to coming to an understanding of our need for Him to lead and to guide, each of us made our way through life “Lollygagging”. Believe it or not, the Miriam-Webster dictionary actually offers a definition for the term Lollygagging. It is defined as: Fooling around or wasting time. When we walk through life without a personal relationship with our Creator, we are doing little more than aimlessly and foolishly wandering through, and wasting our lives. However when we begin that relationship in earnest everything changes, and in the words of my grandpa, we have to walk like we have a purpose. So what does that look like? Just how should we walk?
For starters, we need to walk differently than we did before…no more lollygagging. Romans 6:4 says: Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. In a sense when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior we should begin to walk like we have a new lease on life. In reality, our entire creation has become new, and likewise our walk should look new. It should appear to us and others to be different than it did before. But how?
We can now walk in wisdom. As people made one with Christ, we now have access to some things we never did before. The Bible says that now we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. God gives us the ability to walk not as fools (as before) but as wise. As we walk in that wisdom He promises to redeem the time or help us correct past mistakes and missteps and even sometimes see the results of those past poor decisions reversed and reconciled to our new walk with Him. We can even walk in wisdom when we don’t know the right thing to do. James 1:5 in the New Living Translations says:  If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. So walk like you have a purpose and walk in wisdom.
According to God’s word, we can walk in Love. In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul exhorts us to walk in love as Christ did. Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. God is love, and when we love others, it is evidence that we know and are connected with God. (1 John 2:10) So walk in love so you can walk like you have a purpose.
The Apostle John goes on to encourage us to walk in truth. In 2 John 1:4 he wrote: I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. In his third letter to Gaius he wrote: For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. When we have a personal relationship with God, the source of all truth, we have the ability to walk in truth. So walk in THE TRUTH so you can walk like you have a purpose.
When we are connected with God we can also walk in the Spirit. Romans 8:1, 4 says: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit…that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Paul went on to write to the Galatians, I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, and If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians (5:16, 25) so walk in the Spirit so you can walk like you have a purpose.
Finally walking as Christ would have us to means that we walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) It means that we will do what God has created us to do. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) Ephesians 4:1 says that we are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling on our lives in Christ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Ephesians 5:8 encourages us that our walk should be completely different than it was before…For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. So why are all these new ways of walking important? In Colossians 1:10 Paul wrote that it was so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Finally, Paul went on to say in Colossians 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. 
So now, walking in Christ, walk like you have a purpose…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7a5dedd7f96b07fe8aa24767d46a7e55.mp3" length="4544555" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7a5dedd7f96b07fe8aa24767d46a7e55.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/walk-like-you-have-a-purpose-august-4th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 04 Aug 2022 14:13:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Greatest Marital Conundrum]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, Welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…thanks for joining me. Today I would like to talk with you about resolving marital conflict. One might think then that this podcast will be about how to address spousal arguments. Instead, I wa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, Welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…thanks for joining me. Today I would like to talk with you about resolving marital conflict. One might think then that this podcast will be about how to address spousal arguments. Instead, I want to focus on a different kind of marital conflict. Make no mistake there will always problems to be solved in the marital arrangement. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:28 that if you get married you haven’t done anything wrong but you will have trouble in this world. This was not a tongue-in-cheek statement. Paul was being serious. That entire chapter is dedicated to marital advice from God. Marital conflict is going to happen, that is a forgone conclusion. There are many available strategies to resolve said conflicts, and we have looked at some of those in past episodes and I will undoubtedly do so again in the future. However, a good deal of those difficulties visit married couples because of a greater marital conflict. There are two conflicting schools of thought concerning the best ways to deal with problems that are part of every marriage. First and foremost, there is the counsel that comes from God, the creator of the institution, the proprietor of the oneness shared by a man married to a woman, and the second, derived from the human experience is worldly wisdom. These two disciplines often stand in direct opposition to one another. The greatest marital conundrum is this, who and what to trust to correct what goes awry in our marriages.
One might say that as Christians that should not be a problem for us. Right? One might think we are primed to simply believe, and act upon the instruction found in God’s word without question or reserve. As a pastoral marriage counselor, I wish that were so. As a husband, I wish I always made the correct choices in my own marriage. The difficulty we have enacting biblical counsel at every turn, may be understandable, however, it is thoroughly unprofitable for us and for our marriages. 
Jesus said that Satan has three objectives at all times; to kill, steal, and destroy. Christ called Satan a thief, one who desires to take from us, and destroy what we have. Jesus went on to say that in contrast, He had come to give. To give us life and furthermore, a life abundant with His goodness. (John 10:10) Satan is crafty. I find He does not often try to snatch the abundant life of goodness away from us, far more often he cunningly seeks to get us to give him our peace, joy and contentment. Jesus also called Satan “The father of all lies”. (John 8:44) I like to say that our enemy is the perfector of the plausible lie. If his lies were not plausible we would likely not fall for them and hand over that which he desires us to allow him to steal, kill and destroy. Satan enjoys little more than to steal, kill, and destroy marriages. So how does he fool us into believing that his solutions for our marital problems are the best practice? He simply has to make the wrong conclusion seem right, long enough to convince us to act upon it. Throughout history, he has been using a variety of ways to accomplish this objective, and they continue to serve him well. To illustrate I will offer only a few examples here, but Satan has untold ways to make lies plausible in order that we might accept them as psudo-truth. He uses our experience and the experience of others to make us believe that the correct choice will only lead to our being used or abused. He uses the fondness of o...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, Welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…thanks for joining me. Today I would like to talk with you about resolving marital conflict. One might think then that this podcast will be about how to address spousal arguments. Instead, I want to focus on a different kind of marital conflict. Make no mistake there will always problems to be solved in the marital arrangement. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:28 that if you get married you haven’t done anything wrong but you will have trouble in this world. This was not a tongue-in-cheek statement. Paul was being serious. That entire chapter is dedicated to marital advice from God. Marital conflict is going to happen, that is a forgone conclusion. There are many available strategies to resolve said conflicts, and we have looked at some of those in past episodes and I will undoubtedly do so again in the future. However, a good deal of those difficulties visit married couples because of a greater marital conflict. There are two conflicting schools of thought concerning the best ways to deal with problems that are part of every marriage. First and foremost, there is the counsel that comes from God, the creator of the institution, the proprietor of the oneness shared by a man married to a woman, and the second, derived from the human experience is worldly wisdom. These two disciplines often stand in direct opposition to one another. The greatest marital conundrum is this, who and what to trust to correct what goes awry in our marriages.
One might say that as Christians that should not be a problem for us. Right? One might think we are primed to simply believe, and act upon the instruction found in God’s word without question or reserve. As a pastoral marriage counselor, I wish that were so. As a husband, I wish I always made the correct choices in my own marriage. The difficulty we have enacting biblical counsel at every turn, may be understandable, however, it is thoroughly unprofitable for us and for our marriages. 
Jesus said that Satan has three objectives at all times; to kill, steal, and destroy. Christ called Satan a thief, one who desires to take from us, and destroy what we have. Jesus went on to say that in contrast, He had come to give. To give us life and furthermore, a life abundant with His goodness. (John 10:10) Satan is crafty. I find He does not often try to snatch the abundant life of goodness away from us, far more often he cunningly seeks to get us to give him our peace, joy and contentment. Jesus also called Satan “The father of all lies”. (John 8:44) I like to say that our enemy is the perfector of the plausible lie. If his lies were not plausible we would likely not fall for them and hand over that which he desires us to allow him to steal, kill and destroy. Satan enjoys little more than to steal, kill, and destroy marriages. So how does he fool us into believing that his solutions for our marital problems are the best practice? He simply has to make the wrong conclusion seem right, long enough to convince us to act upon it. Throughout history, he has been using a variety of ways to accomplish this objective, and they continue to serve him well. To illustrate I will offer only a few examples here, but Satan has untold ways to make lies plausible in order that we might accept them as psudo-truth. He uses our experience and the experience of others to make us believe that the correct choice will only lead to our being used or abused. He uses the fondness of others toward us, to influence them to offer a “trusted source” of unintentional poor counsel. These people, who are our family and friends have no desire to give bad counsel, they simply don’t like seeing someone they care about hurting and so become unwitting participants in the enemies plans for our destruction. Sometimes Satan will even use the God-given traits instilled in us, such as our respective needs for love and respect, to encourage us respond in an ungodly way if we don’t get what we need. Suffice to say that your spiritual enemy has many ways to wage war on you and your marriage; therefore, we need to have an effective way to defend against his attacks.
The Apostle Paul wrote of such a defense system. In 2 Corinthians10:4-5 Paul wrote the following: We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. (The New Century Version) Paul was saying this is a spiritual battle, but that we have access to the most powerful weapon and that power will always overcome the enemies advances against us. Paul was clearly saying that the power is not our own but rather comes directly from God. He went on to explain here that as we choose to take our strength from God, the contrasting arguments from others, all the quote-unquote “good advice” even from friends and family aka worldly wisdom will be seen for what they really are, and can be responded to correctly. Paul even tells us exactly what the correct response is; to capture every thought of worldly wisdom, subdue it, and instead respond as Christ would. Is it tempting to choose worldly wisdom instead of Godly guidance? Of course it is but the Bible tells us that No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV) 
I love the following saying, “My response is my responsibility”. I like it because it gives me freedom. I do not have to fall for the temptation to injure my marriage further, I can choose to seek to heal rather than inflict more hurt…even when I am hurting. I don’t have to withhold love from my wife in response to my interpretation (which is often in error) that she is disrespecting me. I can choose to love in spite of how I feel in the moment. I don’t have to respond in kind in retaliation, I can respond with kindness in any situation, the choice is mine and cannot be taken away from me. “My response is my responsibility”.
 Many of the battles can be won by understanding the tricks the enemy is employing to get us to react in a certain way. Some however, will be fought after we have been lured into the minefield. In my counseling practice, it never ceases to surprise me how many people admit to knowing they have made a misstep nearly immediately after doing so. They will tell me that they know their response was not godly. They need little to no prompting from me to concede that the way they reacted to their spouse was wrong, and yet they continued forward down a path they knew would produce even more pain for both of them. When I ask for an explanation for this, almost without variation they tell me they don’t know why they do it. So, why do human beings do this? Why do we continue in a direction that we know to be harmful instead of turning around? After all, we wouldn’t ever decisively continue to drive at highway speed in the wrong direction on an interstate just because we were making good time. So, what induces us determine to take additional missteps in the minefield after realizing we errantly stepped into it? PRIDE. None of us likes to admit we are wrong, especially if we are convinced someone else (our spouse in this case) is more wrong. Pride is never a good reason to get blown up in a minefield. The ONLY wise decision in a minefield is to thoughtfully and ever-so-carefully (so as not to cause further danger of destruction) back out of it! Trust me, your pride is not going to be a source of comfort when you lay broken and bruised from the battle, and you realize you also caused great injury to your spouse in the process.
When we are fighting against lies (no matter how plausible they may be) the only weapon that will prevail is truth. God is truth. God is wisdom. God knows what you should do…Always. The Bible tells us that if we know the truth, the truth will set us free. God created the heavens and the Earth. He knows how it operates best. God created people, He knows how they operate best. God created the highest form of human relationship…marriage, and He knows how it works best. His word tells us if we seek His kingdom (His ways) first, all these other needs we have, will be met. God’s ways concerning marriage fly in the face of worldly wisdom. His ways are in direct contrast to the worlds ways, because His are intended to give and to bless and the worlds ways, or the enemies ways are intended to kill, steal and destroy. So when it comes to marital conflict, I say “Choose this day who you will serve…As for me and my spouse, we will serve the Lord.” 
Join me again next week as we look at some specific biblical truths intended to provide marital peace and joy and the counter falsehoods of worldly wisdom designed to kill, steal and destroy all that God desires for you.
Questions to answer:
•	Can you think of a recent time when you chose to respond to a marital difficulty utilizing worldly wisdom? 
•	What was the result of that choice?
•	Can you think of a recent time when you chose to respond to a marital difficulty utilizing true wisdom from God’s own word?
•	What was the result of that decision?
Actions to take:
•	Talk about ways the two of you could increase the number of times you choose together to respond to one another in the ways God instructs in His word.
•	Pray and ask God to help you respond to one another, as He would have you to in every situation.
So now, recognizing that worldly wisdom is anything but, and that there is only One source of wisdom and truth that your marriage should act upon…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e54b23de39d9b67465e8c0a156d5c7f2.mp3" length="16070393" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e54b23de39d9b67465e8c0a156d5c7f2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-greatest-marital-conundrum</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Unity of the Body- July 31, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Unity of the Body- July 31, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Harold Carmean of Cokesbury Church share together from Ephesians in a joint church service.

For more information on...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Unity of the Body- July 31, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Harold Carmean of Cokesbury Church share together from Ephesians in a joint church service.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Unity of the Body- July 31, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts and Pastor Harold Carmean of Cokesbury Church share together from Ephesians in a joint church service.

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b7b48b23ccdbb130c6268fb60923a7eb.mp3" length="37061115" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b7b48b23ccdbb130c6268fb60923a7eb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-unity-of-the-body-july-31-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:14</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ancient Hills and Ancient Words - July 28th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Ancient Hills and Ancient Words
This past weekend my wife Lynn and I took the opportunity to go to Northwest Pennsylvania to visit with my parents. They are getting older now and my own age h...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Ancient Hills and Ancient Words
This past weekend my wife Lynn and I took the opportunity to go to Northwest Pennsylvania to visit with my parents. They are getting older now and my own age has taught me to take the opportunities when they come. Their home is nestled among the trees on the side of one of the thousands of hills that make up the Allegany Mountains. Those hills are ancient; my faith tells me they have been there since the beginning of the world. Down in the bottom of the valley a few hundred yards from their front porch runs the Allegany River as it meanders past their home and eventually on to join the Ohio River down in Pittsburg some 120 miles to the south. The river also ancient has seemingly flowed forever. Those hills, that river, have been a staple in my life. Our family has been going to the very spot my parents’ home now rests on since before I was born. For much of my young life, if we were going on vacation, or a long weekend, that is where we went. While we visited this past weekend, I spent some of our time with my wife sitting on the front porch sharing with her old childhood memories I have of that particular hillside, and the many fun things I enjoyed doing there as a boy. Though that mountainside has been there all my life, a place I have enjoyed, even as a child I knew it had been there long before me. I can remember looking at the mountains and wondering about all of those who had seen them before I did. I used to daydream about the settlers who had made their way across them for the first time and what their lives must have been like. 
My parents asked us to join them this past Sunday morning for church. We rode with them up and over the mountain on the other side of the river, and then up and over a few more eventually arriving in a narrow valley a dozen or so miles away. As we came down the hillside there was a little old church with cars parked on the grass alongside the building. It was nearly a surreal scene. The building and the hills could have been described as ancient. But for the modern cars and the contemporarily dressed people, the church building would have been perfectly at home in a Norman Rockwell painting. It was a picture of modern antiquity. We went inside and were greeted warmly by strangers as if we were well known family. We sang old songs, listened to a great sermon, (incidentally by my father, pastor Ken 1.0) and then after some more visiting went back to my parents’ home for a Sunday afternoon staple…roast beef dinner. In many ways, it was like going back in time; the river and mountains from my childhood, the old church building, hearing my dad preaching, the traditional Sunday afternoon roast beef, all of it established long ago. Some things are simply timeless.
I think I always knew those mountains and that river to be ancient, and the church we worshiped in that morning could have been (though incorrectly) described as being “As old as the hills”, but do you know what is ancient far beyond that building, those hills, and that River? The Words that brought them forth. While we were singing with those wonderful saints, one of the chosen songs was a modern hymn written by Lynn DeShazo in 2001 that was made widely known when Michael W. Smith recorded it. Long before that song was written, or recorded, millennia before that little church was constructed, in fact, an eternity before those hills rose upward and the r...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Ancient Hills and Ancient Words
This past weekend my wife Lynn and I took the opportunity to go to Northwest Pennsylvania to visit with my parents. They are getting older now and my own age has taught me to take the opportunities when they come. Their home is nestled among the trees on the side of one of the thousands of hills that make up the Allegany Mountains. Those hills are ancient; my faith tells me they have been there since the beginning of the world. Down in the bottom of the valley a few hundred yards from their front porch runs the Allegany River as it meanders past their home and eventually on to join the Ohio River down in Pittsburg some 120 miles to the south. The river also ancient has seemingly flowed forever. Those hills, that river, have been a staple in my life. Our family has been going to the very spot my parents’ home now rests on since before I was born. For much of my young life, if we were going on vacation, or a long weekend, that is where we went. While we visited this past weekend, I spent some of our time with my wife sitting on the front porch sharing with her old childhood memories I have of that particular hillside, and the many fun things I enjoyed doing there as a boy. Though that mountainside has been there all my life, a place I have enjoyed, even as a child I knew it had been there long before me. I can remember looking at the mountains and wondering about all of those who had seen them before I did. I used to daydream about the settlers who had made their way across them for the first time and what their lives must have been like. 
My parents asked us to join them this past Sunday morning for church. We rode with them up and over the mountain on the other side of the river, and then up and over a few more eventually arriving in a narrow valley a dozen or so miles away. As we came down the hillside there was a little old church with cars parked on the grass alongside the building. It was nearly a surreal scene. The building and the hills could have been described as ancient. But for the modern cars and the contemporarily dressed people, the church building would have been perfectly at home in a Norman Rockwell painting. It was a picture of modern antiquity. We went inside and were greeted warmly by strangers as if we were well known family. We sang old songs, listened to a great sermon, (incidentally by my father, pastor Ken 1.0) and then after some more visiting went back to my parents’ home for a Sunday afternoon staple…roast beef dinner. In many ways, it was like going back in time; the river and mountains from my childhood, the old church building, hearing my dad preaching, the traditional Sunday afternoon roast beef, all of it established long ago. Some things are simply timeless.
I think I always knew those mountains and that river to be ancient, and the church we worshiped in that morning could have been (though incorrectly) described as being “As old as the hills”, but do you know what is ancient far beyond that building, those hills, and that River? The Words that brought them forth. While we were singing with those wonderful saints, one of the chosen songs was a modern hymn written by Lynn DeShazo in 2001 that was made widely known when Michael W. Smith recorded it. Long before that song was written, or recorded, millennia before that little church was constructed, in fact, an eternity before those hills rose upward and the river flowed downward…were the ancient words…The word of the ever-living God. The Apostle John tells us that In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4 NKJV)
The lyrics of the song have been running through my mind ever since we sang them that morning, now nearly a week ago. The timeless truths of those words have also been a part of my thoughts and I would like to share them with you today as my thoughts on this particular Thursday.
Verse one - Holy words long preserved, for our walk in this world. They resound with God’s own heart; oh, let the ancient words impart.
Our bibles are in fact, the written record of the word of God. How do we know it to be His word and not just the words of so many different men who penned them? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. God’s word, preserved for us, that we might know how to live and let our lives look like that of our Creator by illustrating through our words and actions the very heart of God.
Verse two - Words of life, words of hope. Give us strength, help us cope; in this world, where-e’er, we roam, Ancient words will guide us home.
In Philippians 2:12-16, Paul called the scriptures words of life that strengthen us and help us cope in this world. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Additionally the ancient words found in Psalm 119:105 promise to guide us home, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Verse three - Holy words of our faith, Handed down to this age, Came to us through sacrifice; Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ!
Ephesians 5:1-2 tell us to use our lives to imitate Christ who came as the ultimate and necessary sacrifice for our sin that we might be able to live forever joined with Him. Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Jesus said in John 14:21 that He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Verse four - Martyrs’ blood stains each page; They have died for this faith. Hear them cry through the years; Heed these words and hold them dear. 
Jesus said there would be those who for the sake of the Ancient word He is and spoke forth would lose their lives. However, He also said that because of their sacrifice for Him, they would be blessed beyond measure. Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Finally, the chorus - Ancient words, ever true, changing me and changing you. We have come with open hearts; oh, let the ancient words impart.
In our society today, there is little regard for the Ancient Words. They are seen by most at best; words of antiquity, when in truth they are the words of life that hold the highest relevance. They are looked at as words to suppress and discourage, instead of bringing the hope that is the Light of the world. They are in fact, Holy words upon which we can grow our faith and that will change us as nothing else can do.
So now, with an open heart, open your Bible and allow the Ancient words to impart the wisdom and changes God wants to see in your life…and Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/88ddaacb4c9ee289f3210bdf7343c100.mp3" length="6297858" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/88ddaacb4c9ee289f3210bdf7343c100.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ancient-hills-and-ancient-words-july-28th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101 - Session Seven]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with the seventh and final session in our series Parenting 101. Today I want to explore the subtle yet critical differences in parenting in a step or blended family. 
I have had the privilege to be a step-dad to three wonderful dau...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with the seventh and final session in our series Parenting 101. Today I want to explore the subtle yet critical differences in parenting in a step or blended family. 
I have had the privilege to be a step-dad to three wonderful daughters for the past twenty-two years. They are as much a source of pride and joy in my life as my own two biological children. As I mentioned in a past episode of this series we have been incredibly blessed in the blending of our two families. I mentioned that my view of our family is that it has been so completely blended that we have reached the stage of total homogenization. I often see traits and characteristics traded across bloodlines and it still amazes and pleases me when I recognize it. Our family’s journey has not been without its fair share of difficulties and challenges. Though I believe nearly all couples who begin a stepfamily, desire to begin day one with a blended family, that is not possible. I see them as stages, not synonyms. In my humble opinion, stepfamilies are made in microwaves; blended families are the results of crock-pots. A stepfamily can be formed in short order, but a blended family takes time as a family to finish. One of the most common missteps in stepfamilies is the misguided belief that the children (of any age) are as eager to alter the family structure as the newly formed couple is. Certainly in some situations they will be more receptive than others, but make no mistake, this underlying struggle will surface in some way at some time.
Last week, I mentioned the book, The Smart Step-Family by Ron Deal. This is an excellent source of information and wise counsel when it comes to facilitating the successful creation of a stepfamily that will one day be a beautiful blended one. We have spent much time over the past few weeks speaking of the six roles of parenting; Tending, Mending and Defending and Directing, Correcting, and Projecting. In those sessions I made the case the way God has created us differently as men and women has uniquely suited each of us to do differing parental jobs. I pointed out that the relational thinking mom who needs love to be the primary characteristic of all of her relationships is best equipped to perform the first three of the tasks listed a moment ago. I also showed how a compartmentalized thinking dad who seeks honor and respect above all else is primed for the three jobs of parenting that followed. In stepfamilies, these facts remain, but the step-family structure is not ready for them to be applied, some measure of blending has to occur first. As I mentioned moments ago, the parents in a stepfamily believe they are ready for a blended family, but this is one case where their children are probably wiser than their respective parents. What I mean is that in hindsight, the parents will even recognize they themselves were not ready for all a blended family means if they try to force it too quickly. Stepfamilies are made in microwaves; blended families are finished in a crock-pot. 
In light of last week’s podcast on the difficulties of single parenting it is easy to see why parents who are transitioning from one status to the other are anxious for the help. They know and have known for some time they were not equipped for all of the roles a single parent must fill. If they have been relying heavily on God, it has been much easier but it is still their hands and feet that have had to carry it out. If they have not had an und...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with the seventh and final session in our series Parenting 101. Today I want to explore the subtle yet critical differences in parenting in a step or blended family. 
I have had the privilege to be a step-dad to three wonderful daughters for the past twenty-two years. They are as much a source of pride and joy in my life as my own two biological children. As I mentioned in a past episode of this series we have been incredibly blessed in the blending of our two families. I mentioned that my view of our family is that it has been so completely blended that we have reached the stage of total homogenization. I often see traits and characteristics traded across bloodlines and it still amazes and pleases me when I recognize it. Our family’s journey has not been without its fair share of difficulties and challenges. Though I believe nearly all couples who begin a stepfamily, desire to begin day one with a blended family, that is not possible. I see them as stages, not synonyms. In my humble opinion, stepfamilies are made in microwaves; blended families are the results of crock-pots. A stepfamily can be formed in short order, but a blended family takes time as a family to finish. One of the most common missteps in stepfamilies is the misguided belief that the children (of any age) are as eager to alter the family structure as the newly formed couple is. Certainly in some situations they will be more receptive than others, but make no mistake, this underlying struggle will surface in some way at some time.
Last week, I mentioned the book, The Smart Step-Family by Ron Deal. This is an excellent source of information and wise counsel when it comes to facilitating the successful creation of a stepfamily that will one day be a beautiful blended one. We have spent much time over the past few weeks speaking of the six roles of parenting; Tending, Mending and Defending and Directing, Correcting, and Projecting. In those sessions I made the case the way God has created us differently as men and women has uniquely suited each of us to do differing parental jobs. I pointed out that the relational thinking mom who needs love to be the primary characteristic of all of her relationships is best equipped to perform the first three of the tasks listed a moment ago. I also showed how a compartmentalized thinking dad who seeks honor and respect above all else is primed for the three jobs of parenting that followed. In stepfamilies, these facts remain, but the step-family structure is not ready for them to be applied, some measure of blending has to occur first. As I mentioned moments ago, the parents in a stepfamily believe they are ready for a blended family, but this is one case where their children are probably wiser than their respective parents. What I mean is that in hindsight, the parents will even recognize they themselves were not ready for all a blended family means if they try to force it too quickly. Stepfamilies are made in microwaves; blended families are finished in a crock-pot. 
In light of last week’s podcast on the difficulties of single parenting it is easy to see why parents who are transitioning from one status to the other are anxious for the help. They know and have known for some time they were not equipped for all of the roles a single parent must fill. If they have been relying heavily on God, it has been much easier but it is still their hands and feet that have had to carry it out. If they have not had an understanding of how God desires to stand in the gaps, it has been even more difficult, often to the point of daily physical, emotional…and likely spiritual exhaustion. When they finally meet that new person who desires to take them as they are, children and all…and seems to be eager to do so…they believe the cavalry has just ridden over the hill! Life is finally looking optimistic, and help has announced it is here to stay! With those thoughts and hopes of dreams about to be realized, these parents understandably are ready to hand off to their new spouse those parental tasks that have been difficult for them for so long. It only makes sense, right? This new person in their life has been created to do the very things that are for them so difficult. In a very few select circumstances, this is true. However, for the vast majority of stepfamilies being formed an immediate transference of parental tasks into their gendered positions will dramatically slow down if not halt altogether the blending process. 
Parents need to remember a critical distinction. They have decided they love one another so much that they want to spend the entirety of their remaining lives as one. No matter what level of acceptance seems to be evident between the incoming stepparent and the children, that same level of familial commitment isn’t even possible. They will to some level become connected, but they will never be one…they aren’t intended to. Oneness (union of flesh and bone) is only possible parent to child through the miracle of birth (Genesis 1:28, and 4:1-2). Oneness between a husband and wife occurs through the miracle of marriage. (Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:32) The level of connectedness between a stepparent and their stepchildren is something that must develop over time within the framework of a family. It cannot be forced in either direction, and its extent will be determined independently by each of them as time passes. In our family this was evidenced by the fact that each of our five children connected with their respective stepparent to differing levels within differing timeframes. If and when this truth is accepted success in blending, and in fact, homogenization of the two former families will begin.
In his wise perspective, one of the ways Ron Deal suggests this process of blending is facilitated is to resist the urge to allow the stepparent to immediately fill their “Original Design” roles. Though it might be tempting for a mother who never found direction and correction to be her strong suits to let her new husband take on these roles with her children, Ron cautions this is not wise. The child has little to no trust level with their “new” parent and will resist, if not overtly, certainly internally, and the exercise will serve to push them farther apart rather than draw them closer. Furthermore, the child has learned to expect parenting roles to be filled by their mom and will distrust the intent behind them from any other source. In simple terms a step-father in this situation will likely be viewed by their step-child as mean, unaccepting and overbearing. These are not the only parental tasks that should not be handed off, each of the six parental roles should be continued to be administered by the natural parent until such time as true blending is recognized. Even as that becomes evident, a total successful hand-off of the baton is not possible. All these years later, though I am often permitted by my children I did not physically help create to offer direction, and counsel on how to self-correct, I have to approach those tasks with incredible care that my motives toward them are always for their blessing. I think it wise to say that if help with parenting is in your top ten reasons for marrying, it would be understandable…but it would not be wise. If it is in the top five, you will have a great deal of difficulty. If it is in the top three, the marriage will likely not survive. 
One idea I do not want to promote is that a stepfamily cannot in many ways look and act like any other family. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You and your spouse can promote familial blending several ways. First, treat it like a family. There are many ways to do this without passing to your spouse all the parental tasks you found difficult as a single parent. From the very beginning, though my wife and I understood our new family was not “Original Design”, we did believe it to be “God Ordained”. This belief helped us treat our family like a family. We did not do it perfectly and we made mistakes along the way but to the extent we had the ability to encourage our children adopt that belief we did. For the most part, we worshipped together as a family. Where that did not occur, we now see it to have been a misstep of ours. We went places as a family and encouraged the children where possible in the inter-familial relationships they were developing. Though it was difficult we tried to allow “sibling struggles” to be worked out amongst themselves when possible, always keeping a hand on the wheel so to speak in case we needed to take control of the situation. We did not make room for any of our children to deny the new family construct. There were tense times in the beginning, but we tried to recognize that when they occurred they were indicative of two things…we might be pushing a little too hard, and growing pains. If we determined it to be the former, we tried to back off a little while still keeping the family in focus. If it was the latter, as a couple, we rejoiced together, growing pains can hurt, but they are indicative of growth…and growth in a family is always a good thing.
Another of the things we tried (quite successfully in my opinion) to do was remain a united front. We discussed a lot of things we were deciding together how to handle in our new family. Both of us had to shift some from our decisions as single parents to our new united position as a stepfamily. As a result, we met with some pushback from all of our children at times as they found some of their former expectations were forced to be adjusted. Even in the difficult times, we held fast to our united front and eventually the kids came alongside. Their recognition that our new oneness as a husband and wife was stronger than the connection they enjoyed with each of us was totally uncomfortable for all of us, but they have each told us as adults that one thing, perhaps above all else, indicated to them they were a part of a new family.
Ron Deal uses an analogy that I love because of the truth that it portrays. He likens the development of a stepfamily to the Israelites as they left Egypt and set out for the Promised Land. When they left Egypt, the people thought they were in for a short journey of perhaps a few months. They believed that very soon, they would be kicking back and enjoying all that God had promised would be theirs. In hindsight, we know it took forty years! Many people begin stepfamilies believing that very soon (if not instantaneously) their newly formed family will blend into Shangri la. They think that because they have decided the journey should take place that it will be easy. They may think they have prepared for it and they will meet with success based on their preparedness. Some may even believe that whatever the journey looks like, certainly it will have to be easier than the one they have been traveling. All of these thoughts are set-ups for unmet expectations, which can easily become a source of discouragement, disillusionment, and frustration, which will soon morph into ungratefulness for the journey. As was true for the Israelite people, obedience to God’s direction will shorten the journey, choosing to trust you to know best, will lengthen it. 
For the Israelites, the Promised Land came at the end, for stepfamilies that is true as well. For those who endure, for those who persevere through all of the challenges the journey offers, those get to see their stepfamilies become blended families, and finally…homogenized families. As I mentioned at the beginning of this podcast, it is a privilege to be a part of a stepfamily, it is a blessing to be part of a blended family, and it is a wondrous feeling to be a part of a homogenized family. There are few things that grab my attention and fill my heart like living in the blessing of our promised land. Though I know I am blessed beyond belief and am living a better life than I deserve, I also know I am not special. If you are a part of a new stepfamily or one in the process of blending…God wants to lead you into your promised land just as much as He enjoys seeing me in mine. 
Questions to answer:
•	If you are part of a stepfamily, what challenges in parenting have you found most difficult?
•	In what ways do you treat your stepfamily as a family that have worked well for you?
•	What would be the best single piece of advice you would offer someone beginning a stepfamily?
•	Do you look at stepfamilies and blended families as the same thing or stages a stepfamily progresses through?
Actions to take:
•	If you a part of a newer stepfamily, decide what actions you should take to facilitate the blending process.
•	If you are a blended family, discuss ways you could facilitate a homogenized family.
•	If you are a part of a step, blended, or homogenized family, thank God for His blessing and ask for His guidance as you continue on your journey to your promised land.
So now, giving God all the thanks for the special family you are a part of whatever it looks like…Go Be Awesome  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/01e07f148dcb8d6fb24fbd18486d06ac.mp3" length="20456423" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/01e07f148dcb8d6fb24fbd18486d06ac.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-seven</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>14:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Future (Mark 13 : 1-23)- July 24, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Future (Mark 13 : 1-23)- July 24, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching out of Mark 13 : 1-23.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, ev...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Future (Mark 13 : 1-23)- July 24, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching out of Mark 13 : 1-23.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Future (Mark 13 : 1-23)- July 24, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching out of Mark 13 : 1-23.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/936aca0d0097723bf0c9cbea46f432a6.mp3" length="34116093" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/936aca0d0097723bf0c9cbea46f432a6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-future-mark-13-1-23-july-24-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>56:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Double Yolk - July 21st, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Double Yoke.
I began my first regular paying job in the seventh grade. I was hired by a farmer in our church to work at one of the chicken houses his farm operated and pick up eggs. This farm...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Double Yoke.
I began my first regular paying job in the seventh grade. I was hired by a farmer in our church to work at one of the chicken houses his farm operated and pick up eggs. This farm produced eggs for consumption and the particular chicken house I was assigned to was one of the oldest the farm had and was not automated. That meant that the eggs the chickens laid were not deposited on a conveyor belt as in the newer houses, but instead, had to be gathered by hand. That was my job. I and three other young boys were employed to push a wooden cart down the long rows and pick up the eggs that had rolled down from the cages where they had been deposited by the hens. There were four tiers of cages on either side of the row, four chickens to a cage. This meant that on any given day I would collect approximately 1400 eggs after school. My pay for this task was the grandiose figure of a penny a dozen. Most Fridays this would provide me with a paycheck of about $8.25 or $8.50. In the seventh grade in 1978, I believed I had hit the jackpot. If I worked hard all year and saved my money I could have well over $400.00…I would be rich! I didn’t save, and I didn’t get rich either.
Money wasn’t the only reason to leave school and go to that job every day. There were other perks as well. Chickens lay eggs in several sizes and there are anomalies too, like soft-shelled eggs. These were prized because they couldn’t be sold for their lack of a hard shell…but they could be hidden to throw at each other after work. Their thick leathery shell would sting as it made impact and then rip open spilling their contents down the back of a shirt if aimed correctly. The second kind of an egg to be set aside was a double-yolker. These were usually so large the machinery that sized the eggs as small, medium, large, extra-large, or jumbo, would reject them. They were larger than a jumbo egg and usually contained two small yolks within. These we held onto because we were permitted to take them home. It made a seventh grade boy proud if he could present his mother with one or maybe even two double-yolkers! A double-yolker is worth getting excited about. I even found one in the bible, and I set it aside to present it to you today. 
Matthew 11:28-30 in the New Living Translation says; “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I hope most of you know me well enough by now to know that I know there is a difference between a y-o-l-k and a y-o-k-e, but I try to never let a good pun go to waste. This is a cool double-yolker…so let’s look at it together.
In this scripture Jesus is doing much more than using an analogy to make a point. He is making a comparison. I have heard many sermons on this scripture and the point is always made that two oxen have exponentially more power than one alone. This is true…but I don’t think it the main point Jesus was insinuating. I have also heard it taught that an inexperienced ox joined with an experienced one will learn from the older and be able to bear even more weight. Also true…but again I think it misses Jesus point. The analogy was important…the comparison was crucial. Looking at what He said we can read that he began with the statement “Come to Me”. This is important with th...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Double Yoke.
I began my first regular paying job in the seventh grade. I was hired by a farmer in our church to work at one of the chicken houses his farm operated and pick up eggs. This farm produced eggs for consumption and the particular chicken house I was assigned to was one of the oldest the farm had and was not automated. That meant that the eggs the chickens laid were not deposited on a conveyor belt as in the newer houses, but instead, had to be gathered by hand. That was my job. I and three other young boys were employed to push a wooden cart down the long rows and pick up the eggs that had rolled down from the cages where they had been deposited by the hens. There were four tiers of cages on either side of the row, four chickens to a cage. This meant that on any given day I would collect approximately 1400 eggs after school. My pay for this task was the grandiose figure of a penny a dozen. Most Fridays this would provide me with a paycheck of about $8.25 or $8.50. In the seventh grade in 1978, I believed I had hit the jackpot. If I worked hard all year and saved my money I could have well over $400.00…I would be rich! I didn’t save, and I didn’t get rich either.
Money wasn’t the only reason to leave school and go to that job every day. There were other perks as well. Chickens lay eggs in several sizes and there are anomalies too, like soft-shelled eggs. These were prized because they couldn’t be sold for their lack of a hard shell…but they could be hidden to throw at each other after work. Their thick leathery shell would sting as it made impact and then rip open spilling their contents down the back of a shirt if aimed correctly. The second kind of an egg to be set aside was a double-yolker. These were usually so large the machinery that sized the eggs as small, medium, large, extra-large, or jumbo, would reject them. They were larger than a jumbo egg and usually contained two small yolks within. These we held onto because we were permitted to take them home. It made a seventh grade boy proud if he could present his mother with one or maybe even two double-yolkers! A double-yolker is worth getting excited about. I even found one in the bible, and I set it aside to present it to you today. 
Matthew 11:28-30 in the New Living Translation says; “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I hope most of you know me well enough by now to know that I know there is a difference between a y-o-l-k and a y-o-k-e, but I try to never let a good pun go to waste. This is a cool double-yolker…so let’s look at it together.
In this scripture Jesus is doing much more than using an analogy to make a point. He is making a comparison. I have heard many sermons on this scripture and the point is always made that two oxen have exponentially more power than one alone. This is true…but I don’t think it the main point Jesus was insinuating. I have also heard it taught that an inexperienced ox joined with an experienced one will learn from the older and be able to bear even more weight. Also true…but again I think it misses Jesus point. The analogy was important…the comparison was crucial. Looking at what He said we can read that he began with the statement “Come to Me”. This is important with the comparison in mind. Before Jesus began His ministry the vast majority of religious instruction the people received was from the leaders of their time, the Pharisees. These men had replaced many of God’s laws intended to bless His people with their own traditions, intended to further empower and enrich the Pharisees. Jesus was offering a stark alternative. He was saying to people that if they felt heavily burdened by all of the weight being placed on them by the Pharisees intended to bless the Pharisees but burden the people in their care, they should instead come to Him, (believe in) Him (Jesus) and He would treat them differently. He was saying that walking with Him would not be a burden but would instead actually bring rest. Where the Pharisees had wanted to leave the people in bondage, Jesus wanted to set them free. The Pharisees wanted to weigh the people down; Jesus was saying He wanted to carry their load. Jesus wanted to help the people in the ways the Pharisees should have wanted to do if they had not been so selfish. Jesus does want us to join ourselves with Him so He can teach us, but again He made the comparison that He will teach in a gentle and loving way, not the harsh and overbearing way the Pharisees had been doing. Jesus wants us to join Him in the yoke to teach us to be like Him. This is His desire because He knows this is how we can experience the easiest and best life possible. He knows following His example will not produce a trouble free life but it will ensure we never have to bear those difficulties alone.
The second yoke comes from Jeremiah 5:5,6 ...But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their town  to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.
As we can see from the former statement of Christ, the yoke is a place of gentleness and learning to be more like Him. From these verses we also see that the yoke is intended to be our place of safety. In the context of this scripture God was asking Jeremiah how He could pardon His people if no one could be found to be righteous. It soon becomes apparent even to Jeremiah that there is no one in the entire city of Jerusalem who can claim to be following after God. So he says in one accord they have broken off the yoke. In other words, they have all pulled away from God. In so doing they have removed themselves from the only place they could have been safe. As a result there is no place they can go where they will be safe. Jeremiah writes that if they go to the forest, a lion will attack them. If they go to the desert, a wolf will get them. Even if they go into their towns seeking refuge a leopard will be waiting to strike when necessity causes them to venture outside. All of this to indicate that in leaving the safety of the yoke, in pulling away from our loving God’s protection, there is no place we can be safe from our enemy.
Double yolkers are unique and special, they are worth setting aside to share with someone else. I found this double reason for being yoked to our Lord and Savior to be interesting as well and I wanted to share it with you today. Our God is a good, good God. He wants us to rest in Him. He wants us to realize that His yoke is easy, His burden is light. He wants to teach us to be more like Him and He wants to keep us safe so that we can walk alongside Him every day free of fear and danger. So link yourself up with Him gratefully. Yoke yourself together with Him and His great love for you. Don’t struggle to be free of the yoke, it is the instrument God uses to share with you your best life.
So now, allowing Christ to take the lead, learn, rest, and enjoy His close company as you walk alongside Him each and every day…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a307e94716fd8ca3cf1c08779d28fd24.mp3" length="4924879" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a307e94716fd8ca3cf1c08779d28fd24.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/double-yolk-july-21st-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2022 08:53:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101 - Session Six]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken I appreciate you joining me today for the Monday Marriage Message. We continue today with our series on Parenting 101. This is Session Six and today we will explore some of the nuances of single parenting and next week I will focus...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken I appreciate you joining me today for the Monday Marriage Message. We continue today with our series on Parenting 101. This is Session Six and today we will explore some of the nuances of single parenting and next week I will focus on parenting in a blended family. 
As I shared with you a few weeks ago, I have filled the role of a parent in three different scenarios. First as a part of what would meet the criteria of what I call “Original Design”, later as a single parent, and finally as a step-parent. Having experience in each of these situations does not make me an expert in any of them, although I believe that as a counselor it has given me a valuable perspective. As a said a few weeks ago, I do not rely on my experience as the source of unchangeable truth, I have God’s word for that, and that is and will continue to be the basis for my counsel. My experience however, like that of anyone does offer me understanding of the particular struggles that I need God’s word for guidance on how to navigate if I am to be successful. Thankfully, there are some great books and other resources from trusted Christian authors and experts who have addressed some of these special parenting concerns. They have done some of the heavy lifting, and have addressed many single and step-parenting issues with the pertinent scriptural admonitions to help guide people through those often-difficult waters. I agree with much they have to say and encourage you to use those very resources…but not exclusively. Each of us need to discover what God’s word has to say about our unique lives. When we are taught something it has value, but when we discover a biblical truth for ourselves, we accept it for what it is. God’s word will guide you into successful parenting no matter the scenario or situation better than anyone else no matter how much of an “Expert” they may claim to be. As I said a moment ago, ancillary to God’s own word there are several good books on these subjects, and I would recommend beginning with Single Parenting That Works by Dr. Kevin Leman or The Smart Step-Family by Ron Deal.
For no other reason than it is often the first situation experienced by a parent not or no longer a part of “Original Design” I will begin by addressing single parenting. Some years ago, I was in conversation with a father who is a part of an “Original Design” family. I was explaining the three parenting tasks best accomplished by him, and the three his wife was more capable of. Our conversation was fruitful and he asked several questions and offered a few experiential observations that reinforced the things he was learning. As our conversation came to a close, he offered one more thought. He reminded me he had been raised by his mom who is a single parent, and made the following statement with a newfound empathetic understanding. He said “So this is why mom struggled so much raising my brother and I. She was trying to perform all six of these parenting tasks and was not designed to do that.” With an entirely new view of his childhood, he continued with a question for me. “Was it because of her attempt to fill all of these roles, that she was unable to excel at the ones she was designed to fill naturally?” That question opened my eyes to one of the biggest challenges single parents face. That young man was not being critical of his mother’s parenting skills. Quite possibly for the first time he was seeing the struggle she had dealt with all those years,...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken I appreciate you joining me today for the Monday Marriage Message. We continue today with our series on Parenting 101. This is Session Six and today we will explore some of the nuances of single parenting and next week I will focus on parenting in a blended family. 
As I shared with you a few weeks ago, I have filled the role of a parent in three different scenarios. First as a part of what would meet the criteria of what I call “Original Design”, later as a single parent, and finally as a step-parent. Having experience in each of these situations does not make me an expert in any of them, although I believe that as a counselor it has given me a valuable perspective. As a said a few weeks ago, I do not rely on my experience as the source of unchangeable truth, I have God’s word for that, and that is and will continue to be the basis for my counsel. My experience however, like that of anyone does offer me understanding of the particular struggles that I need God’s word for guidance on how to navigate if I am to be successful. Thankfully, there are some great books and other resources from trusted Christian authors and experts who have addressed some of these special parenting concerns. They have done some of the heavy lifting, and have addressed many single and step-parenting issues with the pertinent scriptural admonitions to help guide people through those often-difficult waters. I agree with much they have to say and encourage you to use those very resources…but not exclusively. Each of us need to discover what God’s word has to say about our unique lives. When we are taught something it has value, but when we discover a biblical truth for ourselves, we accept it for what it is. God’s word will guide you into successful parenting no matter the scenario or situation better than anyone else no matter how much of an “Expert” they may claim to be. As I said a moment ago, ancillary to God’s own word there are several good books on these subjects, and I would recommend beginning with Single Parenting That Works by Dr. Kevin Leman or The Smart Step-Family by Ron Deal.
For no other reason than it is often the first situation experienced by a parent not or no longer a part of “Original Design” I will begin by addressing single parenting. Some years ago, I was in conversation with a father who is a part of an “Original Design” family. I was explaining the three parenting tasks best accomplished by him, and the three his wife was more capable of. Our conversation was fruitful and he asked several questions and offered a few experiential observations that reinforced the things he was learning. As our conversation came to a close, he offered one more thought. He reminded me he had been raised by his mom who is a single parent, and made the following statement with a newfound empathetic understanding. He said “So this is why mom struggled so much raising my brother and I. She was trying to perform all six of these parenting tasks and was not designed to do that.” With an entirely new view of his childhood, he continued with a question for me. “Was it because of her attempt to fill all of these roles, that she was unable to excel at the ones she was designed to fill naturally?” That question opened my eyes to one of the biggest challenges single parents face. That young man was not being critical of his mother’s parenting skills. Quite possibly for the first time he was seeing the struggle she had dealt with all those years, and was giving her the latitude she had most certainly earned.
Single parenting is hard. Anyone of us who have had to practice in that arena, or are currently doing their best to, understand that description to be a colossal understatement. I believe single parents have numerous occasions when they just seem to know, even if they don’t know how, that they were not “Cut out” to parent alone. I believe most of them understand there are parts of parenting that come quite naturally to them, but because necessity dictates so often they must act in ways beyond what they are “God gifted” to do, they struggle…with all of it. Let me be clear, I know plenty of awesome single parents. I do not want to give the impression that single parents are not able to raise wonderful, children who grow to be productive, incredible, valuable adults. Nothing could be further from the truth. As I noted in an earlier episode in this series a full 25% of children live in a single parent home. Single parenting is a very real thing and can be done with amazing success if the challenges faced are addressed correctly. I only mean to point out what some of those challenges are, and what God’s word indicates are the appropriate responses to them. 
God’s word is clear, He does not want you to single parent…alone. That statement might seem nonsensical or an oxymoron but it is actually true. God desires for single parents to look to him to stand in the gaps. Psalm 68:3-5 in the New Living Translation says, But let the godly rejoice.     Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord - rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God invites single parents to have some of expectations of Him. This scripture indicates that there is reason for the Christ following single parent to rejoice…even in their current circumstance. Why? For starters because He is present. According to these verses, God is with the single parent in a unique and special way. Obviously, the connotation here is that the widow who in Old Testament times had little ability to meet her own needs and her children who were seemingly even more helpless, could count on the goodness of God for their supply. I believe these verses to apply to many single parents today as well. Becoming a single parent happens in all kinds of ways. I became one as the result of divorce. Some become single parents because of a deceased spouse as this scripture is describing. Some become single parents because they have children, but never married the other parent. I believe beyond any doubt, and will use scripture to verify, that God cares equally for single parents in each of these situations. Any person, single parent or otherwise who loves God and seeks to be a Christ follower can count on God to be true to His word.
Let’s begin with widowed parents simply because that is the clearest interpretation from this particular scripture. The promise here is also found in Psalm 146:7-9; He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows. I like this scripture because it lists several people groups that God is indicating he keeps a special eye on and moves to meet the needs they have. The Lord loves godly people, or in other words people who look to Him to be their God and their supply. Among those listed here are those who are weighed down, certainly single parents feel that way often, but also specifically the orphans and widows. Those who have lost a spouse to death have by the very definition of marriage lost a part of their own existence. The measure of “aloneness” that follows “oneness with another” is immense. Jesus has experienced that condition of the heart and in His moment of being separated from the Father whom He was one with throughout eternity, could not help but scream out in anguish, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” If you are a widow or widower, Christ knows your pain. As a result, He is more capable to meet your needs, emotionally and spiritually than anyone else. Furthermore as the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10-11) your God is very rich. He claims that the entire earth and all of its contents are His. (Psalm 24:1) As the owner of it all who is Himself omniscient and omnipotent he knows what you need and has the power to get it to you, in other words His ability to meet your physical needs as well, is more than sufficient. Your part of the equation is to know Him, love Him and look to Him for your supply. As I mentioned, His eye is also especially on the orphan or as noted in the first scripture the fatherless. This means God understands that the widowed is often a single parent. He desires to be the one who stands in that particular gap. A side note to the church at large. God is also clear that the church has some very real responsibilities to these widows, widowers and their children. He wants to use His church to be an integral part of His supply for them. There is no excuse for a church that claims to be connected to God to avoid acting in concert with the written wishes He has to meet those specific needs. Churches need to be seeking out those specific scriptures and expediting plans to carry them out. No excuses!
Another way people find themselves single parents today is the way I entered that status, divorce. God says clearly in His word that He hates divorce, but He never says He hates divorcees…because He doesn’t…He loves them. In my ministry I work with divorced people every day. I know that there are a plethora of reasons people become divorced. Marriage is incredibly important to God, His word makes that abundantly clear. It is a part of the plan He has to teach us more about Himself and the relationship He desires to have with us. I won’t even use this time today to make a case for whether divorce is a sin or not, but it certainly isn’t the unpardonable sin. There are many ways, too many to name, that take us away from God’s best for us. Each and every one of those ways has a remedy…His name is Jesus! Jesus wants to make right all that we have made wrong in our lives. Divorce, no matter who filed, is no exception. Jesus said Himself that God did not send His Son (Jesus) into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17) Jesus desires above all else to be the one to make right our mistakes and missteps. How is He able to do that? He went on to say in the next verse “He (or she)who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned… So, if you are divorced, what differentiates you in God’s thinking toward you from a widow or widower who had no choice in their separation from their spouse? Nothing…if your heart is to follow Jesus and obey His voice as you move forward through the rest of your life. In Him, you have become righteous. Isaiah 61:10 says; I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. This means that as a result of following Christ with everything you have, you are viewed by God as righteous because He has given you His own clothes to wrap yourself up in. When we allow Him to adorn us with His righteousness, we look like someone He wants to join Himself with, and provide for our every need. In response to that love He has for us, divorced people who are seeking Him can look for Him to interact with us just as He has promised to interact with the widows. 
Finally, to those who are single parents because they have children but have not married the other parent. The same words of affirmation for the divorced single parent belong to you. Jesus loves you immensely, intensely…and intentionally. Christ’s desire is not to make our sin the object of His attention but rather to help us make His ultimate sacrifice for our sin the object of ours. He understands that the focus has to be the cure and not the disease. He said himself that his heart is to heal the sick, to seek out and save that which has been lost. He is all about redemption, not retribution. So, if a single parent of any persuasion seeks to have Christ be their supply, spiritually, emotionally and physically, Jesus wants to meet those needs. More than that, He wants to fill the role of a spouse in our lives. He has no desire to see us single parent…alone.
Ephesians 5:30-32 is clear, Christ desires to be as close as a spouse. This is true of widows, divorced people, and those who have chosen not to marry another. It is true for all of us. These verses say directly of those who are willing to be in that kind of relationship with Him; For we are members of His Body, of His flesh and bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh” This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church. When Paul wrote that He was speaking of Christ and the church he was saying that Jesus left His Father and came to make a way to cover our mistakes and missteps with His own blood, so that He could become one flesh with us…to marry us! 
So what does all this mean for single parents? Jesus wants to help you. He wants to stand in the gap of the missing one. He wants desperately to empower us to be able to fill all of the roles of parenting with His assistance. What do we have to do to get that all important help? Be in relationship with Him. Trust Him expectantly to meet all of our needs…even our shortcomings as a parent. Choose to follow Him and not repeat the mistakes and missteps He has saved us from. He died for you, so live for Him and He will ensure you never have to single parent…alone…ever again.
Questions to answer:
•	Have you ever considered that Christ wants to help you in your single parenting so you don’t have to go-it-alone?
•	Can you think of times you have already seen Him doing this for you?
Actions to take:
•	Thank God for having a spousal heart toward you and ask Him to remind you as necessary to trust Him to help you where you need it as it pertains to being a single parent.
So now, looking expectantly to God to empower you as you trust Him in ways only a single parent understands…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8c6afccd9e2743f083aa6fe0684a047a.mp3" length="23415570" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8c6afccd9e2743f083aa6fe0684a047a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-six</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>16:15</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Faith Of One (I Corinthians 10 : 1-14) July 17, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Faith Of One (I Corinthians 10 : 1-14) July 17, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of I Corinthians 10 : 1-14.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bib...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Faith Of One (I Corinthians 10 : 1-14) July 17, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of I Corinthians 10 : 1-14.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Faith Of One (I Corinthians 10 : 1-14) July 17, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of I Corinthians 10 : 1-14.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8ba211e023c3efcc35927ce6ea5179ec.mp3" length="34918062" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8ba211e023c3efcc35927ce6ea5179ec.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-faith-of-one-i-corinthians-10-1-14-july-17-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:06</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[You Can't Help How You Smell - July 14th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You can’t help how you smell.
This morning I was riding my motorcycle to work and I had a mind-blowing experience. A bit of a funny paradox really. As I rode along the two-lane highway that l...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You can’t help how you smell.
This morning I was riding my motorcycle to work and I had a mind-blowing experience. A bit of a funny paradox really. As I rode along the two-lane highway that leads to the church, I passed by a place where there are eight chicken houses on one side of the road and a smoke-pit, barbecue style restaurant on the other. As I rode by they were cleaning out at least one of the chicken houses and the smokers were going full tilt on the other side of the road. With each inhaled breath I could smell two distinctly different things. The stench of chicken manure coming from the one side of the road, and the pleasing aroma of hardwood smoke permeating various meats, most certainly chicken among them, from the other. Talk about a surreal olfactory before and after! For a brief moment, I wondered if perhaps I had located the center of the universe. One nostril collecting the odor live chickens produce, the other savoring the aroma of the same creature well-done! Weird.
What is weirder yet is that experience reminded me of a few verses from the bible. I know, sometimes I don’t understand me either. The scripture is found in a version I like to read called the Disciples Literal New Testament. I like this translation because it doesn’t really burden itself with ensuring good English sentences. It was scripted with a much greater emphasis placed on literal translation from the original Greek into modern day English. I enjoy that because from it I get a bit more of the original meaning and the subtle literary enrichments penned by the Apostles.
The verses I was reminded of come from 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 it says, But thanks be to God, the One always leading us in triumph in Christ, and making the aroma of the knowledge of Him known through us in every place. Because we are the fragrance of Christ for God among the ones being saved, and among the ones perishing. To the ones an aroma from death to death, but to the others an aroma from life to life. 
I was reminded of this scripture because it speaks about differing smells coming from the same thing, just like the opposing aromas I encountered on my “before-and-after chicken” motorcycle ride. Have you ever noticed how we seem to have a different effect on different people? From one person you might to elicit smiles and friendly conversation, while from another a downcast countenance and curt responses. If you are like me at all, you just know it can’t be you, certainly you treated them both with equal concern, and so you scour your recollection of your words and actions looking for some way to make sense of their differing responses. Oh well, maybe some of them just ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed.’
As time goes on though, perhaps like me, you notice that these indiscernible differing responses seem to be a pattern. You may have already decided from enough soul searching that it certainly isn’t an intended offence coming from your direction. So what is it? If it is not what you are saying, and it isn’t how you’re treating people. What could it be? Do you smell bad? Maybe.
The scripture I was reminded of today offers one interesting possibility. As Christ followers, we are different. There is a pronounced “before and after” that has taken place in our lives. In the past our lives produced the putrid results of sin, but after we “Died to sin with Christ, (Galatians 5:24) accepting him as our Lord and Savio...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You can’t help how you smell.
This morning I was riding my motorcycle to work and I had a mind-blowing experience. A bit of a funny paradox really. As I rode along the two-lane highway that leads to the church, I passed by a place where there are eight chicken houses on one side of the road and a smoke-pit, barbecue style restaurant on the other. As I rode by they were cleaning out at least one of the chicken houses and the smokers were going full tilt on the other side of the road. With each inhaled breath I could smell two distinctly different things. The stench of chicken manure coming from the one side of the road, and the pleasing aroma of hardwood smoke permeating various meats, most certainly chicken among them, from the other. Talk about a surreal olfactory before and after! For a brief moment, I wondered if perhaps I had located the center of the universe. One nostril collecting the odor live chickens produce, the other savoring the aroma of the same creature well-done! Weird.
What is weirder yet is that experience reminded me of a few verses from the bible. I know, sometimes I don’t understand me either. The scripture is found in a version I like to read called the Disciples Literal New Testament. I like this translation because it doesn’t really burden itself with ensuring good English sentences. It was scripted with a much greater emphasis placed on literal translation from the original Greek into modern day English. I enjoy that because from it I get a bit more of the original meaning and the subtle literary enrichments penned by the Apostles.
The verses I was reminded of come from 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 it says, But thanks be to God, the One always leading us in triumph in Christ, and making the aroma of the knowledge of Him known through us in every place. Because we are the fragrance of Christ for God among the ones being saved, and among the ones perishing. To the ones an aroma from death to death, but to the others an aroma from life to life. 
I was reminded of this scripture because it speaks about differing smells coming from the same thing, just like the opposing aromas I encountered on my “before-and-after chicken” motorcycle ride. Have you ever noticed how we seem to have a different effect on different people? From one person you might to elicit smiles and friendly conversation, while from another a downcast countenance and curt responses. If you are like me at all, you just know it can’t be you, certainly you treated them both with equal concern, and so you scour your recollection of your words and actions looking for some way to make sense of their differing responses. Oh well, maybe some of them just ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed.’
As time goes on though, perhaps like me, you notice that these indiscernible differing responses seem to be a pattern. You may have already decided from enough soul searching that it certainly isn’t an intended offence coming from your direction. So what is it? If it is not what you are saying, and it isn’t how you’re treating people. What could it be? Do you smell bad? Maybe.
The scripture I was reminded of today offers one interesting possibility. As Christ followers, we are different. There is a pronounced “before and after” that has taken place in our lives. In the past our lives produced the putrid results of sin, but after we “Died to sin with Christ, (Galatians 5:24) accepting him as our Lord and Savior, we are now being perfected in Him, looking forward to the day we will hear that our lives have been determined “well done” (Matthew 25:21). 
While we live in the same world that those who don’t know Him do, our reactions to that world and all of its difficulties are different than theirs...or at least they should be. Galatians 2:20 in the New Living Translation, another of my favorites tells us My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Because Christ lives in us, we have the ability to live above our difficulties, troubling circumstances, and imperfect lives. By the power of Christ living inside of us, our lives though not trouble free, are not...or at least should not be...a reflection of our circumstances. We have, as the first scripture I mentioned points out the ability to always be led in triumph by Christ. Our lives should illustrate that Christ living through us causes us to look like we are winning personally and spiritually when physically we are playing the same losing game everyone else is. That kind of life, the kind that lets Christ and His power shine through us is described as having a delicious smell to God. He is pleased when we let His Son thoroughly permeate us because it causes us to smell good to Him too. It’s the fragrance of Christ...but it’s coming from us.
This wonderful spiritual fragrance doesn’t have the same effect on everyone’s nose. To God we smell great! To other Christians we smell great! To people who are seeking Christ, we smell surprisingly good. But...to those who live in darkness, those who have no desire to know Christ and turn the decisions of their life over to Him...we smell like decaying flesh, like a rotting corpse, like a pile of fresh manure I passed by on my motorcycle this morning. To those people, we reek!
But don’t let that discourage you. Paul says stinking can be a good thing. Our offensive odor of death will cause some people to realize the putrid smell is really coming from them. It is their sin, their bent on death, that stinks, and it is only in the presence of the wonderful, delicious fragrance of Christ that their ‘smell of death’ becomes apparent to them. It is that very sinful stink that may cause them to desire the freshness of a new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ensures, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. But as Paul says, this is really an awesome responsibility we have. We must never water down Christ in our lives in an attempt to avoid offending anyone. We have to stay the course...allow Christ to shine (or smell) through us…full strength, so that in and through our lives He can do the work in us and in others that He intends to do.
So don’t worry if some people think you stink, that is a foregone conclusion. Instead, be intent on letting your life be a sweet smelling aroma to God. After all Christ has done in your life you have no business looking or smelling like you did before.
So now, letting the fragrance of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice emanate through your life no matter what others think about it…look and smell like Jesus…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ccaa83d2eb6ac31bd0e70e1d64a4f259.mp3" length="4472923" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ccaa83d2eb6ac31bd0e70e1d64a4f259.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/you-cant-help-how-you-smell-july-14th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2022 12:24:19 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101 - Session Five]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for taking the time to join me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you today. We continue now with our series Parenting 101, this is Session 5. Welcome!
In past...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for taking the time to join me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you today. We continue now with our series Parenting 101, this is Session 5. Welcome!
In past sessions of this series, I made the point that I believe God has uniquely created us as men and women to be especially suited for differing tasks as dads and moms. I understand that in our current social climate it is not popular to conclude that gender in any way differentiates us or predisposes us to respond to others in specific ways. Furthermore, I am fully aware that my belief that a loving and gracious God, far superior to us in His thoughts, reasons and abilities, has created us specifically to do so only serves to further distance me from mainstream thinking. Truth however is true, not determined by popular persuasion…regardless of how many may denounce it. God’s word is the one and only source of all truth, as such; I will continue to count on it unwaveringly to guide my counsel, and these podcasts. His word clearly indicates that He created us as men and women very differently from one another so that when He joins us in marriage we gain exponentially greater capacity to reflect Him. In light of this truth, it is also clear that those very differences enable us to parent uniquely from one another and yet cohesively. It is crucial that we remember, we are not intended to reflect one another as parents, if you and your spouse were identical one of you would be completely unnecessary. Instead as couples, we are to reflect our Almighty Creator. It should be easy for us to accept that singularly we are ill equipped for that task, but joined together in marriage; we have greater capacity to excel at each of the differing parenting roles He exhibits.  
Last week I spent our time together looking at three of those roles women are especially created to perform as mothers. I pointed out that not only were women created to be capable of those specific tasks as their children grow, but that female bodies were in fact, wondrously fashioned to be able to do each of those three things even as they carry their unborn children in pregnancy. Not only are men unable to be pregnant (no matter what idiocy pop culture may be peddling these days) they are not created to carry out the three tasks mentioned last week, Tending, Mending and Defending with near the ability moms are. Men were created to parent completely differently, which we will look at today. It is interesting to note that unlike moms, the three parenting roles we will identify today as being uniquely dad roles are unable to be performed prior to the birth of the child.
In Session Three of this series on parenting I demonstrated the biblical basis for my belief that God performs all six of the parental roles we as moms and dads are supposed to fulfill for our children. If mothers reflect God by Tending to the needs of, Mending the brokenness of and Defending their children, then logical deduction would indicate that fathers are to Direct, Correct, and Project or prepare for launch, those same children. I mentioned last week that the three parental jobs of a mom are best filled by a relational thinker who requires love be the primary consideration in all her relationships. Her relational thinking enables her to constantly take note of and meet all of the needs her child might have. When joined with her primary need to give and receiv...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for taking the time to join me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you today. We continue now with our series Parenting 101, this is Session 5. Welcome!
In past sessions of this series, I made the point that I believe God has uniquely created us as men and women to be especially suited for differing tasks as dads and moms. I understand that in our current social climate it is not popular to conclude that gender in any way differentiates us or predisposes us to respond to others in specific ways. Furthermore, I am fully aware that my belief that a loving and gracious God, far superior to us in His thoughts, reasons and abilities, has created us specifically to do so only serves to further distance me from mainstream thinking. Truth however is true, not determined by popular persuasion…regardless of how many may denounce it. God’s word is the one and only source of all truth, as such; I will continue to count on it unwaveringly to guide my counsel, and these podcasts. His word clearly indicates that He created us as men and women very differently from one another so that when He joins us in marriage we gain exponentially greater capacity to reflect Him. In light of this truth, it is also clear that those very differences enable us to parent uniquely from one another and yet cohesively. It is crucial that we remember, we are not intended to reflect one another as parents, if you and your spouse were identical one of you would be completely unnecessary. Instead as couples, we are to reflect our Almighty Creator. It should be easy for us to accept that singularly we are ill equipped for that task, but joined together in marriage; we have greater capacity to excel at each of the differing parenting roles He exhibits.  
Last week I spent our time together looking at three of those roles women are especially created to perform as mothers. I pointed out that not only were women created to be capable of those specific tasks as their children grow, but that female bodies were in fact, wondrously fashioned to be able to do each of those three things even as they carry their unborn children in pregnancy. Not only are men unable to be pregnant (no matter what idiocy pop culture may be peddling these days) they are not created to carry out the three tasks mentioned last week, Tending, Mending and Defending with near the ability moms are. Men were created to parent completely differently, which we will look at today. It is interesting to note that unlike moms, the three parenting roles we will identify today as being uniquely dad roles are unable to be performed prior to the birth of the child.
In Session Three of this series on parenting I demonstrated the biblical basis for my belief that God performs all six of the parental roles we as moms and dads are supposed to fulfill for our children. If mothers reflect God by Tending to the needs of, Mending the brokenness of and Defending their children, then logical deduction would indicate that fathers are to Direct, Correct, and Project or prepare for launch, those same children. I mentioned last week that the three parental jobs of a mom are best filled by a relational thinker who requires love be the primary consideration in all her relationships. Her relational thinking enables her to constantly take note of and meet all of the needs her child might have. When joined with her primary need to give and receive love, she is uniquely suited to notice any brokenness and make course corrections to mitigate the difficulty causing them. Those same qualities support her innate need to defend her child from anything or anyone who might pose a threat to her child in either of the other two arenas. 
In the same way men are created to excel at reflecting the other parental characteristics of God. He was created specifically to fill the roles of Direction, Correction and Projection. His compartmentalized thinking allows for direction day after day, even if that direction must be repeated seemingly ad nauseam. How? Perhaps the direction is the same…but it is a different day, hour or sometimes even a different minute. This is not to say that fathers don’t ever become frustrated with the need to point in the same direction repeatedly, only that their compartmentalized thinking makes them more suited to do so. Fathers see each occasion to direct their child as an opportunity to speak into their child’s life, and does not have the same tendency to connect one to another as a mother would. She might view the need for repeated direction a sign of failure while a father sees it as opportunity to further success.
Additionally, a father’s compartmentalized thinking prepares him to be equally understanding with the process of correction. He can correct over and again knowing it to be a necessity for the child to accept re-direction. A father’s primary need for respect in relationships also equips him for this role. This need casts a spotlight on a child resisting his direction making correction an obvious and unfortunate necessity. While moms often view correction as harsh and punishing, dads see it differently. While punishment may occasionally be utilized as a tool in the process of correction, a good father’s heart is never to punish a child for having a will, but rather help the child harness that will to chase after things that are worthwhile. Godly correction always seeks to halt harmful direction and exchange it for a healthy heading. 
As a side note to the task of correction I want to make the point that this can be one of the areas that cause a seeming conflict between a mom and a dad and their respective parental tasks. As I mentioned, one of moms tasks is to defend, this can cause her to see a father’s correction as something her child needs defending against. Many times a mother’s heart will find correction too strong or harsh. She may appear to be arguing with her husband over the corrective measures or may even try to stop a correction while it is being carried out. While this may be normal, barring abuse, it is unfitting. As stated previously, both parents are not naturally gifted for all roles of parenting. There are times when what we observe our spouse doing in the course of parenting will not only seem contrary to what we would do in the same situation, it will seem contradictory to what we are trying to accomplish as a parent. In those moments we should remember the offense, defense analogy of the football team. Though they each treat the ball arguably in opposite ways, both interactions are necessary to win the game. Good questions to ask ourselves in these instances are; Is my spouse a good person? Do I trust them to love our child and want what is best for them? Do I want my child to learn the things my spouse is trying to instill in them at this moment? Am I uncomfortable right now because of the lesson being taught, or because of the method being used to teach it? Questions like these make it easier to allow our spouse to be the parent God has created them to be. Remember, parents are not supposed to be reflective of one other, together they are intended to be reflective of God. Most of us can find examples in the bible of times God treated His people in ways we do not personally understand, but that does not make Him wrong. 
Finally, a father’s job is to Project or prepare his child for launch into the world. Last week I mentioned that I have a theory that upon holding their child for the first time a mother’s initial thought is, “I am going to be this baby’s mommy forever.” I gave example of how even now, my own mom still tries to do the same things for me that she has been doing since I was first a twinkle in her eye. Conversely, I have a theory about dads as well and what goes through their minds when they are first handed that little bundle of life. I believe most of them to think, “I have a limited amount of time to get this done.” With a future “launch date” in mind, fathers tend to do everything considering this day will arrive, ostensibly sooner than later. Nearly if not all of a dad’s direction and correction is in anticipation of a day they will no longer be right there to make sure all goes well. One of my favorite verses about fathering speaks directly of “launch date” and that it is clearly a father’s duty. Psalm 127:3-5 says Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of an archer, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. This scripture compares children to arrows in the hand of an archer. An archer does not shoot or launch arrows indiscriminately but rather aimed purposefully to reach a pre-determined target. Though the quiver (the place arrows are safely stored until needed) is mentioned, the arrows are also mentioned as being in his hand, readying them for launch. I don’t believe this analogy to be intended to be purely poetic. My thought is that as is true of the rest of God’s word, the analogy is precise and fitting. A dad’s job is to prepare his children for launch into the world. When an archer shoots an arrow at the target, he is excited when the arrow goes precisely where He directed it. When children grow up and have learned to choose well for themselves and they succeed, it makes a father’s heart happy. I remember when the final of our five children moved out of our home. Empty nest syndrome was very difficult for my wife as she struggled to know how to tend, mend and defend her children from afar. She seemed to feel that I was too happy to see that day come and was at somewhat of a loss to know how to respond to my seemingly happy demeanor that the “kids were all gone”. I was able to help her understand my emotions as I likened it to the excitement I felt when I helped our children learn to ride bikes or drive cars or some other big accomplishment in their lives. My happiness at their leaving wasn’t at all about them being absent from our home, but rather a great pride that we had done well and they were able to maintain lives and homes of their own without our daily oversight. My apparent happiness was really the result of incredible pride…Just like watching them ride away on a bike they thought I still had a steady hand on.
Questions to answer:
•	What are your thoughts about these three parental roles being specifically those of a dad’s?
•	Have you ever considered that these “Dad Jobs” are also things God is intently interested in providing for us?
•	What are some specific examples you both see of these three jobs being manifested in your family?
Actions to take:
•	Wives it’s your turn: take some time now to thank your husband for the special and personal ways you see him filling his roles as a dad. If you have multiple children, give specific examples for each.
So now, celebrating dads and the God-like attributes that also make them a critical part of “Raising up a child in the way he or she should go” Give thanks to God for His amazing design and Go Be Awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/113745513fe3ce178ba38f9f718aed32.mp3" length="17734899" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/113745513fe3ce178ba38f9f718aed32.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-five</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[You Are The Light (Mark 12 : 35-34) - July 10, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[You Are The Light (Mark 12 : 35-34) - July 10, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 28-34.  

For more information on how to get connected with Cr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[You Are The Light (Mark 12 : 35-34) - July 10, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 28-34.  

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[You Are The Light (Mark 12 : 35-34) - July 10, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 28-34.  

For more information on how to get connected with Crossroad Community Church Georgetown with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6ae9a9629b08c54b2aeffba378396056.mp3" length="34154093" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6ae9a9629b08c54b2aeffba378396056.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/you-are-the-light-mark-12-35-34-july-10-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101 - Session Four]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining in for the Monday Marriage Message…Parenting 101 – Session Four.
Last week I shared with you many scripture references illustrating six parental roles that God perfectly accomplishes in the process of raising all...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining in for the Monday Marriage Message…Parenting 101 – Session Four.
Last week I shared with you many scripture references illustrating six parental roles that God perfectly accomplishes in the process of raising all of His children. God is our example and therefore, each of those noted tasks are transferable to us as parents as we interact in the lives of our children. As husbands and wives we work together to reflect the image and likeness of God. According to His own word, that is why He created men and women. (Genesis 1:26-27) By joining us as “One flesh” in marriage, it is His intention that we will allow Him to conjoin the abilities He gives us and cooperate with one another as we parent the children He has also gifted us with.
Last week I referenced scriptures noting God filling parental roles with the intention of offering validity to each of the tasks outlined. Some of them are uniquely suited to moms who are relational thinkers and have a primary need for love within their relationships. Others are purposed to be fulfilled by a compartmentalized thinking dad who must be respected if the relationships he engages in are to be in good standing. 
I think it important to make mention that I understand that these concepts work most easily in the traditional family or what I call the “Original design”. These are the fortuitous families that are made up of a father, a mother and their biological children. If your family is structured this way, praise God! He is the strength that has enabled you to remain within the “Original design”. These families will be able to see the value in, and incorporate the concepts I have been speaking of with the most ease. These precepts are not my ideas, they are found in scripture. As such in traditional families there is an innate acceptance that things should operate as the Creator intended. 
However, I want to be careful not to exclude everyone else. The statistics I offered a few weeks ago clearly indicate that 40% of families today are stepfamilies and a full 25% of American children have only one parent at home. With these numbers what they are, any serious discussion of parenting must include these familial structures as well. I understand each of these scenarios. I began raising my own two biological children in a home that fit the criteria for the “Original Design”. Just a few years later, I found myself in the role of a single parent for five years. I am eternally grateful that twenty-two years ago, God allowed me to marry my wonderful bride Lynn, and our union initiated a stepfamily joining not only the two of us but my son and daughter and her three daughters. We have been blessed beyond belief and have what I consider to be an amazing family that long ago dropped the “step” part. We are now blended to the point of total homogenization. It is difficult sometimes to tell where bloodlines begin and end. I don’t mention this to brag…ok maybe a little…they are worth boasting about. In all seriousness, I offer my story to be transparent and truthfully admit I have been a part of three different family structures. I have not experienced it all…but more than some. Thankfully, however, I have the opportunity to draw from the word of God for guidance on marriage, parenting and family and don’t have to resort to my personal experience. I also make this connection to make the point that we will in fact be taking one of the sessions of Parenting 101 to address...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining in for the Monday Marriage Message…Parenting 101 – Session Four.
Last week I shared with you many scripture references illustrating six parental roles that God perfectly accomplishes in the process of raising all of His children. God is our example and therefore, each of those noted tasks are transferable to us as parents as we interact in the lives of our children. As husbands and wives we work together to reflect the image and likeness of God. According to His own word, that is why He created men and women. (Genesis 1:26-27) By joining us as “One flesh” in marriage, it is His intention that we will allow Him to conjoin the abilities He gives us and cooperate with one another as we parent the children He has also gifted us with.
Last week I referenced scriptures noting God filling parental roles with the intention of offering validity to each of the tasks outlined. Some of them are uniquely suited to moms who are relational thinkers and have a primary need for love within their relationships. Others are purposed to be fulfilled by a compartmentalized thinking dad who must be respected if the relationships he engages in are to be in good standing. 
I think it important to make mention that I understand that these concepts work most easily in the traditional family or what I call the “Original design”. These are the fortuitous families that are made up of a father, a mother and their biological children. If your family is structured this way, praise God! He is the strength that has enabled you to remain within the “Original design”. These families will be able to see the value in, and incorporate the concepts I have been speaking of with the most ease. These precepts are not my ideas, they are found in scripture. As such in traditional families there is an innate acceptance that things should operate as the Creator intended. 
However, I want to be careful not to exclude everyone else. The statistics I offered a few weeks ago clearly indicate that 40% of families today are stepfamilies and a full 25% of American children have only one parent at home. With these numbers what they are, any serious discussion of parenting must include these familial structures as well. I understand each of these scenarios. I began raising my own two biological children in a home that fit the criteria for the “Original Design”. Just a few years later, I found myself in the role of a single parent for five years. I am eternally grateful that twenty-two years ago, God allowed me to marry my wonderful bride Lynn, and our union initiated a stepfamily joining not only the two of us but my son and daughter and her three daughters. We have been blessed beyond belief and have what I consider to be an amazing family that long ago dropped the “step” part. We are now blended to the point of total homogenization. It is difficult sometimes to tell where bloodlines begin and end. I don’t mention this to brag…ok maybe a little…they are worth boasting about. In all seriousness, I offer my story to be transparent and truthfully admit I have been a part of three different family structures. I have not experienced it all…but more than some. Thankfully, however, I have the opportunity to draw from the word of God for guidance on marriage, parenting and family and don’t have to resort to my personal experience. I also make this connection to make the point that we will in fact be taking one of the sessions of Parenting 101 to address these other family constructs as well and the nuances they involve when adopting these biblical precepts concerning parenting.
Today I want to focus on the three jobs of parenting referenced last week that moms are specifically created for. Women are relational thinkers, who require anyone who desires to be in a good relationship with them to love them for the things they say, think, do and believe. These God-reflective qualities predisposition their hearts and minds toward the importance to tend to the needs of, mend the brokenness of, and defend their children. We see these three roles or tasks validated other places as well. Moms are known as “Momma bears” indicating the ferocity with which they will defend their children against any perceived threat. They are universally understood to be much more suited than are dads to excel at nurturing their children far beyond their natural ability to provide nourishment and his complete inability to do so. Furthermore, though not celebrated by the current pop culture, these three parental tasks are performed by mothers for their children prior to birth. The human female body is in fact, designed specifically to this end.
While in-utero a baby is connected to the mother through the umbilical cord. This amazing apparatus allows her to tend to her baby’s needs. It contains two umbilical arteries that provide oxygen rich blood to the baby as well as nutritional needs. Additionally, they work together to regulate the baby’s blood pressure independent of the mother’s. The cord also contains one vein, used to remove the babies oxygen depleted blood and carry away waste to be filtered by mom’s kidneys and liver. During the final trimester a mother is already busied (even if subconsciously) mending her baby’s potential brokenness. In the last three months of pregnancy a mother delivers vital antibodies to her baby through the placenta known as passive immunity because the baby’s body has done nothing independently to develop them. Further antibodies delivered through the placenta in the moments directly after birth will continue to fight for the child and mend potential physical brokenness for the first several weeks of a baby’s life. This selfless act of offering a baby her immune system continues through breastfeeding, which also tends to vital nutritional needs. Additionally while in utero, babies are defended from the world around them. Enveloped in the mother’s womb a baby is safe from a plethora of various dangers. It is a wondrous consideration that a mother’s body is uniquely created to accommodate each of these three needs her child has…tending, mending, and defending. Her special capacity for these three parental tasks do not end there…in fact, they are just beginning.
I have a theory that every mom who holds her child for the first time has the following thought “I am going to be this baby’s mommy forever.” They innately feel that their role in their child’s life will never end. They fully trust they will be capable of tending to any need, mending any brokenness and defending their child until their dying day. I know that in all of my 56 years on this planet my mother has never ceased to find these three things her responsibility. She is an elderly lady now who isn’t in the best of health. She finds it difficult to get around and when she does get up and move about it is with pain. However, if I were to walk into her home today she would greet me with a short statement and a few questions. “Hi son! Can I get you something to drink? Are you hungry? Is there anything you need?” Her first interactions with me would be to assess any needs I might have. She will do this even though both of us know I am more than capable to meet those needs for myself. Almost before that process is completed, she would be scanning my posture and countenance to make sure there is no brokenness that needs mending, physically or emotionally. Heaven help you if you try to disparage me in any way in her presence. You might just as well put your tail between your legs and slink away now because it is going to be exactly what happens when she is finished with you!
My mom is special to me but she is not unique in her desires. God created her and billions like her. We call it mothering instinct, but it is more rightly described Godly imprint. God created my mom to be joined with my dad, to be my parents. When He married them, He gave certain of His characteristics to my mom and others to my dad for the express purpose of creating a marriage that would be reflective of Him (Genesis 1:26-27 & Genesis 2:24). Because of this, my mom has Godly coding written into her spirit to tend to my needs, mend my brokenness, and defend me, all at any cost to herself…Just like El-Shaddai does. This name of God means the breasted one who provides for our needs. That name comes from the Hebrew root word Shad which always refers to the breast of a woman. I am not making claim that God is a woman, according to the scriptures God is Spirit. I simply offer it to show that one of the names of God illustrates that the roles of a mom come directly from her Creator.
Questions to answer:
•	What are your thoughts about these three parental roles being specifically those of a mom’s?
•	Have you ever considered that those “Mom Jobs” are also things God is intently interested in providing for us?
•	What are some specific examples you both see of these three jobs being manifested in your family?
Actions to take:
•	Husbands: take some time now to thank your wife for the special and personal ways you see her filling her roles as a mom. If you have multiple children, give specific examples for each.
So now, celebrating moms and the God-like attributes that make them a crucial part of “Raising up a child in the way he or she should go” Give thanks to God for His amazing design and Go Be Awesome! 
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7601235564a93ebda2c4169b07a5ae00.mp3" length="14972619" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7601235564a93ebda2c4169b07a5ae00.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-four</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Independence Day - July 3, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Independence Day - July 3, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick asks the congregation to talk about their own experiences with Liberty and Freedom during this Independence Day service.

 For more informa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Independence Day - July 3, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick asks the congregation to talk about their own experiences with Liberty and Freedom during this Independence Day service.

 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Independence Day - July 3, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick asks the congregation to talk about their own experiences with Liberty and Freedom during this Independence Day service.

 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/85218291d83dc5d65812856713cc63ce.mp3" length="39569796" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/85218291d83dc5d65812856713cc63ce.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/independence-day-july-3-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Independence Day!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Independence day!
The Fourth of July was always one of my favorite holidays of the entire year. In part, that has no doubt been because it falls during summertime when the days are long and f...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Independence day!
The Fourth of July was always one of my favorite holidays of the entire year. In part, that has no doubt been because it falls during summertime when the days are long and full of fun and relaxation. That alone makes it a holiday suited for all of the family gatherings it produces. More importantly, I love it because as so many others do, I love our nation. I don’t always love the things we do as a nation, I don’t always agree with the direction our country is heading, But I am always proud to be an American. These days, the Forth is one of my favorites because our entire family, now numbering nearly thirty, and counting, gathers for “Creek Week”. That annual event takes place on Independence day weekend at our family cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. “Creek Week” is always a source of innumerable smiles and lots of laughter as well as stories recounted the entire year. The Fourth of July does have one facet that makes it bittersweet. It is also the season my brother, a patriot and a proud American soldier went to spend eternity before God. 
Gary was a soldier for nearly half his life. Aside from his wife, children and grandchildren, it was one of the things he was most proud of. Being a soldier was just one of the many things he was and did that made us so proud of him. His legacy will go on in perpetuity because of the uniform he wore. I remember when Gary graduated from boot camp he told me they gave him two things he didn’t have when he got there and that no one would ever be able to take away from him; his pride to be an American, and his privilege to put on the Army uniform. I recall even now the boot camp graduation pictures with my brother proudly wearing his uniform. 
Gary was many things. He was a husband, a dad, a brother, a son. He had many talents and interests, he was an awesome shade-tree-mechanic, a hard worker, and an avid runner. He had an incredible sense of humor and loved a good joke. He was all of those things and much, much more. You didn’t have to know him to though to know he loved America, you knew about him when you saw the uniform. 
There was something else about Gary that defined him even more than that pressed Army uniform. Gary was a Christian. He wasn’t perfect, just forgiven. He knew who Jesus was, but more importantly what Christ had done for him. Gary lived his life doing what he did, in part, because of Christ living in him. Being a soldier wasn’t just his job, it was his calling. To a large degree, Gary was willing to give his life for the freedom of others because Christ had given His life for Gary’s freedom. Because of his faith in Christ as his Lord and Savior, my brother has a new uniform today. He has a new body fashioned for him by God Himself. This one isn’t government issue, this one is given by the Lord of heaven’s armies, the One true God. 
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 in the New Living Translation says, For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Independence day!
The Fourth of July was always one of my favorite holidays of the entire year. In part, that has no doubt been because it falls during summertime when the days are long and full of fun and relaxation. That alone makes it a holiday suited for all of the family gatherings it produces. More importantly, I love it because as so many others do, I love our nation. I don’t always love the things we do as a nation, I don’t always agree with the direction our country is heading, But I am always proud to be an American. These days, the Forth is one of my favorites because our entire family, now numbering nearly thirty, and counting, gathers for “Creek Week”. That annual event takes place on Independence day weekend at our family cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. “Creek Week” is always a source of innumerable smiles and lots of laughter as well as stories recounted the entire year. The Fourth of July does have one facet that makes it bittersweet. It is also the season my brother, a patriot and a proud American soldier went to spend eternity before God. 
Gary was a soldier for nearly half his life. Aside from his wife, children and grandchildren, it was one of the things he was most proud of. Being a soldier was just one of the many things he was and did that made us so proud of him. His legacy will go on in perpetuity because of the uniform he wore. I remember when Gary graduated from boot camp he told me they gave him two things he didn’t have when he got there and that no one would ever be able to take away from him; his pride to be an American, and his privilege to put on the Army uniform. I recall even now the boot camp graduation pictures with my brother proudly wearing his uniform. 
Gary was many things. He was a husband, a dad, a brother, a son. He had many talents and interests, he was an awesome shade-tree-mechanic, a hard worker, and an avid runner. He had an incredible sense of humor and loved a good joke. He was all of those things and much, much more. You didn’t have to know him to though to know he loved America, you knew about him when you saw the uniform. 
There was something else about Gary that defined him even more than that pressed Army uniform. Gary was a Christian. He wasn’t perfect, just forgiven. He knew who Jesus was, but more importantly what Christ had done for him. Gary lived his life doing what he did, in part, because of Christ living in him. Being a soldier wasn’t just his job, it was his calling. To a large degree, Gary was willing to give his life for the freedom of others because Christ had given His life for Gary’s freedom. Because of his faith in Christ as his Lord and Savior, my brother has a new uniform today. He has a new body fashioned for him by God Himself. This one isn’t government issue, this one is given by the Lord of heaven’s armies, the One true God. 
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 in the New Living Translation says, For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
My brother knew that heavenly body existed, just as all who know Jesus as personal Lord and Savior are aware of through faith. I believe Gary is now experiencing that eternal life that has swallowed up the old dying body he once inhabited. Now for him there is no pain, no sorrow, no lingering effects from the battered, battle-scarred body he formerly knew, and that is proof that God’s mercies are indeed new every morning.
Gary is not in heaven because he was a good soldier, a good husband, a good father, brother or son. Gary is in heaven because he knew and loved Jesus, and accepted Christ’s sacrifice for his life. It was The Holy Spirit’s work in Gary’s life that enabled him to be the man he was. Every Independence day I miss him, we all miss him, but I am so glad that today Gary is free and has a new uniform that undoubtedly means more to him even than that old Army one he wore with such pride. Jesus said it, and Gary believed it, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
So now, Looking forward to the true Independence day when we all get our new uniforms, but gratefully celebrating the freedom we have today by knowing the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done to liberate us, enjoy this Fourth of July for everything it stands for…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5aeadf816cfd5b7faeccbc3d13df1860.mp3" length="8328292" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5aeadf816cfd5b7faeccbc3d13df1860.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/independence-day</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101- Session Three]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Parenting 101 – Session Three.
Two weeks ago I started this series on parenting. In the first session I spoke to the statistics that indicate that as a whole we need to be better prepared to...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Parenting 101 – Session Three.
Two weeks ago I started this series on parenting. In the first session I spoke to the statistics that indicate that as a whole we need to be better prepared to become awesome parents so we can raise awesome children. In that episode I said that there are at least six parental tasks illustrated for us in scripture. This past week I spent some time showing that I believe it is by God’s design that we parent differently as moms and dads. I shared with you how some of the other differences endowed to men and women at creation work congruently with the six tasks we will be exploring enabling a mother to be uniquely qualified to best perform three of those jobs while a father is gifted especially to accomplish the other three.
I went on to offer the analogy of a football team. Even though the offense and defense react very differently to the ball, both encourage one another in their respective tasks knowing it is the key to winning the game. In the same way, as parents, if we will learn to recognize that we are gifted by God to do differing things in terms of raising our children we can become better at encouraging each other in the process.
This session will be devoted to searching the scriptures for examples of God filling each of the six parenting roles for us. As I stated last week, He is able to fully execute each of these tasks with perfection. We will undoubtedly fall short of His ability. However, understanding the “Oneness” of our marriages should offer clarity that our differences are actually intended to bring strength not strife. He has intentionally made us “One” with another, who has different strengths and skillsets than we do. Understanding as parents we are the offense and defense within the overall team allows us to be grateful for our spouses differing talents and to celebrate them. Parenting differently than one another as moms and dads is not indicative of a problem. A lack of understanding why the differences exist…that often creates problems parenting cohesively. 
Allow me to review the six jobs of parenting. Just to make you are aware, I will be using many scriptures to illustrate How God fills all of these roles of parenting, as He raises us up to be all we are intended to be. You may want to take some notes of the scriptures or download the text file of this episode so you can read each of them for yourselves in their full context. 
God tends to our needs Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread” This scripture from the Lord’s prayer indicates God wants us to ask Him to meet our needs and in fact wants to be the one who does. It is His pleasure to meet your every need. In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus reiterated God’s desire to tend to our needs. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into t...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message…Parenting 101 – Session Three.
Two weeks ago I started this series on parenting. In the first session I spoke to the statistics that indicate that as a whole we need to be better prepared to become awesome parents so we can raise awesome children. In that episode I said that there are at least six parental tasks illustrated for us in scripture. This past week I spent some time showing that I believe it is by God’s design that we parent differently as moms and dads. I shared with you how some of the other differences endowed to men and women at creation work congruently with the six tasks we will be exploring enabling a mother to be uniquely qualified to best perform three of those jobs while a father is gifted especially to accomplish the other three.
I went on to offer the analogy of a football team. Even though the offense and defense react very differently to the ball, both encourage one another in their respective tasks knowing it is the key to winning the game. In the same way, as parents, if we will learn to recognize that we are gifted by God to do differing things in terms of raising our children we can become better at encouraging each other in the process.
This session will be devoted to searching the scriptures for examples of God filling each of the six parenting roles for us. As I stated last week, He is able to fully execute each of these tasks with perfection. We will undoubtedly fall short of His ability. However, understanding the “Oneness” of our marriages should offer clarity that our differences are actually intended to bring strength not strife. He has intentionally made us “One” with another, who has different strengths and skillsets than we do. Understanding as parents we are the offense and defense within the overall team allows us to be grateful for our spouses differing talents and to celebrate them. Parenting differently than one another as moms and dads is not indicative of a problem. A lack of understanding why the differences exist…that often creates problems parenting cohesively. 
Allow me to review the six jobs of parenting. Just to make you are aware, I will be using many scriptures to illustrate How God fills all of these roles of parenting, as He raises us up to be all we are intended to be. You may want to take some notes of the scriptures or download the text file of this episode so you can read each of them for yourselves in their full context. 
God tends to our needs Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread” This scripture from the Lord’s prayer indicates God wants us to ask Him to meet our needs and in fact wants to be the one who does. It is His pleasure to meet your every need. In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus reiterated God’s desire to tend to our needs. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. He went on to say just a few moments later in Matthew 7:9-11 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Jesus was making a bold statement about God’s parental ability. He was saying that God knows what you need, and wants to tend to your needs. He was also saying that looking to God to tend to our needs should be our first thought because He loves us. Jesus then made a correlating statement. If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness we will know God better, we will know His ways better and we will not be afraid that our needs will go untended. Good parents tend to their children’s needs…it’s what they do. God is a good, good parent…the best there is. God tends to our every need so He can enable us to reach our full potential in Him!
God mends our brokenness - 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your cares upon him for He cares about you”.  God wants us to know that He desires to mend our brokenness. He wants us to tell Him when we are hurting. He understands that the first step in mending brokenness is having whatever is broken brought to Him for Healing, so He tells us to cast our cares (or our brokenness) on Him because He cares about us. What bothers us, bothers Him. Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” God mends our brokenness. God knows the difficulties we encounter in our lives and He does not ignore us or the wounds that have been inflicted upon us, on the contrary, He tells us to tell Him what is bothering us, He reassures us that we are not alone and He moves toward us to heal our wounds. Jesus spent His ministry mending the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds of countless people at the direction of the Father, as He continues to do today through the ministry of His Holy Spirit. God mends our brokenness to liberate us from what would hold us back from His best intention for our lives!
God defends us - Psalm 34:7 “For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” Psalm 54:1 “Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might.” Matthew 6:13 “…deliver us from evil, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” God defends us. We don’t only live in a physical world. The spiritual realm is all around us. I have often wondered if we have any clue just how many times, and to what extent God delivers us from the evil intentions of the enemy who’s only noted jobs are to “steal, kill and destroy”. I have also wondered from time to time if we will become aware of the scope of His protective measures over our lives when we are safely at home with Him in heaven. God defends us to preserve the ability to see us become everything He wants us to be!
God directs us – Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him; And He shall direct your paths.” Psalm 94:12 “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law,” Psalm 48:14 “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.” God’s word is very clear about the fact that He intends to direct, guide and teach us so that we can live our lives to the fullest. His direction is not to stifle us or to keep us from the things that are good for us, but rather to lovingly direct us so that we can enjoy his many blessings as we live lives of righteousness or in or in other words lives that happen as designed by a good, good, Father. God directs us in the best ways that will bring us the greatest blessing imaginable because He loves us so much!
God corrects us – Job 5:17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.” Proverbs 3:12 “For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” God loves us too much not to correct us. A parent who does not correct his child illustrates that the direction the child’s life takes does not matter to them. God says that because He delights in us, He corrects us. How does He do this? He corrects us through His written word, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and sometimes through the loving instruction of other trusted godly men and women in our lives. God corrects us because He loves us and it hurts Him to see us stray from His wonderful plan for our lives!
God projects (launches) us – Psalm 127:3-5 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;… Luke 10:1-3 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two-by-two before His face into every city and place where He himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold I send you out as lambs among the wolves”. Mark 16:15 “And He said unto them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. God launches us out into the world to reflect Him and reveal His awesome nature to others. He knows that will make life difficult at times, even so, He launches us like an archer launches his arrows. We should also keep in mind that as Luke relayed, those who are sent out by God are sent out “before his face” in other words He watches over us as He sends us out. God projects or launches us and takes pleasure in our life’s success in Him.
These are six jobs of parenting; tending, mending, defending, directing, correcting, and projecting. God does all of them perfectly. My goal in illustrating that these tasks of parenting are scriptural, and that God does each of them for us, is to also show them to be right and necessary. As I mentioned last week, often time’s parents become displeased with one another when they observe the other taking action in the name of parenting that they do not understand. My aim here is to point out that each of you will likely find three of these roles things you are specifically suited to do, and three will be more difficult. No worries…God has equipped your spouse in ways He did not give you natural ability in, and vice-versa. If God sees fit to do each of these things as He raises us, who are we to say they are unnecessary or even adverse for our children. 

Questions to answer:
•	Which of these six tasks seem natural to you? 
•	Which do you find difficult to do and why do you think that is?
•	Do you find that one of you is likely better at three of these and less capable of the others?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss times you have seen God take up each of these six roles of parenting in your lives. Discuss the results of those interactions.
•	Discuss the value you each see for each of these parenting roles to be filled in your children’s lives.
So now, allowing the example of God in your life to be the guide of how to positively impact your children’s’ lives…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/37c12e6ded6fb2f39988756c8363b493.mp3" length="19364325" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/37c12e6ded6fb2f39988756c8363b493.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-three</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[20220626- Love Your Neighbor_01]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Love Your Neighbor - June , 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 28-34.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Love Your Neighbor - June , 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 28-34.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

Mark 12 : 28
Mark 12 : 29-31
Deuteronomy 6 : 4-5
Leviticus 19 : 15-18
Romans 13 : 8-10
Mark 12 : 32- 33
I Samuel 15 : 22-23
Psalms 51 : 16-17
Psalms 141 : 2
Jeremiah 7 : 22-24
Hosea 6 : 6
Micah 6 : 6-8
Mark 12 : 34
Psalms 15 : 1-5
Micah 6 : 8
Romans 13 : 10]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Love Your Neighbor - June , 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 28-34.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

Mark 12 : 28
Mark 12 : 29-31
Deuteronomy 6 : 4-5
Leviticus 19 : 15-18
Romans 13 : 8-10
Mark 12 : 32- 33
I Samuel 15 : 22-23
Psalms 51 : 16-17
Psalms 141 : 2
Jeremiah 7 : 22-24
Hosea 6 : 6
Micah 6 : 6-8
Mark 12 : 34
Psalms 15 : 1-5
Micah 6 : 8
Romans 13 : 10]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a432c3a4db037926467c1f219fbbbfb7.mp3" length="36413424" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a432c3a4db037926467c1f219fbbbfb7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/20220626-love-your-neighbor-01</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Get Charged Up! - June 23rd, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Get Charged Up!
The other day I was working on a project in my back yard. As part of the job, I needed to install nearly 50 bolts with their complement of washers and nuts. I needed to drill...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Get Charged Up!
The other day I was working on a project in my back yard. As part of the job, I needed to install nearly 50 bolts with their complement of washers and nuts. I needed to drill holes for all of the bolts to be inserted in their respective places. In years gone by that task would have required getting a drill and because of the distance from the house I was working, several extension cords. It is times like this when I am especially glad for the invention of the cordless drill. In fact, because of their convenience, I have a multitude of cordless tools. I have cordless impact drivers as well as various styles of saws. All of these tools are wonderful improvements over the old corded type…most of the time. 
Knowing I was at the point in my project that I needed to begin drilling holes, I walked into my shop and grabbed the cordless drill. I walked back across the lawn and drilled about two of the holes I needed when the battery died and the drill no longer worked. Admittedly, with a little frustration, I walked back to the shop and grabbed a “fresh” battery off the charger and after releasing the expired one from the drill I inserted the fresh one, clicked the dead one into the charger and headed back across the yard. When I reached the jobsite, I placed the drill against the material where I needed the hole and squeezed the trigger…nothing. I pulled the battery pack out and reinserted it with more force knowing I must not have gotten it seated well when I installed it moments before. Again, I squeezed the trigger…still nothing. Now my frustration was beginning to rise. 
I headed across the yard toward the shop yet again. I looked at the charger where this supposedly “fresh” battery had come from and as you have guessed by now it was not charging. As I reached for the cord where it was plugged in, I found it dangling by the wall and remembered unplugging it days ago to plug in another tool. All of that before I put the still dead battery in my hand on the charger. I plugged the charger in to begin charging the battery I had placed there just moments before and set the dead one in my hand down next to it to be charged later. I grabbed another from the shelf and inserted it in the drill. This time when I squeezed the trigger, the drill spun to life and I was able to complete my project.
This experience got me thinking about a scripture our pastor mentioned a few weeks ago that has been on my mind ever since. In Mark 12:24 Jesus is speaking to some Sadducees who were trying to ensnare Him with a question they thought to be especially crafty. His answer to their question was preceded with this remark. “Your mistake is that you don’t know the scriptures and you don’t know the power of God.” So what does this scripture have to do with dead batteries and a cordless drill?
My cordless drill is no more or less a drill if it has a dead battery, no battery or a charged battery. In any of those conditions if I were were working with someone and asked them to hand me my drill, they would reach for that tool regardless of the battery’s condition or existence, because no matter the battery…the tool remains a drill. The usefulness of the drill however has everything to do with the condition of the battery! If the battery is dead, the drill is useless. If the battery has little charge as it did when I initially grabbed it from my shop, it will only do a little before quittin...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Get Charged Up!
The other day I was working on a project in my back yard. As part of the job, I needed to install nearly 50 bolts with their complement of washers and nuts. I needed to drill holes for all of the bolts to be inserted in their respective places. In years gone by that task would have required getting a drill and because of the distance from the house I was working, several extension cords. It is times like this when I am especially glad for the invention of the cordless drill. In fact, because of their convenience, I have a multitude of cordless tools. I have cordless impact drivers as well as various styles of saws. All of these tools are wonderful improvements over the old corded type…most of the time. 
Knowing I was at the point in my project that I needed to begin drilling holes, I walked into my shop and grabbed the cordless drill. I walked back across the lawn and drilled about two of the holes I needed when the battery died and the drill no longer worked. Admittedly, with a little frustration, I walked back to the shop and grabbed a “fresh” battery off the charger and after releasing the expired one from the drill I inserted the fresh one, clicked the dead one into the charger and headed back across the yard. When I reached the jobsite, I placed the drill against the material where I needed the hole and squeezed the trigger…nothing. I pulled the battery pack out and reinserted it with more force knowing I must not have gotten it seated well when I installed it moments before. Again, I squeezed the trigger…still nothing. Now my frustration was beginning to rise. 
I headed across the yard toward the shop yet again. I looked at the charger where this supposedly “fresh” battery had come from and as you have guessed by now it was not charging. As I reached for the cord where it was plugged in, I found it dangling by the wall and remembered unplugging it days ago to plug in another tool. All of that before I put the still dead battery in my hand on the charger. I plugged the charger in to begin charging the battery I had placed there just moments before and set the dead one in my hand down next to it to be charged later. I grabbed another from the shelf and inserted it in the drill. This time when I squeezed the trigger, the drill spun to life and I was able to complete my project.
This experience got me thinking about a scripture our pastor mentioned a few weeks ago that has been on my mind ever since. In Mark 12:24 Jesus is speaking to some Sadducees who were trying to ensnare Him with a question they thought to be especially crafty. His answer to their question was preceded with this remark. “Your mistake is that you don’t know the scriptures and you don’t know the power of God.” So what does this scripture have to do with dead batteries and a cordless drill?
My cordless drill is no more or less a drill if it has a dead battery, no battery or a charged battery. In any of those conditions if I were were working with someone and asked them to hand me my drill, they would reach for that tool regardless of the battery’s condition or existence, because no matter the battery…the tool remains a drill. The usefulness of the drill however has everything to do with the condition of the battery! If the battery is dead, the drill is useless. If the battery has little charge as it did when I initially grabbed it from my shop, it will only do a little before quitting. If the battery is fully charged as was the final one I installed, it will do everything I need it to do, and then can be recharged to do even more.
Jesus was indicating to the Sadducees He was conversing with that they had not been on the charger and therefore didn’t have any power in them. He said their mistake was, they did not know the scriptures, and did not know the power of God. If we do not know the scriptures, if we are not in the word regularly (and I mean more than at church on the weekend) we cannot know the power of God in our lives. The word “know” in this scripture comes from the Greek word    [eidó] which literally means to see with your eyes. With that knowledge, what I am saying becomes all the more clear. Jesus was telling those men that their problem was that they did not see the entirety of the scriptures. They were only willing to look at a portion of the scripture, the first five books of the bible, not the entirety of scripture available to them at the time. As a result, they could not see the entirety of the power of God available to them either. Nothing has changed except that we have even more scripture available to us in the New Testament. In other words, we have a better, more updated charger. 
If God’s word is the charger, and we are the battery then Jesus’ point is easy to see. If we want to see the power of God in our lives (our battery) we have to spend regular time on the charger (His word). When I was trying to drill those holes, I couldn’t complete the task with a dead battery, I couldn’t even do all I wanted to with a slightly charged one. I needed a strong battery to do the job in front of me. I also want to be useful to my Lord, and I am guessing you do as well. If we are going to be successful we need to make sure we are charged up to do all that He desires us to do…and He does have stuff for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 in the New Century Version says God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. 
So let’s all get on the charger. If we empowered by Him and charged up we will be able to successfully complete any task He puts us to. We won’t have to worry if we will be found useful in His hands because we will have all we need for any job. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says; And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. The battery doesn’t make its own charge, the charger does that. The battery only accepts the charge to do the work. God’s word promises to empower us to make us sufficient for the job…our task is to be plugged into the charger (His word) The Apostle John wrote that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would remind us from His word the things we need for any task. (John 14:26) It is up to us to be plugged into His word so we can be reminded of it when we need it.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
So now, making no mistake, plug into your charger by making certain you are regularly and securely connected to His word, be ready to useful to God for any task He has for you to do, and…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f067cc9ac1cc0d99128b9fc620fd183b.mp3" length="4057572" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f067cc9ac1cc0d99128b9fc620fd183b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/get-charged-up-june-23rd-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2022 11:37:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101-Session Two]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you back to the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will move forward into the second session in our series…Parenting 101.
Last week I made mention that I believe parenting roles to be among the differences purp...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you back to the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will move forward into the second session in our series…Parenting 101.
Last week I made mention that I believe parenting roles to be among the differences purposefully distributed by God to men and women at creation. There is no question we are created with gender differences far beyond the physical alone, and I believe that some of those additional differences are designed specifically to predisposition us as men and women to be uniquely suited to be moms and dads. In other words, the differences God created us with, all work congruently to maximize our strengths and skillsets. I hope to clearly illustrate in today’s episode just how this is so, specifically when it comes to parenting.
In past episodes, I expressed that men and women are created with differing processes of thought and different relational needs. I would like to take a few moments and illustrate how these differences manifest themselves because I think it important to our conversation on parenting. 
As I have said numerous times , all men think in a compartmental manner. This means they all keep their thoughts on any subject separated from their thoughts on other subjects. They only think about one thing at a time, and when they change objectives of thought, they cease thinking of the previous subject and focus solely on the current one. In past episodes I have shared my analogy for this concept as a row of lockers in a school hallway. Each locker holds a separate subject and a man will never mix different subjects in the same locker. He must go to a particular locker to consider what is in that locker. If he decides he needs to, or is asked to consider a different subject, he must close the current locker, find the appropriate one and open it. Now he is free to look at anything in that locker, but can no longer view the contents of the one he was previously looking into. Some men are highly compartmental in their thinking, meaning they have difficulty even remembering what is in the different lockers without opening them. These men may at times seemingly forget certain lockers even exist until they are re-discovered. Other men seem to have wonderful recall of locker contents and can jump back and forth fluidly between them. Still others find themselves at times wandering past a row of lockers stopping shortly to look at the contents of each one and move on. None of these is better or more correct than another they are just different. The only unchanging fact is that they are all forms of compartmentalized thinking. 
All women are relational in their thinking. This is a process of thought arguably opposite that of man’s compartmentalized thinking. A woman considers all things at all times. Every thought she has creates a related thought, which creates a related thought, which causes her to have another…and so on. The analogy I use for this process of thought is a spider web. A spider web is a great illustration of one thing being affected by everything. When a web is impacted in one place the entirety of it vibrates and no matter where the occupant of the web may be, a plethora of information is obtained. Again, there seems to be a range, some women are incredibly relational and find connections seemingly out of nowhere. Others understand associations undoubtedly exist and respond accordingly, but are less acutely aware of the specifics. No place on the spectrum is of more...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you back to the Monday Marriage Message. Today we will move forward into the second session in our series…Parenting 101.
Last week I made mention that I believe parenting roles to be among the differences purposefully distributed by God to men and women at creation. There is no question we are created with gender differences far beyond the physical alone, and I believe that some of those additional differences are designed specifically to predisposition us as men and women to be uniquely suited to be moms and dads. In other words, the differences God created us with, all work congruently to maximize our strengths and skillsets. I hope to clearly illustrate in today’s episode just how this is so, specifically when it comes to parenting.
In past episodes, I expressed that men and women are created with differing processes of thought and different relational needs. I would like to take a few moments and illustrate how these differences manifest themselves because I think it important to our conversation on parenting. 
As I have said numerous times , all men think in a compartmental manner. This means they all keep their thoughts on any subject separated from their thoughts on other subjects. They only think about one thing at a time, and when they change objectives of thought, they cease thinking of the previous subject and focus solely on the current one. In past episodes I have shared my analogy for this concept as a row of lockers in a school hallway. Each locker holds a separate subject and a man will never mix different subjects in the same locker. He must go to a particular locker to consider what is in that locker. If he decides he needs to, or is asked to consider a different subject, he must close the current locker, find the appropriate one and open it. Now he is free to look at anything in that locker, but can no longer view the contents of the one he was previously looking into. Some men are highly compartmental in their thinking, meaning they have difficulty even remembering what is in the different lockers without opening them. These men may at times seemingly forget certain lockers even exist until they are re-discovered. Other men seem to have wonderful recall of locker contents and can jump back and forth fluidly between them. Still others find themselves at times wandering past a row of lockers stopping shortly to look at the contents of each one and move on. None of these is better or more correct than another they are just different. The only unchanging fact is that they are all forms of compartmentalized thinking. 
All women are relational in their thinking. This is a process of thought arguably opposite that of man’s compartmentalized thinking. A woman considers all things at all times. Every thought she has creates a related thought, which creates a related thought, which causes her to have another…and so on. The analogy I use for this process of thought is a spider web. A spider web is a great illustration of one thing being affected by everything. When a web is impacted in one place the entirety of it vibrates and no matter where the occupant of the web may be, a plethora of information is obtained. Again, there seems to be a range, some women are incredibly relational and find connections seemingly out of nowhere. Others understand associations undoubtedly exist and respond accordingly, but are less acutely aware of the specifics. No place on the spectrum is of more value than another, all women are relational some are simply more so than others. Neither is right or wrong…just different. 
God exhibits duality of these processes of thought. Some scripture seems compartmentalized in nature while others seem to be relational. His abilities far supersede ours. He notes in Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. It is clear however, that His intention in joining a man and a woman as one is to complete the process of creating us to reflect His image and likeness. His capacity for total and complete thought is the reason for creating us with both of the differing processes of thought He enjoys. When joined as one we have availability to consider our spouse’s thought, ascribe equal value to it as we do our own, resulting in the capability to consider any subject from both a compartmental and a relational standpoint. Proverbs 31:10&11 points out this has always been God’s plan for Husbands and wives to be enabled to make wise decisions.
Please allow me a few more moments of review because I believe the congruency of how these differences all work together is important to the conversation of parenting. As I shared last week men and women also have differing relational needs. He needs her respect, she needs his love as scripture points out in Eph. 5:33. These are not the only needs they each have, but they are the ones of highest importance to them. A man is always assessing if he is respected for what he says, does and believes. A woman is always considering if she is loved for what she says, does, and believes. The results of their respective considerations will determine if any relationship they have will remain in good standing. These specific primary relational needs they each possess aren’t always easy to see but become especially evident during times of conflict. 
In regards to our relationship with God, both are of primary importance. If our relationship with Him is to be in good standing we must both love and respect Him. The interesting thing to me is that the scripture indicating the requirement to respect Him is a compartmentalized statement. Deuteronomy 5:7 says; You shall have no other gods before Me. The scripture that says we must love Him is a relational statement. Deuteronomy 6:5 says; You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The first is simply a requirement without variance. The second states the requirement and additionally draws our attention to the related ways we are to accomplish it…with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength. God used a compartmentalized statement about His need for respect, and a relational statement concerning His need for love. Interesting.
Last week I mentioned six parenting roles illustrated for us in scripture. God uses each of these in the process of raising us. Three are suited especially for a relational thinker who is most concerned with love. Furthermore, three are more geared toward a compartmentalized thinker who is primarily is concerned with being shown respect. God, having duality of both of these sets of characteristics is more than capable of perfectly accomplishing all six roles. It is then all the more important for us to see that He quite purposefully created us to be joined with another to reflect Him in this way too. Together,  a man and a woman, a husband and a wife, are endowed with everything needed to fill all six roles. Three of these tasks are perfect for moms with their godly characteristics while the others are perfect for dads and the different godly qualities they possess.
Tending to the needs of, mending the brokenness of, and defending children are tasks perfectly aligned with one who thinks relationally and is in tune with the overarching value of being treated with and treating others with love. Directing, correcting and preparing children for launching are three jobs best accomplished by one who thinks compartmentally and is most concerned with being respected by, and showing respect to others.  
A major problem arises when either parent notices the other is doing something contrary to what their own gifting would dictate, and decides their spouse must be acting incorrectly. When what is deemed an inconsistency is recognized, parents often mistakenly think a problem has developed. We are correct in understanding our unique gifting to be crucial. Where we go wrong is thinking our personal gifting’s are the only ones necessary to the process of successfully raising a child. We are incorrect to think our spouse should only reinforce parenting actions we would take.
As with most things I have an analogy that I think illustrates the correct treatment of this issue. A football team contains two teams within the overall team. There is an offense and a defense. On game day they both wear the same colored jerseys indicating they are on the same team. The interesting thing is that they both treat the ball completely differently than one another while seeking the same objective…to win the game. The offense tries as best it can to move the ball forward from where it was when they took possession of it. They run, pass or even kick the ball in an attempt to move it further along the field of play. The defense on the other had wants to keep the ball right where it is. They will do anything they can to protect the placement of the ball and not let it move. When the defense comes back to the sideline after successfully defending the ball, the offense does not complain, berate or belittle the defense for what they have done. What has just been accomplished by the defense is completely contrary to what the offense running onto the field is about to attempt to do. However, the defense will not become upset when the offense tries once again to move the ball. Instead, they will applaud and cheer the offense on. Why is this? This happens because both teams expect they will treat the ball differently, but both also understand they need each other to be a complete team and win the game.
Fathers are like the offense, but they need a good defense to win the game. Mothers are like the defense, but without a good offense the game cannot be won. My role in raising our five children was crucial…as was my wife’s though we did little as parents exactly the same way. We can choose to get upset because our spouse doesn’t treat the ball (or the child) the same way we would, or we can cheer them on knowing they are gifted by God to do things we are not created to do. Both are necessary to win the game and end up with the prize of upstanding, well-adjusted, God fearing children who grow up to be awesome adults.
Questions to answer:
•	Do you and your spouse always see eye-to-eye when it comes to parenting?
•	Do you see the differences in parenting roles as a positive or a negative?
•	How could the two of you encourage each other better when you are “on the field ”?
Actions to take:
•	Discuss times the two of you have done well keeping the overall game plan in mind and what you can do to improve your parental performance “on the field”.  
•	Talk about ways you can each help encourage each other in your differing parental roles.
•	Take a few minutes to praise your spouse for their parenting skills and recognize those things that you are grateful your spouse is able to teach your children better than your parenting skills would be able to do.
So now, taking a fresh look at what God is doing for your marriage and your family as you work together to be the parents He wants you to be…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6ff92cef06c592095559a66c7f9d40a7.mp3" length="18488486" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6ff92cef06c592095559a66c7f9d40a7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-two</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>12:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Father’s Day - June 19, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Father’s Day - June 19, 2022

Thank you for joining us for Father’s Day at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. We had 3 Special Guest speakers Kristi Bolden, Darren Sollie and Micah Gonzalez.  Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures....]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Father’s Day - June 19, 2022

Thank you for joining us for Father’s Day at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. We had 3 Special Guest speakers Kristi Bolden, Darren Sollie and Micah Gonzalez.  Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures.

For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Father’s Day - June 19, 2022

Thank you for joining us for Father’s Day at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. We had 3 Special Guest speakers Kristi Bolden, Darren Sollie and Micah Gonzalez.  Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures.

For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/57333a68083d152f7309c125ff7280fb.mp3" length="40811438" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/57333a68083d152f7309c125ff7280fb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fathers-day-june-19-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tea Anyone? - June 16th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi. This is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tea Anyone?
There is little doubt for those who know me that I am a confirmed coffee drinker, but occasionally I really do enjoy a good cup of hot tea. My personal favorite when I make that c...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi. This is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tea Anyone?
There is little doubt for those who know me that I am a confirmed coffee drinker, but occasionally I really do enjoy a good cup of hot tea. My personal favorite when I make that choice is Earl Grey with a healthy dose of sugar. When tea is what I desire, the aroma wafting from the cup as I lift it to take the first sip is almost as satisfying as the drink itself. When I want a good cup of hot tea, nothing short of that is going to satisfy.
If I were to ask my lovely wife to make me said cup of tea, I would have some expectations. My hope for a good cup would be unfulfilled if she simply poured a mug of room temperature water and put it in close proximity to a teabag and then presented me with the drink. I would likely look into the cup of clear tepid water and wonder why she had brought it to me that way. If instead, she quickly gave the teabag a single dunk into the lukewarm water and set it in front of me, it would not change the outcome…it would still not be what I desired and had asked for. However, if she were to fill the kettle, place it on the stove to boil and then let the tea steep until it released all of its delicious flavor, and finally added copious amounts of sugar…then I would be satisfied with the result. I would thank her for her efforts as I lifted the cup and smelled the sweet aroma that would soon also please my taste buds. 
God has some desires for the results of our lives as well. He wants the outcome of our existence to be a sweet smelling aroma to Him. We know this because it is what Christ, the One we follow, allowed His life to be. Ephesians 5:2 in the New Living Translation says; Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. God’s desire is that our lives, like Christ’s life will be a pleasing aroma to Him. 
The first step Lynn would take if I asked her to make me that cup of tea would be to put the teakettle on the stove. She knows I like my tea hot and so she would begin the process with boiling water. Romans 12:11 tells us what God’s desired temperature is for our lives as we serve Him; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. The connection may not be clear as we read the English words on the page of the New King James Version, but the original Greek word we translate to fervent in our vernacular actually means boiling hot. In fact, an accurate translation from the original text of the verse above would go something like this; Don’t take your time! Instead be in a hurry to let your spirit become boiling hot as you serve the Lord.
In my analogy if we are the cup of tea, the tea is the word of God. We can’t simply put His word in close proximity and expect it will have any effect on our lives. Just because we have a family bible in the house does not mean we have even the vaguest of idea what truths it holds. Nor can we simply give His word a quick dunk into our lives and think it is going to permeate. If our only exposure to the bible is to carry it into and out of the church sanctuary on weekends, we are foolish to think the power contained within is going to be evident in our lives. Our senior pastor spoke just this week from Mark chapter 12. There the Sadducees were trying to trap Jesus with a flawed question from the scriptures. Jesus responded, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the scriptures and you don...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi. This is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tea Anyone?
There is little doubt for those who know me that I am a confirmed coffee drinker, but occasionally I really do enjoy a good cup of hot tea. My personal favorite when I make that choice is Earl Grey with a healthy dose of sugar. When tea is what I desire, the aroma wafting from the cup as I lift it to take the first sip is almost as satisfying as the drink itself. When I want a good cup of hot tea, nothing short of that is going to satisfy.
If I were to ask my lovely wife to make me said cup of tea, I would have some expectations. My hope for a good cup would be unfulfilled if she simply poured a mug of room temperature water and put it in close proximity to a teabag and then presented me with the drink. I would likely look into the cup of clear tepid water and wonder why she had brought it to me that way. If instead, she quickly gave the teabag a single dunk into the lukewarm water and set it in front of me, it would not change the outcome…it would still not be what I desired and had asked for. However, if she were to fill the kettle, place it on the stove to boil and then let the tea steep until it released all of its delicious flavor, and finally added copious amounts of sugar…then I would be satisfied with the result. I would thank her for her efforts as I lifted the cup and smelled the sweet aroma that would soon also please my taste buds. 
God has some desires for the results of our lives as well. He wants the outcome of our existence to be a sweet smelling aroma to Him. We know this because it is what Christ, the One we follow, allowed His life to be. Ephesians 5:2 in the New Living Translation says; Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. God’s desire is that our lives, like Christ’s life will be a pleasing aroma to Him. 
The first step Lynn would take if I asked her to make me that cup of tea would be to put the teakettle on the stove. She knows I like my tea hot and so she would begin the process with boiling water. Romans 12:11 tells us what God’s desired temperature is for our lives as we serve Him; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. The connection may not be clear as we read the English words on the page of the New King James Version, but the original Greek word we translate to fervent in our vernacular actually means boiling hot. In fact, an accurate translation from the original text of the verse above would go something like this; Don’t take your time! Instead be in a hurry to let your spirit become boiling hot as you serve the Lord.
In my analogy if we are the cup of tea, the tea is the word of God. We can’t simply put His word in close proximity and expect it will have any effect on our lives. Just because we have a family bible in the house does not mean we have even the vaguest of idea what truths it holds. Nor can we simply give His word a quick dunk into our lives and think it is going to permeate. If our only exposure to the bible is to carry it into and out of the church sanctuary on weekends, we are foolish to think the power contained within is going to be evident in our lives. Our senior pastor spoke just this week from Mark chapter 12. There the Sadducees were trying to trap Jesus with a flawed question from the scriptures. Jesus responded, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the scriptures and you don’t know the power of God.” (Mark 12:24) If we don’t know the scriptures, if we don’t allow ourselves to be steeped in His word, we cannot have the power of God take over our lives. What is that power we need to experience to be pleasing to God and meet the expectations He has of us? The answer is found where we began today in Ephesians 5:2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ… His love flowing through us toward others is the defining proof His power has permeated our lives. As I mentioned I prefer Earl Grey tea, if that is what I want, any other kind is going to be an unacceptable counterfeit and will not fully satisfy. God wants His love flowing through us…not some cheap substitution we tried to manufacture. His love is for everyone, 1 John 4:7 says Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. In contrast, our substitute for His love will only be displayed toward select people. Jesus made this distinction during His sermon on the mount. It is recorded for us in Matthew 5:46-47 that He said, If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. If we are going to be a pleasing aroma to our God…we must allow His love to flow freely through us, giving evidence we are completely empowered by Him.
If we look back at the complete passage in Romans that told us to be boiling hot, we will see that this love that results from steeping ourselves in His word is mentioned there as well. In fact it is there that we gain a complete understanding of just how sweet God likes His tea. Romans 12:9-21 in the New Living Translation reads; Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
So now, be boiling hot for the Lord. Steep yourself in His word every day so that you can know His power. Let His love flow freely through you, to everyone you come in contact with. Allow your life to be His cup of tea…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8ea9cec224441f0fe463d618f05422a2.mp3" length="4867168" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8ea9cec224441f0fe463d618f05422a2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/tea-anyone-june-16th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenting 101 - Session One]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message… Parenting 101
Last week I completed a series I called Marital Communication 101. One of the topics I find husbands and wives have a great deal of trouble communicating successfully about…is t...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message… Parenting 101
Last week I completed a series I called Marital Communication 101. One of the topics I find husbands and wives have a great deal of trouble communicating successfully about…is the kids. Over the course of the next several weeks, we will look at the subject of parenting and hopefully offer some help on how to operate successfully within that all-important realm. In traditional families parents may believe they simply have difficulty communicating and reaching agreement concerning important subjects such as discipline, privileges vs. responsibilities and the like. In stepfamilies, which make up 40% of family units in the U.S. today, communication between spouses surrounding the children can often be even more complicated. The natural bloodlines, and the lack of them create some interesting nuances to step-parents and natural parents arriving at mutual understanding. In light of the fact that we can begin either of these forms of family with little or no relevant education to guide us, I thought I might offer my two-cents on the subject. Welcome to Parenting 101.
In fact, there are two lifelong commitments that people are free to enter with little or no preparation…marriage and parenting. We do not have to attend or achieve a passing grade in any special classes to become either a spouse or a parent. We used to learn how to fill these roles at home from our own parents. With the current statistics on marriage and family however, it is no surprise that example is not producing the results it once did. While the divorce rate is lower by about 10% over the past 40 years, according to the Census Bureau, today only half of Americans live with a spouse. The decline in the divorce rate isn’t as positive as one might think. Less and less people are choosing marriage over co-habitation and as a result the lower divorce rate isn’t a positive for familial households. In 2020, nearly 19 million, amounting to 25% of all children in the U.S., were living in single-parent families. That percentage is nearly three times the level it was in 1960 when it was 9%. America's proportion of children living with a single parent is more than three times the worldwide level of 7%. These facts clearly indicate too few American children are afforded the opportunity to grow up in a two-parent household with a good marriage to watch and learn from. The longer this trend continues, the greater the problem will become. Suffice to say there is good reason to believe we need help knowing how to be good spouses and good parents…for our children’s sake. 
One thing I find most traditional or stepparents agree with each other about, is the desired outcome for their children. In my experience, they all want their children to grow up to be healthy, happy, successful, good people. Though undoubtedly they exist, few are the parents who interact with their children with a desire to cause them harm, and set them up for a failed life. For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume that none of those listening are those evil parents.  Proverbs 22:6 in the New Living Translation says; Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Though nearly all of us desire the stated outcome, many of us as husbands and wives do not know how to “Direct our children in the way they should go”, in a congruent and complimentary manner. We seem to have very different id...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message… Parenting 101
Last week I completed a series I called Marital Communication 101. One of the topics I find husbands and wives have a great deal of trouble communicating successfully about…is the kids. Over the course of the next several weeks, we will look at the subject of parenting and hopefully offer some help on how to operate successfully within that all-important realm. In traditional families parents may believe they simply have difficulty communicating and reaching agreement concerning important subjects such as discipline, privileges vs. responsibilities and the like. In stepfamilies, which make up 40% of family units in the U.S. today, communication between spouses surrounding the children can often be even more complicated. The natural bloodlines, and the lack of them create some interesting nuances to step-parents and natural parents arriving at mutual understanding. In light of the fact that we can begin either of these forms of family with little or no relevant education to guide us, I thought I might offer my two-cents on the subject. Welcome to Parenting 101.
In fact, there are two lifelong commitments that people are free to enter with little or no preparation…marriage and parenting. We do not have to attend or achieve a passing grade in any special classes to become either a spouse or a parent. We used to learn how to fill these roles at home from our own parents. With the current statistics on marriage and family however, it is no surprise that example is not producing the results it once did. While the divorce rate is lower by about 10% over the past 40 years, according to the Census Bureau, today only half of Americans live with a spouse. The decline in the divorce rate isn’t as positive as one might think. Less and less people are choosing marriage over co-habitation and as a result the lower divorce rate isn’t a positive for familial households. In 2020, nearly 19 million, amounting to 25% of all children in the U.S., were living in single-parent families. That percentage is nearly three times the level it was in 1960 when it was 9%. America's proportion of children living with a single parent is more than three times the worldwide level of 7%. These facts clearly indicate too few American children are afforded the opportunity to grow up in a two-parent household with a good marriage to watch and learn from. The longer this trend continues, the greater the problem will become. Suffice to say there is good reason to believe we need help knowing how to be good spouses and good parents…for our children’s sake. 
One thing I find most traditional or stepparents agree with each other about, is the desired outcome for their children. In my experience, they all want their children to grow up to be healthy, happy, successful, good people. Though undoubtedly they exist, few are the parents who interact with their children with a desire to cause them harm, and set them up for a failed life. For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume that none of those listening are those evil parents.  Proverbs 22:6 in the New Living Translation says; Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Though nearly all of us desire the stated outcome, many of us as husbands and wives do not know how to “Direct our children in the way they should go”, in a congruent and complimentary manner. We seem to have very different ideas how to accomplish the directive at the beginning of this scripture.  
I have spoken with you in previous episodes of this podcast as to some of the differences God created men and women to possess. I believe parenting to be one of those differences. I have spoken about the fact that men are created to think compartmentally while women have been created to think relationally. In the episodes entitled ‘Differences That Divide’ parts 1, 2 & 3, I define those terms in much greater detail. In the edition entitled ‘His Needs vs. Her Needs’ I spoke of the differing primary needs both men and women have in order for their respective relationships to be in good standing. The husband is always looking to see if he is honored and respected for what he says, does, and thinks, while his wife is more interested in knowing that she is cared for and loved for these very same things. These previously discussed differences in thinking and relationship requirements logically necessitate that the way a man and a woman parent will be different. 
As a part of the teaching I did on ‘Differences That Divide’ and ‘His Needs vs. Her Needs’ I made the important connection that God has duality of these differences. I mentioned that He gave some of His attributes to men and differing ones to women as a part of his overall plan to join us in marital oneness and complete the task of creating us in His image and likeness. So what does all this have to do with parenting? In creating us with these various differences, I believe God was creating dads and moms each to be uniquely suited to reflect the parental characteristics of God as He raises us up to be all that we can be. God is able to meet all of our needs as His children. By creating us with unique skillsets, He allowed for each of us to excel at the differing parenting roles He exhibits. In doing this, He created an equal need for both Dad and Mom in the family structure.
I believe that God’s word illustrates that there are at least six tasks of parenting that children must be supported with. God does each of these perfectly. These six parental functions are as follows:
1.	God tends to the needs we have.
2.	God mends our physical, emotional and spiritual brokenness.
3.	God protects and defends us and keeps us safe.
4.	God directs us when we do not know what to do.
5.	God corrects us when we are headed in the wrong direction.
6.	God propels us forward to be all we can be.
Beginning next week, we will look at each of these parental functions God displays toward us. We will discover where in His word each of them are illustrated for us, and how He accomplishes them all. We will also see how some of these tasks are uniquely suited to mothers while others are uniquely suited to fathers.
Psalm 127:3 says Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. We know our children are important to us, and we all want to be the kind of parents that illustrate the value we place on them. They are also incredibly valuable to the Lord, the One who gifted them to us. Getting parenting as right as we can is imperative. We may be able to start a family with little to no preparation, but we cannot raise our children without His instruction or we are sure to mis-step.
The bible tells us that If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 (NKJV)
Questions to answer:
•	Do you think that you and your spouse find it easy or difficult to agree when it comes to parenting?
•	What things are easiest, which are more difficult to come to a mutual understanding about when raising your children?
•	Do you feel as though you are each free to interact in parenting roles or does one of you leave the majority of parenting tasks to the other?
•	If there is a marked inequality of parental interaction in your family, why is that?
Actions to take:
•	If you have not heard my podcasts, differences that divide parts 1, 2 and 3 and or His Needs vs. Her Needs or if it has been a while since you have, perhaps review those before next week when we continue with Parenting 101.
•	Pray together for God’s direction in your parenting and be open to the new things He desires to reveal to you.
So now, parenting with everything you have, and looking to God’s Word for what you lack…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/403b977af24376a32daa310968d47708.mp3" length="13544449" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/403b977af24376a32daa310968d47708.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/parenting-101-session-one</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2022 03:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do you understand who God is? (Mark 12:13-27) June 12, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Do you understand who God is? (Mark 12:13-27) June 12, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 13-27.  For more information on how to get connected wit...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Do you understand who God is? (Mark 12:13-27) June 12, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 13-27.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Do you understand who God is? (Mark 12:13-27) June 12, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 13-27.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/410ff30e4197a07bca6dfca7f344e52f.mp3" length="36995009" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/410ff30e4197a07bca6dfca7f344e52f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-you-understand-who-god-is-mark-1213-27-june-12-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Go Be Awesome! - June 9th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Go Be Awesome!
Each week I end both my ‘Monday Marriage Message’ and ‘Thoughts on a Thursday’ podcasts with the encouragement for you to “Go Be Awesome”. Someone asked me recently why I chose...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Go Be Awesome!
Each week I end both my ‘Monday Marriage Message’ and ‘Thoughts on a Thursday’ podcasts with the encouragement for you to “Go Be Awesome”. Someone asked me recently why I chose that phrase to end each episode. In response to that inquiry, I offer the following explanation. 
Most of you know that I am the counseling pastor at our church. Serving in that role, I counsel all sorts of people for all kinds of reasons. While most of my counseling falls into the overall category of marriage, I do spend some time ministering in other areas as well. A few years ago I was walking alongside a couple as they navigated their way through a particularly difficult marital issue. The nature of the trauma in their lives had necessitated that the duration of their counseling had come to span several months. As they were leaving my office after a remarkably difficult session, I was at a loss of what encouragement I might leave them with that might bolster them until we met again the following week. As they silently passed me as I held the door, I spontaneously uttered…”Go Be Awesome!” Almost as soon as the words cleared my lips, I thought, “Why on earth did I say that?” As I considered it, I began to realize that with those three simple words I was encouraging them to be everything God wanted them to be. Shortly thereafter, I was starting to encourage many others as they left my office to “Go Be Awesome!” as well. These days, there are not many who exit my office without hearing that same encouragement. It simply seemed appropriate then that when I began producing a podcast, (Thoughts on a Thursday was the first of those) that I would end each edition with the same phrase. About  year ago when I added the ‘Monday Marriage Message’ I asked my wife Lynn if I should end it the same or come up with a different finale, she replied that I was beginning to be associated with the phrase and she thought it best if I just continued to use it. Even my grandchildren parrot that same phrase when they see me, doing their best to mimic my inflexion and cadence as they have heard me sign off after each episode.
So why those three words? Why “Go Be Awesome!”? First and foremost, because God says you are awesome and I lack the necessary standing to argue with His assessment. Of course, none of us are perfect, we all have our flaws. We all experience difficulty choosing the correct responses to others at times. All of us fail from time to time. When these negative occurrences take place our spiritual enemy sets into motion his plans to kill, steal and destroy our peace, joy, and contentment. One of his first attacks designed to discourage is to identify us with our failure. It may sound like this…“I guess I am the problem” or “This wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t so unlovable” or “If I was more valuable, people wouldn’t treat me like this”. These are all thoughts placed in our consciousness by the one who is doing his level best to destroy us.  The initial step in his shameful plan is to get us to identify with our difficulties. As with all of the untruths spoken by the father of all lies, they seem plausible in light of our current circumstances. He wouldn’t even be able to convince us to consider them if they didn’t seem to have any merit. Thankfully however, God’s word provides the solution. 
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 in the New Century Version says, We fight with weapons that are different fr...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Go Be Awesome!
Each week I end both my ‘Monday Marriage Message’ and ‘Thoughts on a Thursday’ podcasts with the encouragement for you to “Go Be Awesome”. Someone asked me recently why I chose that phrase to end each episode. In response to that inquiry, I offer the following explanation. 
Most of you know that I am the counseling pastor at our church. Serving in that role, I counsel all sorts of people for all kinds of reasons. While most of my counseling falls into the overall category of marriage, I do spend some time ministering in other areas as well. A few years ago I was walking alongside a couple as they navigated their way through a particularly difficult marital issue. The nature of the trauma in their lives had necessitated that the duration of their counseling had come to span several months. As they were leaving my office after a remarkably difficult session, I was at a loss of what encouragement I might leave them with that might bolster them until we met again the following week. As they silently passed me as I held the door, I spontaneously uttered…”Go Be Awesome!” Almost as soon as the words cleared my lips, I thought, “Why on earth did I say that?” As I considered it, I began to realize that with those three simple words I was encouraging them to be everything God wanted them to be. Shortly thereafter, I was starting to encourage many others as they left my office to “Go Be Awesome!” as well. These days, there are not many who exit my office without hearing that same encouragement. It simply seemed appropriate then that when I began producing a podcast, (Thoughts on a Thursday was the first of those) that I would end each edition with the same phrase. About  year ago when I added the ‘Monday Marriage Message’ I asked my wife Lynn if I should end it the same or come up with a different finale, she replied that I was beginning to be associated with the phrase and she thought it best if I just continued to use it. Even my grandchildren parrot that same phrase when they see me, doing their best to mimic my inflexion and cadence as they have heard me sign off after each episode.
So why those three words? Why “Go Be Awesome!”? First and foremost, because God says you are awesome and I lack the necessary standing to argue with His assessment. Of course, none of us are perfect, we all have our flaws. We all experience difficulty choosing the correct responses to others at times. All of us fail from time to time. When these negative occurrences take place our spiritual enemy sets into motion his plans to kill, steal and destroy our peace, joy, and contentment. One of his first attacks designed to discourage is to identify us with our failure. It may sound like this…“I guess I am the problem” or “This wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t so unlovable” or “If I was more valuable, people wouldn’t treat me like this”. These are all thoughts placed in our consciousness by the one who is doing his level best to destroy us.  The initial step in his shameful plan is to get us to identify with our difficulties. As with all of the untruths spoken by the father of all lies, they seem plausible in light of our current circumstances. He wouldn’t even be able to convince us to consider them if they didn’t seem to have any merit. Thankfully however, God’s word provides the solution. 
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 in the New Century Version says, We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. This means that when there are battles taking place in our minds (the plausible lies of Satan), our only defense is to take those lies captive by refuting them with the truth. So what is the truth when it comes to the assessment of our value?
The very first chapter of the first book of the Bible says that you and I were created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26-27) God intends for us to identify with Him, not with our failures. Of course, we fail; we absolutely do things contrary to God’s image and likeness, but these things ought not redefine us. In fact God made a way through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus to reestablish the direct connection between ourselves and the God we are intended to reflect. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why else would God pay such a high price to redeem us to himself if He didn’t think we were awesome!
Rather than try to convince you that I think God says you are awesome, I prefer He tell you Himself. In light of that, I offer the following from His own love letter to you.
God thinks we are so awesome that He cares deeply for each of us!
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Psalm 139:16-17 - You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
Matthew 10:29-31 - What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Romans 8:28-29 - And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
God thinks we are so awesome He has a plan for us!
1 Peter 2:9 - …for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Ephesians 1:4-5 - Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 - This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
2 Peter 1:3-4 - By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
He thinks we are so awesome He has promised to always be right by our side!
Psalm 94:14 - The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. 
Joshua 1:9 - This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 - Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Romans 8:38-39 - And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He thinks we are so awesome that He is looking forward to spending eternity with us!
John 3:16 - For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 6:22 – But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
John 4:14 – But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.
John 14:2-3 – There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
Revelation 21:3-4 – I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
So now, recognizing that your God is an awesome God, and He created you in His image and likeness, be encouraged by the truth of what His own word says He thinks of you and…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dbd2294b614f7602f2e6db7d409f3caa.mp3" length="6594786" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dbd2294b614f7602f2e6db7d409f3caa.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/go-be-awesome-june-9th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Communication 101 - P.S.]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. 
Although I mentioned in last week’s podcast that it would be the last in the series on Marital Communication 101, I think it important to take the opportunity to...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. 
Although I mentioned in last week’s podcast that it would be the last in the series on Marital Communication 101, I think it important to take the opportunity to look at the other side of the subject…literally. Although nearly everyone knows that communication is far more than the use of words, most consider speaking to be the primary role of communication. Quite naturally, when we think of being a good communicator, we think of someone who speaks clearly, concisely, and is effective at having his or her thoughts and ideas understood. Most often, the other side of communication is seen as the less important, secondary, and in fact passive role of communication. In marital communication especially, the flip side…listening is crucial to arriving at mutual understanding. One might think this true simply because if someone does not listen well they cannot understand what is being said. While this is true, in Marital Communication how we listen “says” more sometimes than even the speaker is trying to convey. As I have mentioned in previous editions on this topic, there are undercurrents to communication that must be navigated correctly if mutual understanding is to take place. When that communication is taking place between a husband and a wife, those undercurrents can become riptides that push us way off course if we are not careful.
James 1:19 admonishes all of us to be “quick to listen and slow to speak”. We often look at the art of communication to be all of the overt activities designed to convey a message. When taught to communicate effectively almost all of the guidance is to that end. In the podcasts of the past six weeks, I myself encouraged each of you to speak clearly, speak lovingly and respectfully. I mentioned the importance of body language, tone and choice of words attempting to be as certain as humanly possible you are being correctly understood. While there is little doubt we all need to exercise incredible care while speaking, we also all need to practice the other equally important habit of active listening.
Listening is not a passive activity. There is as much that goes into being a good listener as being a good speaker. There is an age-old question in philosophy, “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it…does it make a sound?” I would submit the following corresponding question about Marital Communication. If one spouse speaks and the other does not listen, has communication taken place? If the speaker is clear, loving and respectful, and uses careful body language, but still no one correctly considered what was said, has communication taken place? I would argue that it has not. Marital Communication requires a messenger and a hearer who understands both the messenger and the message. 
James wrote we should all be quick to listen but slow to speak. What does this mean? How can we be quick to listen? The original Greek text implies that we should listen swiftly or without delay. The idea here is that listening has such high value that it should never be postponed. Interestingly, in contrast, the inference of being slow to speak is that we must put off speaking until all possible consideration has been carefully made. Essentially this scripture is telling us that listening is the far more important role in communicating. I believe that one of the things that gets in our way and causes us to want to be quick...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to the Monday Marriage Message. 
Although I mentioned in last week’s podcast that it would be the last in the series on Marital Communication 101, I think it important to take the opportunity to look at the other side of the subject…literally. Although nearly everyone knows that communication is far more than the use of words, most consider speaking to be the primary role of communication. Quite naturally, when we think of being a good communicator, we think of someone who speaks clearly, concisely, and is effective at having his or her thoughts and ideas understood. Most often, the other side of communication is seen as the less important, secondary, and in fact passive role of communication. In marital communication especially, the flip side…listening is crucial to arriving at mutual understanding. One might think this true simply because if someone does not listen well they cannot understand what is being said. While this is true, in Marital Communication how we listen “says” more sometimes than even the speaker is trying to convey. As I have mentioned in previous editions on this topic, there are undercurrents to communication that must be navigated correctly if mutual understanding is to take place. When that communication is taking place between a husband and a wife, those undercurrents can become riptides that push us way off course if we are not careful.
James 1:19 admonishes all of us to be “quick to listen and slow to speak”. We often look at the art of communication to be all of the overt activities designed to convey a message. When taught to communicate effectively almost all of the guidance is to that end. In the podcasts of the past six weeks, I myself encouraged each of you to speak clearly, speak lovingly and respectfully. I mentioned the importance of body language, tone and choice of words attempting to be as certain as humanly possible you are being correctly understood. While there is little doubt we all need to exercise incredible care while speaking, we also all need to practice the other equally important habit of active listening.
Listening is not a passive activity. There is as much that goes into being a good listener as being a good speaker. There is an age-old question in philosophy, “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it…does it make a sound?” I would submit the following corresponding question about Marital Communication. If one spouse speaks and the other does not listen, has communication taken place? If the speaker is clear, loving and respectful, and uses careful body language, but still no one correctly considered what was said, has communication taken place? I would argue that it has not. Marital Communication requires a messenger and a hearer who understands both the messenger and the message. 
James wrote we should all be quick to listen but slow to speak. What does this mean? How can we be quick to listen? The original Greek text implies that we should listen swiftly or without delay. The idea here is that listening has such high value that it should never be postponed. Interestingly, in contrast, the inference of being slow to speak is that we must put off speaking until all possible consideration has been carefully made. Essentially this scripture is telling us that listening is the far more important role in communicating. I believe that one of the things that gets in our way and causes us to want to be quick to speak and slow to listen is the aforementioned misunderstanding that speaking is the more important part of communication. We errantly think that speaking, especially if we believe it to be done well, highlights our wisdom or mastery of a particular subject. Scripture however, takes issue with this mindset. Proverbs 17:28 tells us; Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. A slightly more humorous version of this adage is; Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt, and has been attributed to both Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln. Regardless of who said it, the biblical basis for it is clear…speaking certainly offers far more opportunity to look unwise than does listening.
How can we become quickened listeners? The first and maybe most important step I mentioned a moment ago…listening is not a passive activity. There is much to do when being a good listener. How we listen ‘speaks’ volumes about how much or how little we value the one we are listening to. As I was considering this truth, I asked my wife Lynn some questions. I first wanted to know how it made her feel when she notices that I am listening intently to her. She responded that when I ask her a question as I was doing right then, and she can see that I am paying close attention to her responses, it tells her several things. First, that I value her opinion. Second, though not less important, she said it shows that I care about her thoughts, especially when she can see that I am considering her words carefully and not developing my response to them that might prove to be an attempt to show hers less valuable than my own. She also said that there is a slightly different message received if I actively listen to her when she approaches me unsolicited. She said in that case, there are two important pieces of information I am giving her based on how I am listening. First as mentioned, she is able to see based on my listening skills if I value her thoughts. Additionally, and equally important to her if not more so, she is able to tell if I am willing to meet her need for my attention in that moment. This is altogether true when you consider that communication is not only used to give and receive report, but also to build rapport. She added to her thoughts on the subject a further idea that I concur with completely. When we sense we are not being actively listened to, it causes some visceral responses on our part that represent our differing primary need for relationship to be in good standing. If she senses that I am not actively listening to her, she feels unloved and uncared for, and she also noted that she has learned that when I feel she is not actively listening to me, I feel she is being disrespectful.
So what makes a good active listener? Of course, the primary skill is attentiveness. Learning to listen carefully to everything spoken is vital. It is easy to see the difference between someone hanging on your every word and someone who is barely hanging on. Be careful, trying to look interested and being interested are two distinctly different things and they present accordingly. Genuineness is unmistakable, so an active listener learns the art of actually being interested in what is important to the one to whom they are listening. In marital communication, even if the subject matter does not especially fascinate to you, the speaker should. Additional to this process, it is vital to learn not to begin developing a response while listening. When we do, we exchange active listing for passive listening which is one of the riptides I mentioned above that will get you off course in a hurry. Additionally, as James 1:19 insinuates, being slow to speak, requires not speaking until ALL of the pertinent information has been heard, AND considered CAREFULLY. 
Second, active listeners ask as many open-ended questions as necessary for clarification. If our responses are based on our own understanding considering all of the biases imposed by core limiting beliefs, our families of origin, and any other number of factors, we will likely respond errantly and be adversely drawn off course by the riptide of misinterpretation. Many open-ended questions for clarity dramatically reduce the threat. Additionally, to mitigate misinterpretation, it is always wise to ask if a restatement of what you have heard is accurate according to the speaker. I often do it this way, “Would it be fair for me to say that you are saying…” and then say in my own words what I believe to be the intended communication. This practice helps me be a better active listener and often helps me understand much better the message I’m hearing. 
Finally, I am a much better active listener when I choose the one I am listening to. What I mean by this is that if I choose for the duration of the conversation with someone that they are most important person to me, I will make better active listening choices. There is power in decision. If I decide, I am going to choose to give someone my undivided attention I will not make active listener mistakes like checking my watch. If I were to do this, I would risk telling them my time is more important to me than they are. If I were to be caught looking at my phone while ‘listening’, it may convey I wish someone more important to me would take his or her spot with a call or text message. If I am looking at the television, newspaper, or any other distraction when I should be actively listening to someone, they might believe anything else see will usurp their importance in my eyes. Being a good active listener always means choosing to make everything else secondary to the one you are choosing to converse with.
Questions to Answer:
•	Do you think listening to be more or less important a role in the art of marital communication?
•	How does it make you feel when your spouse does a great job at listening to you?
•	How does it make you feel when you are not being listened to well? 
Actions to Take:
•	Talk about the undercurrents and riptides that cause your marital communication to be drawn off course.
•	Tell your spouse what things they do that help you know they are actively listening to you. Include such things like their body language, countenance, and verbal responses.
•	Ask God to help you become a better active listener to your spouse, others and especially to Him.
So now, understanding that listening is likely the more important of skills when communicating with your spouse, and “says” far more than we are sometimes aware, learn to be slow to speak…but quickened to be an amazing listener…especially for your spouse…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/27fbfcae43868aa42503da4521fb4ed9.mp3" length="16484177" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/27fbfcae43868aa42503da4521fb4ed9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-communication-101-ps</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[When the World Seems Upside Down - June 5, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 1-12.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 1-12.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 12 : 1-12.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e2dd8c47494b201f7451f0f464b34d56.mp3" length="35361559" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e2dd8c47494b201f7451f0f464b34d56.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/when-the-world-seems-upside-down-june-5-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lessons Learned While Being Unplugged - June 6th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…lessons learned while being unplugged.
This past weekend my lovely wife and I headed for the hills. We spent four glorious days nestled in a deep green valley high up in the Blue Ridge mounta...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…lessons learned while being unplugged.
This past weekend my lovely wife and I headed for the hills. We spent four glorious days nestled in a deep green valley high up in the Blue Ridge mountains. For some reason, though we had the ability to make calls and send and receive text messages, our phones were not able to easily connect to the internet. Because of that, and the fact that we have never had T.V. in our little home in the hills, we found ourselves literally unplugged from the world at large. For four days we had nothing to watch, were aware of no news, and yet…somehow…we survived. Actually we thrived! We spent much time talking with one another about the current events of our lives, and the lives of our family, and all without a bit of help from social media. We shared with each other plans and dreams of things yet to come, both in the short term and the more distant future. We enjoyed each other’s company and didn’t feel like we were missing a thing. In fact, we didn’t miss a thing. As we took rides in the mountains purely for the entertainment value, we noticed nearly everything and found most of it fodder for conversation. I’ll tell you this, you sure feel connected to the one you are with when you are unplugged from the world around you.
Another of the activities we enjoyed as a result of being unplugged was our regular time spent with the Lord in His word. At home, though we sit in the same room at the same time spending time with God, we are each often reading in different places in His word. This practice does allow for some awesome sharing when there is time before we head off to our respective jobs, but unfortunately not all the time. By the way, though not the highlight of my thoughts on this particular Thursday, we find spending that quality time with God in each other’s presence a huge marriage builder, and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see their marriage flourish like never before. I am not aware of a better return on investment when it comes to developing and maintaining spiritual intimacy for a couple. 
Anyway, as I was saying a moment ago, being unplugged from the world gave us a special way to be plugged in to the WORD. Normally when we are at our cottage I use my phone to read the bible during our devotional time. This time however, there was no connection, so instead of taking turns reading the one copy of the bible we have there (perhaps we should have another on hand) Lynn offered to read aloud to me, so we could both share it at the same time. What a delightful variation to listen to His word spoken in a familiar, yet different vocalization than the one in my head that I generally “hear” as I read to myself. I was blessed to take in the words of my God who loves me so, in my loving wife’s voice. As she was reading aloud Monday morning prior to packing up to come back home, I thought to myself what a special gift I had been un-expectantly given because I found myself even more unplugged from the world than I had anticipated being.
We live lives of incredible busyness, some of it is beyond choice, but much of it with mindless deliberation. That might seem an oxymoron, but we do busy ourselves deliberately, and yet without thoughtful intention. Yes, most of us have jobs, and if we want to fund our existence, we settle on the fact that our work, no matter how much we may enjoy it…or not...is a requirement on our time. But what abo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…lessons learned while being unplugged.
This past weekend my lovely wife and I headed for the hills. We spent four glorious days nestled in a deep green valley high up in the Blue Ridge mountains. For some reason, though we had the ability to make calls and send and receive text messages, our phones were not able to easily connect to the internet. Because of that, and the fact that we have never had T.V. in our little home in the hills, we found ourselves literally unplugged from the world at large. For four days we had nothing to watch, were aware of no news, and yet…somehow…we survived. Actually we thrived! We spent much time talking with one another about the current events of our lives, and the lives of our family, and all without a bit of help from social media. We shared with each other plans and dreams of things yet to come, both in the short term and the more distant future. We enjoyed each other’s company and didn’t feel like we were missing a thing. In fact, we didn’t miss a thing. As we took rides in the mountains purely for the entertainment value, we noticed nearly everything and found most of it fodder for conversation. I’ll tell you this, you sure feel connected to the one you are with when you are unplugged from the world around you.
Another of the activities we enjoyed as a result of being unplugged was our regular time spent with the Lord in His word. At home, though we sit in the same room at the same time spending time with God, we are each often reading in different places in His word. This practice does allow for some awesome sharing when there is time before we head off to our respective jobs, but unfortunately not all the time. By the way, though not the highlight of my thoughts on this particular Thursday, we find spending that quality time with God in each other’s presence a huge marriage builder, and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see their marriage flourish like never before. I am not aware of a better return on investment when it comes to developing and maintaining spiritual intimacy for a couple. 
Anyway, as I was saying a moment ago, being unplugged from the world gave us a special way to be plugged in to the WORD. Normally when we are at our cottage I use my phone to read the bible during our devotional time. This time however, there was no connection, so instead of taking turns reading the one copy of the bible we have there (perhaps we should have another on hand) Lynn offered to read aloud to me, so we could both share it at the same time. What a delightful variation to listen to His word spoken in a familiar, yet different vocalization than the one in my head that I generally “hear” as I read to myself. I was blessed to take in the words of my God who loves me so, in my loving wife’s voice. As she was reading aloud Monday morning prior to packing up to come back home, I thought to myself what a special gift I had been un-expectantly given because I found myself even more unplugged from the world than I had anticipated being.
We live lives of incredible busyness, some of it is beyond choice, but much of it with mindless deliberation. That might seem an oxymoron, but we do busy ourselves deliberately, and yet without thoughtful intention. Yes, most of us have jobs, and if we want to fund our existence, we settle on the fact that our work, no matter how much we may enjoy it…or not...is a requirement on our time. But what about the other busyness we find ourselves tethered by? How much time do we spend doing things we don’t really have to? How much of that discretionary time is freely given to the world around us? 
It’s not that we don’t have our excuses at the ready. If we are asked about how much entertainment we take from our televisions, we are quick to mention that our jobs are so stressful that we need to plug into the world of entertainment to relax. After all, we can’t be Christ-like if we are over-stressed. If we are questioned about how many hours are spent with our favorite cable news network tuned in, feeding our minds with their interpretations of the latest happenings, we retort that we certainly shouldn’t live our lives with our heads stuck in the sand. Certainly, wise people should be in the loop. Right? If queried about the time spent on social media, we ironically point out that it’s how we keep up with friends and family we wouldn’t have time for otherwise. 
As a counselor I get to sit with all kinds of people from all walks of life. One common thread throughout is the struggle keeping our hearts and minds where they need to be. Is it any wonder? God created us for relationship with Him and with others, and we have a horrible imbalance in our lives in regard to His plan. We are so plugged in that we have become disconnected…from everything truly important, God and one another. I never claimed to be a genius, but when things are out of balance I think it might be time to add weight to the other side of the scale. If we want to have more balance in our lives spiritually and emotionally, then we must find some equilibrium. So the question should be raised. In a week’s time how much time do you spend being electronically entertained? How much time do you spend watching the news? How much time are you on social media? The answers won’t be published anywhere except in your mind, so be honest…I hear it’s not much use lying to yourself anyway. Now, in comparison, how much time do you spend with God, in worship, in prayer, in meditation, in His word? Again no sense trying to fudge the numbers when you’re the one you are answering to. If you responded to some of those questions the same ways I have, then most of us need to take some time off of one side of the scale and place it on the other. Unless of course, you want your life to be unbalanced and live with the consequences of that skewed condition. Here is the problem. We may have ended up here by mindless deliberation, but it requires focused intentionality to get back to where we should be. In plain words this isn’t going to get fixed with laziness.
Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! If your peace seems out of balance the Bible prescribes fixing our thoughts upon God. Have you ever noticed that whatever you focus on soon seems to fill your view? This scripture is making just that point. If we want peace we have to learn to trust. If we want to trust more we have to focus on God instead of the problems around us. Ask the Apostle Peter about this principle and he will likely tell you about a time he took a walk on top of the water to go see Jesus.
Psalm 1 reads, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.  Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. If the desired outcome is the joy of the Lord and peace that passes all understanding, we can’t spend so much of our time plugged into an ungodly world. I understand a person wanting to be aware of the world around them, but if you allow awareness to become saturation, don’t be surprised when under a little pressure you release the negativity you have been immersed in. Again, this scripture indicates that the godly delight in the law of the Lord, he meditates on it day and night. This is the only way to return the balance we all so desperately need in our lives these days. 
Joshua 1:8 reminds us yet again, Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Once again, the question must be, what are we spending our time in, the word or the world? We can either meditate on the world at the alters of entertainment, the latest news cycles, and social media…or we can meditate on the WORD of the Living God. Concentrate your activities around the world and you will find the strife and frustration of all of that overtaking you. Meditate on God’s word of instruction and it promises success…regardless of the circumstances. The next logical question is, are you willing to unplug from the world and plug into the word to tip the scales in your favor?
In closing, hear the words of the Apostle Paul, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9 NIV)
So now, being intentional, stifle the input of the world around you, correct the scales by delighting in and meditating on The Word both day and night…and go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2cd4032a66873ef679923bc40bcc8d04.mp3" length="6244708" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2cd4032a66873ef679923bc40bcc8d04.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/lessons-learned-while-being-unplugged-june-6th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Communication 101- Session Six - May 30th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is going to be the last edition in the series…Marital Communication 101.
In the past five weeks I have spoken about many of the variables that complicate marit...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is going to be the last edition in the series…Marital Communication 101.
In the past five weeks I have spoken about many of the variables that complicate marital communication. As I have mentioned, some of those difficulties come from God given differences we are created with as men and women. God did not design us with those differences to frustrate us but rather to bless us by giving us access to more than we possess alone. It is us who choose to become frustrated because of the differences. Some of the challenges come simply because though we have arrived at a condition of oneness we came from differing places and those experiences and families of origin cause us to have difficulty seeing the same things the same ways. A very real part of the difficulty derives from the fact that we are profoundly fallen people living in a profoundly fallen world. Thankfully Christ provides the answer for that dilemma. Though knowing Him does not make us perfect it does begin the process of perfecting us.
In Christ we are a new creation. The Bible encourages us that the old has passed away and the new has arrived! This is good news, but you may be wondering what it has to do with marital communication. The answer to that is found in Ephesians chapter 5:22-33. This scripture is often referenced as giving instruction as to how to conduct ourselves as husbands and wives. It is true that these dozen verses are rich with such instruction as to marital conduct, but what about marital communication 101? It is a treasure trove! 
Ephesians 5:22-33 in the New King James Version. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
This scripture is among the clearest utilizing the analogy of the oneness of marriage and the oneness type relationship God desires to have with us. These verses go back and forth making note of how both the wife and the husband are supposed to be displaying attributes of Christ and the church. The connection is easy to see, even if less so sometimes to fully understand.
This scripture clearly makes the point that the marital relationship between man and woman and the spiritual relationship enjoyed by God and mankind are indicative of one another, and should display in the same ways. Again you mi...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. This is going to be the last edition in the series…Marital Communication 101.
In the past five weeks I have spoken about many of the variables that complicate marital communication. As I have mentioned, some of those difficulties come from God given differences we are created with as men and women. God did not design us with those differences to frustrate us but rather to bless us by giving us access to more than we possess alone. It is us who choose to become frustrated because of the differences. Some of the challenges come simply because though we have arrived at a condition of oneness we came from differing places and those experiences and families of origin cause us to have difficulty seeing the same things the same ways. A very real part of the difficulty derives from the fact that we are profoundly fallen people living in a profoundly fallen world. Thankfully Christ provides the answer for that dilemma. Though knowing Him does not make us perfect it does begin the process of perfecting us.
In Christ we are a new creation. The Bible encourages us that the old has passed away and the new has arrived! This is good news, but you may be wondering what it has to do with marital communication. The answer to that is found in Ephesians chapter 5:22-33. This scripture is often referenced as giving instruction as to how to conduct ourselves as husbands and wives. It is true that these dozen verses are rich with such instruction as to marital conduct, but what about marital communication 101? It is a treasure trove! 
Ephesians 5:22-33 in the New King James Version. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
This scripture is among the clearest utilizing the analogy of the oneness of marriage and the oneness type relationship God desires to have with us. These verses go back and forth making note of how both the wife and the husband are supposed to be displaying attributes of Christ and the church. The connection is easy to see, even if less so sometimes to fully understand.
This scripture clearly makes the point that the marital relationship between man and woman and the spiritual relationship enjoyed by God and mankind are indicative of one another, and should display in the same ways. Again you might ask, but what is the connection to marital communication? Verse 30 is clear. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. As the husband in my marriage, I am one with Christ, I am of His flesh and of His bones. But it does not say the husband only. It clearly says: For WE are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. This means that my wife also is one with Christ, she also is of His flesh and His bones. This verse is in reference to what Adam proclaimed upon being presented with Eve recorded for us in Genesis 2:23. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Paul continued in Ephesians 5:31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This verse is a reprint of Genesis 2:24 referring to Adam and Eve’s created condition of oneness and the oneness condition God would then recreate in every marriage from theirs on. In the next verse written by Paul, Ephesians 5:32 He goes on to note This (supernaturally given oneness between a husband and wife) is a great mystery, but (he said) I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Here is the connection between this scripture and Marital Communication 101. As married Christ followers, the husband and the wife who are one with each other are also each one with Christ. This means that how I interact with my wife, I am interacting with Christ, because she is one with Him. How she interacts with me, she is interacting with Christ because I am one with Him. We innately understand this principle when it comes to our marriages. If someone were to pick a fight with my wife they had better understand they are picking a fight with me! If someone insults, demeans, or otherwise hurts my wife, I take it just the same as if they had done it to me personally. Christ reacts no differently in His oneness with us. 
With that being said, (and these are not my thoughts, they are clearly recorded for us right here in this scripture) How I speak to my wife, that is how I have spoken to Christ. How she communicates with me, that is how she is choosing to communicate with Christ. Jesus reinforced this idea in His own words. Mathew 25:31-46 31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Jesus was clear, He looks at how we interact with those who are one with Him and considers it the same as if we had interacted with Him in that very way. Marital Communication 101 dictates that we take the time to communicate with our spouse exactly as we would want to be found communicating with Christ. If Jesus himself were sitting in front of me I can assure you I would be very careful with my body language, my tone, my words. I would choose all of them with great care to be certain that He knew of my goodwill toward Him. I would go to any length necessary to make sure no misunderstanding remained and my level of patience with that process would be whatever it needed to be. I am certain the same would be true of you. According to Ephesians 5:30 when you are communicating with your wife or husband, you are communicating with Jesus. Let’s all try our very best to do it well.
Questions to Answer:
•	Had you ever considered that Christ takes your communication with your spouse personally?
•	What considerations does it make you want to take going forward now that you know that He does?
•	What are your thoughts about the fact that He is just as protective of you?
Actions to Take:
•	Have a discussion with your spouse about how you desire to be more cognizant of this connection between how you communicate with them being indicative of how you communicate with Jesus. 
•	Seek forgiveness from both your spouse and your Lord where necessary and give forgiveness just as freely as you desire to receive it.
•	Discuss gentle, and loving ways the two of you can pause communication that is not Christ honoring before it escalates in the future.
So now, recognizing that Jesus takes your Marital Communication personally…give it all of the care it is deserving of and…Go Be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bb227f667047df918f8c089839d77367.mp3" length="6932019" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bb227f667047df918f8c089839d77367.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-communication-101-session-six-may-30th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Memorial Day - May 26th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend is once again upon us. This holiday weekend has come to mean so many different things. For some it is considered to be the beginning of the Summer season. Liv...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend is once again upon us. This holiday weekend has come to mean so many different things. For some it is considered to be the beginning of the Summer season. Living near the eastern coastline it is definitely the official opening of beach season. If you love the beach this is the start to a great season. It certainly will mark a notable increase in traffic in my area of the country regardless of the cost of gasoline. Soon there will be so many out-of-state cars filled with beachgoers headed east toward the shore on Friday evenings that one might think they are giving gas away somewhere in that direction. For others it is simply the beginning of the warmer days and the opportunity to be outdoors more enjoying gardening, yardwork, and the occasional picnics with family. This Memorial day is the official start to the 2022 season of Bar-B-Que. Hamburgers, and hot dogs will most certainly be the stars of the menu this coming weekend. 
Memorial Day is mostly for remembering. It is a day set aside for remembering those who died in wars our country has taken part in. It is a day we remember those who gave all they had for those they might never know. It is a day we remember those who showed the highest form of love. Not only love of country, but also love for their fellow man. Jesus said, “This is my commandment, love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Memorial day is the day we celebrate those who were willing to display that kind of love. Though there were several veterans of war in my family I was one of the lucky ones who was able to celebrate Memorial days past with each of them because they had all safely returned home. I have many friends and know of others who were not as fortunate as I. Memorial day is an appropriate time to remember their sacrifices as well. Those families have had to continue, and carry on paying an awful price for our freedoms. Our hearts and prayers should go out to them this weekend. If given the opportunity, make sure to thank a fallen vet’s family this weekend for the freedom you enjoy at their terrible, and personal expense.
Jesus made the above statement about the greatest love in reference to Himself. He spoke those words to His disciples just hours before He would lay down His own life for theirs, for ours. Jesus knew then, that shortly He would be called to die. He understood He would not be experiencing that agonizing death because of anything He had done. Instead He was aware, because it had always been the plan, that He would go to the cross because of the sinful things His disciples had done. The sinful things others had done. The sinful things you and I have done. Romans 3:23 tells us that Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard, meaning that every one of us has done wrong and there is a cost associated with our sin. Romans 6:23 defines the cost and announces that it has been paid for us. For the wages (or cost) of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The only thing that can pay the price owed for our wrongdoing is death. Jesus willingly paid that price for us so that we might not die (spiritually) and therefore, be able to live eternally with Him in Heaven. 
As Jesus spoke with His disciples the night before He was crucified at their Passover feast He...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend is once again upon us. This holiday weekend has come to mean so many different things. For some it is considered to be the beginning of the Summer season. Living near the eastern coastline it is definitely the official opening of beach season. If you love the beach this is the start to a great season. It certainly will mark a notable increase in traffic in my area of the country regardless of the cost of gasoline. Soon there will be so many out-of-state cars filled with beachgoers headed east toward the shore on Friday evenings that one might think they are giving gas away somewhere in that direction. For others it is simply the beginning of the warmer days and the opportunity to be outdoors more enjoying gardening, yardwork, and the occasional picnics with family. This Memorial day is the official start to the 2022 season of Bar-B-Que. Hamburgers, and hot dogs will most certainly be the stars of the menu this coming weekend. 
Memorial Day is mostly for remembering. It is a day set aside for remembering those who died in wars our country has taken part in. It is a day we remember those who gave all they had for those they might never know. It is a day we remember those who showed the highest form of love. Not only love of country, but also love for their fellow man. Jesus said, “This is my commandment, love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Memorial day is the day we celebrate those who were willing to display that kind of love. Though there were several veterans of war in my family I was one of the lucky ones who was able to celebrate Memorial days past with each of them because they had all safely returned home. I have many friends and know of others who were not as fortunate as I. Memorial day is an appropriate time to remember their sacrifices as well. Those families have had to continue, and carry on paying an awful price for our freedoms. Our hearts and prayers should go out to them this weekend. If given the opportunity, make sure to thank a fallen vet’s family this weekend for the freedom you enjoy at their terrible, and personal expense.
Jesus made the above statement about the greatest love in reference to Himself. He spoke those words to His disciples just hours before He would lay down His own life for theirs, for ours. Jesus knew then, that shortly He would be called to die. He understood He would not be experiencing that agonizing death because of anything He had done. Instead He was aware, because it had always been the plan, that He would go to the cross because of the sinful things His disciples had done. The sinful things others had done. The sinful things you and I have done. Romans 3:23 tells us that Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard, meaning that every one of us has done wrong and there is a cost associated with our sin. Romans 6:23 defines the cost and announces that it has been paid for us. For the wages (or cost) of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The only thing that can pay the price owed for our wrongdoing is death. Jesus willingly paid that price for us so that we might not die (spiritually) and therefore, be able to live eternally with Him in Heaven. 
As Jesus spoke with His disciples the night before He was crucified at their Passover feast He eluded to the fact that He would soon die for them…for all of us...His friends. Luke 22:17-20 tells us that as they shared their last supper together, Jesus told them that He wanted them to continue and meet even after His death and resurrection. He instructed them how to have dinner together as they were that evening in remembrance of Him and what He had done for them to provide reconciliation with God. Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
The Apostle Paul also wrote of this to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 says, For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. Every time we celebrate communion it is a Memorial Day. It is a wonderful Memorial Day where we get to celebrate not only the One who fought and died in the war of life and death, the battle between good and evil, sin and righteousness, we are able to give honor to the One who won, rose from the dead and conquered the grave not only for Himself…but for each and every one of us who submit ourselves to Him, call on His name, and pronounce Him to be Lord of our lives!
So, this Memorial Day give thanks for those who died for your physical freedoms. Give thanks for those who personally loved the ones who died, and have continued to pay an awful price of loneliness. Most of all though give thanks for the One who died in your place to offer you spiritual freedom from the weight and price of your own sin. Thank Jesus for reconciling you to God and providing a way so that you will never have to die but instead can enjoy eternal life with Him…and go be awesome because He is so awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3c1fd42511044cbc02c6892f65dcf1ff.mp3" length="3894307" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3c1fd42511044cbc02c6892f65dcf1ff.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/memorial-day-may-26th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Communication 101 - Session Five]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. This is another installment in the Marital Communication 101 series. 
When driving a car there is a warning light most of us have seen at one time or another. Depending on t...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. This is another installment in the Marital Communication 101 series. 
When driving a car there is a warning light most of us have seen at one time or another. Depending on the make and model of the car, this light will either be a yellow depiction of an engine or will illuminate the words “Check Engine Soon”. This warning light means that there is something amiss that needs to be remedied soon or more serious problems will likely develop. The light does not know what the particular problem is, only that one exists. When you take the car to a mechanic or hook it up to a diagnostic tool, the stored codes which indicate the specific problem are displayed. With this information in hand the operator of the car can address the problem and continue to drive the car as intended. 
I find that anger or frustration with one’s spouse while trying to communicate is a warning light of sorts. It usually indicates that some other problem exists that ought to be addressed before continuing. Just as automobiles have certain mechanical failures which illuminate the “Check Engine” light more often than others, anger and frustration that develops while trying to communicate most often is indicative of a failure to understand. With all of the variables that have been mentioned in the past several weeks as we have been exploring this topic, misunderstanding should not really come as a big surprise. As we have discussed, there are a myriad of opportunities for some part of attempted communication to be misinterpreted. Body language can be misconstrued. Tone or inflection of speech can be affected by outside causes having nothing to do with the current conversation. Word choice can mean different things to different people. Additionally, as I mentioned last week, if a conversation does not appear to a wife to come from a position of love, or if a husband senses he is being disrespected, communication will likely break down. All of these, and other obstacles can easily lead to misunderstanding and often times that condition will cause the ‘warning light’ of anger or frustration to appear. 
Because misunderstanding is the most common failure code indicated by the ‘warning light’ it should be checked quickly to see if it is in fact, the problem. I find this is almost always the cause of the breakdown in communication. That being the case, it is wise as soon as you notice yourself becoming frustrated or angry while trying to communicate with your spouse, to check and see if perhaps you have indeed just recently misunderstood what you spouse was trying to convey. 
The reason this failure to understand often occurs is due to a momentary misdiagnosis of intent. At times, we are all susceptible to crossed wires that momentarily cause us to think our spouse is against us instead of for us. I am not saying this more serious condition cannot occur, only that it is not as prevalent as we may suspect. When a true condition of poor intent or downright evil intent exists in a marriage that is a much more serious condition and requires a more significant repair. However, most often it is a failure to correctly offer or accept good intent and a misunderstanding results. As such the most prudent thing to do is to ask.
Could it be that simple? Yes. Is it really that easy? No. One of the more difficult things to do is to believe we have misunderstood someone. Why is that? Discovering a misunderst...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to the Monday Marriage Message. This is another installment in the Marital Communication 101 series. 
When driving a car there is a warning light most of us have seen at one time or another. Depending on the make and model of the car, this light will either be a yellow depiction of an engine or will illuminate the words “Check Engine Soon”. This warning light means that there is something amiss that needs to be remedied soon or more serious problems will likely develop. The light does not know what the particular problem is, only that one exists. When you take the car to a mechanic or hook it up to a diagnostic tool, the stored codes which indicate the specific problem are displayed. With this information in hand the operator of the car can address the problem and continue to drive the car as intended. 
I find that anger or frustration with one’s spouse while trying to communicate is a warning light of sorts. It usually indicates that some other problem exists that ought to be addressed before continuing. Just as automobiles have certain mechanical failures which illuminate the “Check Engine” light more often than others, anger and frustration that develops while trying to communicate most often is indicative of a failure to understand. With all of the variables that have been mentioned in the past several weeks as we have been exploring this topic, misunderstanding should not really come as a big surprise. As we have discussed, there are a myriad of opportunities for some part of attempted communication to be misinterpreted. Body language can be misconstrued. Tone or inflection of speech can be affected by outside causes having nothing to do with the current conversation. Word choice can mean different things to different people. Additionally, as I mentioned last week, if a conversation does not appear to a wife to come from a position of love, or if a husband senses he is being disrespected, communication will likely break down. All of these, and other obstacles can easily lead to misunderstanding and often times that condition will cause the ‘warning light’ of anger or frustration to appear. 
Because misunderstanding is the most common failure code indicated by the ‘warning light’ it should be checked quickly to see if it is in fact, the problem. I find this is almost always the cause of the breakdown in communication. That being the case, it is wise as soon as you notice yourself becoming frustrated or angry while trying to communicate with your spouse, to check and see if perhaps you have indeed just recently misunderstood what you spouse was trying to convey. 
The reason this failure to understand often occurs is due to a momentary misdiagnosis of intent. At times, we are all susceptible to crossed wires that momentarily cause us to think our spouse is against us instead of for us. I am not saying this more serious condition cannot occur, only that it is not as prevalent as we may suspect. When a true condition of poor intent or downright evil intent exists in a marriage that is a much more serious condition and requires a more significant repair. However, most often it is a failure to correctly offer or accept good intent and a misunderstanding results. As such the most prudent thing to do is to ask.
Could it be that simple? Yes. Is it really that easy? No. One of the more difficult things to do is to believe we have misunderstood someone. Why is that? Discovering a misunderstanding on our part requires first that we admit to ourselves that our own diagnosis of the current situation should not be trusted. That is a very difficult thing to be willing to do. We all need to be able to trust ourselves, and when we feel that perhaps we cannot, or should not, it is very disconcerting. I also find that when we consider the possibility that we have wrongly identified the meaning of another, especially our spouse, it can be difficult to continue communication in a positive manner without a reset. Sometimes a mechanic will reset the “Check Engine Light” if the problem doesn’t seem to make sense. They will do this to see if the computer will re-establish the code or perhaps find that the code was sent in error if it does not repeat itself. I find that one of the most effective ways to do this with marital communication is through the following method. 
When anger or frustration occurs, pause the conversation. Explain to your spouse that when you saw, or heard the actions, body language, words, or tone that produced the ‘warning light’ you took that to mean…and let them know what interpretation you arrived at. Then simply ask the following question. “Did you intend for me to feel...?”and tell them what or how that caused you to react. This allows for your spouse to clear up the misunderstanding so that it does not continue to be a part of your further interpretation of their attempt to communicate with you. This technique while valuable for clearing up miscommunication can still be difficult at first because it can leave the one who is asking for the clarification feeling vulnerable. The more often it is used however, the easier it will become, and the more successful you will both be when it comes to communicating without further misunderstanding.
Ephesians 4:1-3 in the New Living Translation instructs us; Therefore, I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 
Questions to Answer:
•	Do the two of you find that you misunderstand each other rarely or often?
•	When a misunderstanding occurs, does it cause frustration and anger to infiltrate your attempts to communicate?
•	If this is the case, how does it affect the conversation going forward? Do you simply push on in a state of misunderstanding, or does it generally shut communication down?
Actions to Take:
•	Commit to choosing to be vulnerable and getting clarification as soon as communication begins to break down because of a misunderstanding.
•	If you are the one misunderstood, be gracious and willing to accept that you were misunderstood without finding fault or being condescending.
•	Be proactive. If you notice misunderstanding on your part or on the part of your spouse, don’t allow it to continue. In kindness and gentleness, pause communication until the misunderstanding can be corrected.
So now, heeding the ‘warning lights’ and correcting misinterpretations as soon as they develop to promote healthy and valuable marital communication skills…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6e288dcfc345b9e40a70ca7ed0cc8ddb.mp3" length="10570279" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6e288dcfc345b9e40a70ca7ed0cc8ddb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-communication-101-session-five</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Being Content with the Content...Or Lack Thereof - May 19th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Being Content…With The Content…Or Lack Thereof
Those who know me and or those who have been listening to my podcasts for a while know I love a good pun. I enjoy being able to play one word upo...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Being Content…With The Content…Or Lack Thereof
Those who know me and or those who have been listening to my podcasts for a while know I love a good pun. I enjoy being able to play one word upon another especially if I believe it strikes the nail on the head and will drive my point home. A little sarcasm here…a little irony there…any clever play on words is fun for me.  The title of this episode is no exception, and yet it is a necessary understanding if we are to live lives free of worry. 
Contentment is the antidote for worry. If we are content with what we have, we do not worry about what we don’t have. If this is true, and it is, then the reverse truth (another thing I like to consider as often as is applicable) if we are experiencing worry, we need to practice more contentment. The consideration of this reverse truth is especially applicable here because I find most people have learned to be content with some things while other issues make contentedness seemingly elusive.
Paul wrote about his level of contentment to the church at Philippi. Philippians 4:11-12 in the New International Version says; I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Paul clearly said that he had found how to be content in every situation. As I said a moment ago, many of us have learned to be content in some situations…some people however have great difficulty with contentment in almost any situation. We have all met those who have a hard time finding anything good to say about almost anything. My grandpa had a descriptor for those who struggled with contentment. He would say that kind of person “Wouldn’t be happy in a pie shop”. This was the same grandfather who used to say he “Never met a pie he didn’t like” and yet, I heard him be less than content about a few of his own circumstances.
Sometimes through lessons of God’s provisions we learn to have some of the contentedness Paul wrote of. We learn at least in that area to be content with the content…or lack thereof. This is true for me when it comes to things like food or other basic necessities of life. I have seen God provide so many times in my life that I have simply arrived at an understanding that when it comes to those things it doesn’t matter what the contents are…I know God will make it enough. My mother modeled this for me nearly every day growing up in my parent’s home. The amount of food she would extract from the fridge and cupboards each day to make dinner for our family of five, and whoever else may have been showing up to eat with us was often in hindsight enough for one maybe two people. Mom was always thankful however for what she had and would invariably manage to make a meal for the family from it. Mom could stretch food farther than anyone I have ever known. Watching this same scenario play out day after day, year after year, I no longer worry about what is in (or isn’t in) the pantry. It doesn’t mean I don’t stock an ample supply when possible, but it does mean my contentedness does not rise and fall with the inventory. As Paul wrote, I too have learned to be content when living with little or plenty.
As I mentioned however, there are areas I and probably mo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Being Content…With The Content…Or Lack Thereof
Those who know me and or those who have been listening to my podcasts for a while know I love a good pun. I enjoy being able to play one word upon another especially if I believe it strikes the nail on the head and will drive my point home. A little sarcasm here…a little irony there…any clever play on words is fun for me.  The title of this episode is no exception, and yet it is a necessary understanding if we are to live lives free of worry. 
Contentment is the antidote for worry. If we are content with what we have, we do not worry about what we don’t have. If this is true, and it is, then the reverse truth (another thing I like to consider as often as is applicable) if we are experiencing worry, we need to practice more contentment. The consideration of this reverse truth is especially applicable here because I find most people have learned to be content with some things while other issues make contentedness seemingly elusive.
Paul wrote about his level of contentment to the church at Philippi. Philippians 4:11-12 in the New International Version says; I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Paul clearly said that he had found how to be content in every situation. As I said a moment ago, many of us have learned to be content in some situations…some people however have great difficulty with contentment in almost any situation. We have all met those who have a hard time finding anything good to say about almost anything. My grandpa had a descriptor for those who struggled with contentment. He would say that kind of person “Wouldn’t be happy in a pie shop”. This was the same grandfather who used to say he “Never met a pie he didn’t like” and yet, I heard him be less than content about a few of his own circumstances.
Sometimes through lessons of God’s provisions we learn to have some of the contentedness Paul wrote of. We learn at least in that area to be content with the content…or lack thereof. This is true for me when it comes to things like food or other basic necessities of life. I have seen God provide so many times in my life that I have simply arrived at an understanding that when it comes to those things it doesn’t matter what the contents are…I know God will make it enough. My mother modeled this for me nearly every day growing up in my parent’s home. The amount of food she would extract from the fridge and cupboards each day to make dinner for our family of five, and whoever else may have been showing up to eat with us was often in hindsight enough for one maybe two people. Mom was always thankful however for what she had and would invariably manage to make a meal for the family from it. Mom could stretch food farther than anyone I have ever known. Watching this same scenario play out day after day, year after year, I no longer worry about what is in (or isn’t in) the pantry. It doesn’t mean I don’t stock an ample supply when possible, but it does mean my contentedness does not rise and fall with the inventory. As Paul wrote, I too have learned to be content when living with little or plenty.
As I mentioned however, there are areas I and probably most of us still need to work on to get to a place where we can say we have learned to be content in all circumstances. If contentedness is the antidote to worry, then complaints are anti-contentedness. So if we want to find out where we still need to learn to be content…start with the complaints. Do any of the following situations prompt you to complain?
•	The current high price of gasoline.
•	The price of food in the grocery stores.
•	The rate of inflation in general.
•	Which political party is in power at any given time.
•	The direction of the Nation.
•	Your marriage.
•	Your family.
•	Your bank account.
•	The economy and stock market.
•	Your 401k retirement accounts.
•	The car you drive.
•	The home you live in.
•	The job you have.
These and many other things are the source of our complaints. Complaints are an indication we are not content with the content of our lives. Worry is the go-to-response to discontent. In that same letter to the Philippian church Paul wrote how to take worry and complaints and convert them into contentedness. He shared with them the keys to being content with the content…or lack thereof. In verses 4-7 of the same chapter I referenced earlier he penned these instructions. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Paul understood a great truth. We cannot complain and give thanks at the same time. It is a psychological impossibility for our minds to travel in two opposite directions simultaneously. Paul knew that complaints are an indication of fear, and he desired that the Christians in the Philippian church not live in fear but rather in peace. How can we learn to do that in any circumstance so that we can be content with the content…or the lack thereof? First, Paul instructed them to rejoice in the Lord. No matter what else you may have...or not have…if you have Him, you have all you need. Second, Paul said rather than being anxious, we should pray and ask our good, good Father in heaven to meet our needs out of His abundance. Psalm 24 says that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” God owns it all, and He loves us tremendously, Paul says we should ask God for what we need instead of worrying about what we think we lack. Make no mistake though, Paul was quite clear, it is only a prayer offered in thanksgiving that prompts God to meet the need. He goes on to say that one of those results will be the peace of God which will blow your mind given the circumstances. Finally, in verse 13 Paul disclosed how it is possible to be content with the content…or the lack thereof. Paul said he discovered that the only way he was able to do those very things he was suggesting the Philippians should do …was to do them in the power of Christ. He said that he found that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.
So now, learning to be content with the content…or lack thereof through the power of Christ in you…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/acc4e92c6559f7a50c24984c7e828ab0.mp3" length="4184121" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/acc4e92c6559f7a50c24984c7e828ab0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/being-content-with-the-contentor-lack-thereof-may-19th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Communication 101- Session Four]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor ken, welcome to another addition of the Monday Marriage Message as we continue to explore Marital Communication 101.
There have been more than a few occasions when someone sitting in my office for counseling has voiced that they “Just...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor ken, welcome to another addition of the Monday Marriage Message as we continue to explore Marital Communication 101.
There have been more than a few occasions when someone sitting in my office for counseling has voiced that they “Just tell it like it is”. This is most often said with two insinuations. First that their straightforwardness is a form of honorable truthfulness, and so I should not try to dissuade them from utilizing it. Second they usually mean for me to understand that this is simply the way they are, and I would do well to refrain from suggesting they could, should, or would change. Some have tried to drive home the point that they are fine to continue to “shoot straight” by explaining that the fact that they do isn’t really even their responsibility, because their dad or mom were that way too. I often wonder to myself if these are the same people who tell their children “It’s not what you say but how you say it that matters.”? Are they eager to have others “Tell them like it is” in a no-nonsense, unloving, and disrespectful way? Somehow, regardless of how they might defensively answer such a question in that moment, I have my doubts.
Nothing is stopping any of us, from telling anyone, (even our spouse) anything we want to, in any way we desire…but understand this, nothing is stopping them from tuning us out either. As I mentioned last week, successful communication has two components; speaking and listening. We are free (for the most part) to say anything we want to, in any way that we see fit in the moment. However, it may not garner the desired result because our speaking has little effect if the one we are speaking to is not listening. 
Imagine you had a neighbor who only spoke Russian. If you only spoke English, you would either have to learn some Russian in order to communicate effectively or choose to be frustrated by a lack of mutual understanding. If the two of you desired the results of your interactions to be high levels of communication, undoubtedly both of you would need to learn some of each other’s mother tongue. If we take the scenario a little further and imagine that the two of you are the only human beings left on the planet, the compulsion to learn each other’s vernacular would increase dramatically. In a sense, the oneness of the marital relationship does exclude the two of you from all other humanity. Obviously you each have the ability to speak with others, but no one else on the planet matters to you as much as your spouse. Think this isn’t so? Why then do we get frustrated with our spouse’s inability to understand us to such a higher degree than anyone else? The fact is that we can handle a lack of understanding with others and maintain a level of patience. When it comes to our spouse however that same supply of self-control proves to be elusive. This is only problematic because we innately understand that our spouse is the one other person on the planet we should be able to count on to want to understand us.
God’s word speaks to this very problem. In one small scripture it points out both gender’s natural languages. If we are willing to learn how to speak even a small amount of the other’s native tongue, we will enable our spouse to hear and understand us better than ever before. I am sure it hasn’t escaped either of you that there are times when it seems as if as soon as one of you begins to speak (especially about a touchy subject) frustration erupts on your spouse’s part...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor ken, welcome to another addition of the Monday Marriage Message as we continue to explore Marital Communication 101.
There have been more than a few occasions when someone sitting in my office for counseling has voiced that they “Just tell it like it is”. This is most often said with two insinuations. First that their straightforwardness is a form of honorable truthfulness, and so I should not try to dissuade them from utilizing it. Second they usually mean for me to understand that this is simply the way they are, and I would do well to refrain from suggesting they could, should, or would change. Some have tried to drive home the point that they are fine to continue to “shoot straight” by explaining that the fact that they do isn’t really even their responsibility, because their dad or mom were that way too. I often wonder to myself if these are the same people who tell their children “It’s not what you say but how you say it that matters.”? Are they eager to have others “Tell them like it is” in a no-nonsense, unloving, and disrespectful way? Somehow, regardless of how they might defensively answer such a question in that moment, I have my doubts.
Nothing is stopping any of us, from telling anyone, (even our spouse) anything we want to, in any way we desire…but understand this, nothing is stopping them from tuning us out either. As I mentioned last week, successful communication has two components; speaking and listening. We are free (for the most part) to say anything we want to, in any way that we see fit in the moment. However, it may not garner the desired result because our speaking has little effect if the one we are speaking to is not listening. 
Imagine you had a neighbor who only spoke Russian. If you only spoke English, you would either have to learn some Russian in order to communicate effectively or choose to be frustrated by a lack of mutual understanding. If the two of you desired the results of your interactions to be high levels of communication, undoubtedly both of you would need to learn some of each other’s mother tongue. If we take the scenario a little further and imagine that the two of you are the only human beings left on the planet, the compulsion to learn each other’s vernacular would increase dramatically. In a sense, the oneness of the marital relationship does exclude the two of you from all other humanity. Obviously you each have the ability to speak with others, but no one else on the planet matters to you as much as your spouse. Think this isn’t so? Why then do we get frustrated with our spouse’s inability to understand us to such a higher degree than anyone else? The fact is that we can handle a lack of understanding with others and maintain a level of patience. When it comes to our spouse however that same supply of self-control proves to be elusive. This is only problematic because we innately understand that our spouse is the one other person on the planet we should be able to count on to want to understand us.
God’s word speaks to this very problem. In one small scripture it points out both gender’s natural languages. If we are willing to learn how to speak even a small amount of the other’s native tongue, we will enable our spouse to hear and understand us better than ever before. I am sure it hasn’t escaped either of you that there are times when it seems as if as soon as one of you begins to speak (especially about a touchy subject) frustration erupts on your spouse’s part, and you are left wondering what you said wrong. Remember the illustration I used a few moments ago about the neighbors? As you can imagine, if you approached your Russian neighbor about a problem and began speaking in English and they knew you had spoken with them in Russian before, but you refused to now, obviously they would become frustrated with you. If you recall in several of my earlier episodes on this topic I mentioned that some of the frustration spouses incur as a result of failed communication comes from the remembrance that they were able to communicate freely when they were dating. Your spouse knows that you know some of their native language, and they become frustrated because you aren’t bothering to use it when communicating with them.
As I said a moment ago, scripture speaks to this. Ephesians 5:33 in the New Living Translation says:  So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. This verse tells us what each other’s natural language is. It also instructs us to use this language when trying to communicate with one another. Remember, communication has many levels additional to words. If as a husband I make sure that my body language insinuates that I am approaching my wife in love, she will be receptive. I also need to make sure that my tone, volume, and words also are congruent with a loving nature. If I do these things she will listen to anything I might have to say and will try her very best to understand my perspective. Likewise, this scripture notes that if she wants me to hear her and try to understand her point of view it has to be served in a manner I will find respectful. This can be very difficult to accomplish especially if our recent experience trying to successfully communicate has been anything but successful. I can assure you however, it is correct and sound advice because it comes from the source of all truth and wisdom, God’s own word.
When you think about it, this is why communication with one another was so easy when you were dating. This is why you could talk for hours and find it such a rewarding experience. You knew intuitively how to communicate then, and you did so without reservation. I don’t totally understand why saying “I do” causes a form of amnesia to set in. What I do know is that the ability to speak each other’s language still exists, and will still have the same effect on your communication that it once did, if you will dust it off and begin using it again.
Questions to Answer:
1.	Do you recognize that your spouse doesn’t use the same language of communication with you in marriage that was once seemingly so easy for them when you were dating?
2.	Do you recognize that this same form of amnesia has likely also inhibited your ability to communicate with your spouse?
3.	Are you willing to re-learn your spouse’s native language to be able to effectively communicate with one another going forward?   
Actions to Take:
1.	In a ‘judgement-free-zone’ discuss a recent failure to communicate, and talk about why communication broke down as it relates to your native languages of love and respect.
2.	While still in the ‘zone’ tell each other about communication triggers that you each employ that are harmful to mutual understanding and what alternatives would likely be received more positively. 
3.	Commit to one another right now that you are willing to re-learn to communicate in a positive way because the desired outcome is so important to you.
So now, recapturing the enjoyment of successful marital communication by making the effort to speak to your spouse in their own language…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e3ba8625fe03f5473db0bc3cc0b537c0.mp3" length="11417497" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e3ba8625fe03f5473db0bc3cc0b537c0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-communication-101-session-four</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Twisted Thinking (Mark 11:27-33)]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Twisted Thinking (Mark 11:27-33)

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 11 : 27-33.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Twisted Thinking (Mark 11:27-33)

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 11 : 27-33.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Message (Mark 11 : 27-33)
1:00 - Mark 11 : 27
2:49 - Deuteronomy 18 : 15-19
4:28 - Exodus : 18-21
14:11 - Deuteronomy 18 : 15-19
19:09 - Acts 3 : 19-26
38:10 - John 6 : 13-14
38:38 - John 7 : 37-41
40:61 - Mark 11 : 29
40:42 - Mark 11 : 30
44:36 - Mark 11 : 31
45:45 - Mark 11 : 32
55:41 - Mark 11 : 33
57:19 - John 7 : 16-19]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Twisted Thinking (Mark 11:27-33)

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching from Mark today using Mark 11 : 27-33.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Pastor Rick Message (Mark 11 : 27-33)
1:00 - Mark 11 : 27
2:49 - Deuteronomy 18 : 15-19
4:28 - Exodus : 18-21
14:11 - Deuteronomy 18 : 15-19
19:09 - Acts 3 : 19-26
38:10 - John 6 : 13-14
38:38 - John 7 : 37-41
40:61 - Mark 11 : 29
40:42 - Mark 11 : 30
44:36 - Mark 11 : 31
45:45 - Mark 11 : 32
55:41 - Mark 11 : 33
57:19 - John 7 : 16-19]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/19cddbb6188bda3c7fddd822571f9dbc.mp3" length="39434908" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/19cddbb6188bda3c7fddd822571f9dbc.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/twisted-thinking-mark-1127-33</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 May 2022 08:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The High Cost Of Building Materials]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The High Cost of Building Materials
Have you been to a Lowe’s or Home Depot to buy any building materials lately? The cost of nearly every kind of material necessary for home construction has...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The High Cost of Building Materials
Have you been to a Lowe’s or Home Depot to buy any building materials lately? The cost of nearly every kind of material necessary for home construction has gone through the roof! I was at the home center the other day and what almost causes me more dismay than anything else is how much I sound like an old man when I am there. “This never used to cost this much!” “In my day you could get these for a song” or the best one, “There was a day they couldn’t give these things away!” Yep, all I have to do is stroll through the lumber department and I sound like the old guy I am becoming faster than I want to admit. In all seriousness though, I don’t know how people afford to build a house in this day and age. There is one building material however that has always cost more than you or I will probably ever fully grasp.
Ephesians 2:19-22 in the New King James Version says: Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 
I often lean on the old economics definition of value to illustrate our worth to God. In Economics 101 every student is given the following definition of value: The value of a thing is determined by what a willing buyer will give a willing seller. If someone is willing to pay a certain price for something and the owner of that thing is willing to accept that price, then the value of that thing is determined in that agreement. This paradigm is also represented in our relationship with God. John 3:16 tells us that God (the willing buyer) loved the whole world so much that He gave His Only Son to die in our place (the offered price) so that we could live eternally with Him. Accepting His gift as offered; Lordship of our lives (we become the willing seller). When we accept His offer and give our lives to Him, we also accept His determination of our value. We are worth more to God than the life of His One and Only Son. He was willing to buy us at that high a price to do what the scripture referenced above says…He wants to use us as building material to construct a holy house for Him to live in. Talk about high construction costs!
When I buy materials from the home center if I get them home and find they are not perfect, I immediately become frustrated. I love the fact that this scripture points out that there are no second class citizens in God’s kingdom. There may be some who are more mature than I, there are some who may not struggle with the same things I do, but none of us are perfect. It is not our current condition that determines our acceptance by the Builder, it is our faith in Jesus Christ. The fact that we have accepted that He is Lord and have aligned ourselves with Him, that is what determines our usefulness to Him. In Him we are completely accepted just as we are…but He has incredible plans to construct something perfect of our lives! As members of His household, and citizens of His kingdom we are called His building blocks, or living stones being fashioned into a home for the very Spirit of God! We make ourselves available to His plans through the inst...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The High Cost of Building Materials
Have you been to a Lowe’s or Home Depot to buy any building materials lately? The cost of nearly every kind of material necessary for home construction has gone through the roof! I was at the home center the other day and what almost causes me more dismay than anything else is how much I sound like an old man when I am there. “This never used to cost this much!” “In my day you could get these for a song” or the best one, “There was a day they couldn’t give these things away!” Yep, all I have to do is stroll through the lumber department and I sound like the old guy I am becoming faster than I want to admit. In all seriousness though, I don’t know how people afford to build a house in this day and age. There is one building material however that has always cost more than you or I will probably ever fully grasp.
Ephesians 2:19-22 in the New King James Version says: Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 
I often lean on the old economics definition of value to illustrate our worth to God. In Economics 101 every student is given the following definition of value: The value of a thing is determined by what a willing buyer will give a willing seller. If someone is willing to pay a certain price for something and the owner of that thing is willing to accept that price, then the value of that thing is determined in that agreement. This paradigm is also represented in our relationship with God. John 3:16 tells us that God (the willing buyer) loved the whole world so much that He gave His Only Son to die in our place (the offered price) so that we could live eternally with Him. Accepting His gift as offered; Lordship of our lives (we become the willing seller). When we accept His offer and give our lives to Him, we also accept His determination of our value. We are worth more to God than the life of His One and Only Son. He was willing to buy us at that high a price to do what the scripture referenced above says…He wants to use us as building material to construct a holy house for Him to live in. Talk about high construction costs!
When I buy materials from the home center if I get them home and find they are not perfect, I immediately become frustrated. I love the fact that this scripture points out that there are no second class citizens in God’s kingdom. There may be some who are more mature than I, there are some who may not struggle with the same things I do, but none of us are perfect. It is not our current condition that determines our acceptance by the Builder, it is our faith in Jesus Christ. The fact that we have accepted that He is Lord and have aligned ourselves with Him, that is what determines our usefulness to Him. In Him we are completely accepted just as we are…but He has incredible plans to construct something perfect of our lives! As members of His household, and citizens of His kingdom we are called His building blocks, or living stones being fashioned into a home for the very Spirit of God! We make ourselves available to His plans through the instruction of His word and relying on Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone to keep us straight and true.
A few years ago I fulfilled a lifelong dream of building a house from foundation to roofline. After the site was leveled and the footers dug and poured, arguably the most important task of the entire Job commenced. The corner blocks for the foundation had to be laid to be built upon. When they were set correctly, the rest of the foundation could be completed. The placement of the first of those corners was critical. If it were not right, nothing else would be either. The foundation had to be true for the walls to go up straight. If the foundation was off, even the roof shingles would have ended up askew. The entire integrity of the house was dependent upon a firm and true foundation.
1 Peter 2:6-7 in the New Living Translation says; And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.”
Jesus is the chief cornerstone. He is that first and all-important building block for us…His church. As living stones, we have only one purpose, to get into, and stay in line with the Cornerstone, so that the results of our lives can be full of His integrity. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior He also must become our Lord, and that means we must fit into His building plans where He tells us to. With Him as Lord that leaves us only one thing to be…willing servants.
So now, understanding we are among the costliest of building materials, live a life that is straight, and true, safely in line with The Cornerstone, and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/606b59be450cd042da00a27198527bc6.mp3" length="8820475" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/606b59be450cd042da00a27198527bc6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-high-cost-of-building-materials</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Communication 101 - Session Three]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message, this will be the third installment in a series I am calling Marital Communication 101
For the past two weeks we have looked at the often difficult topic of marital communication. In the firs...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message, this will be the third installment in a series I am calling Marital Communication 101
For the past two weeks we have looked at the often difficult topic of marital communication. In the first session I spoke of the important difference between communication and mutual understanding. There I encouraged you to recognize that even when we don’t arrive at mutual understanding, we still communicate with each other through things like body language, tone, volume, etc. I spoke to the fact that if we are not careful we may communicate some things to each other that we don’t mean and that aren’t even true. Frustration brought on by a lack of arriving at mutual understanding can cause us to communicate things we do not wish our spouse to think. 
In the second, I spoke of a few of the variables that can lead to misunderstanding such as; differing process of thought, differing families of origin as well as the fact that we each have our own unique set of core beliefs. I discussed the fact that those core belief systems we each have often cause us to interpret the same information very differently and that can lead to breakdowns in mutual understanding. When this is the case it is vital that we recognize that differences in any of these areas or others do not make one of you right and the other wrong. You can, and often are, both right to think the way you each do given the variables that make up who you are and what you believe as individuals. The objective is not necessarily agreement, but rather that you each have heard and find the other person’s thoughts on the matter valuable. 
One of the major roadblocks to successful marital communication is frustration. That condition results from a faulty belief that communication is only effective if it results in agreement. When we are striving for mutual agreement rather than mutual understanding we unintentionally set ourselves up for failure. Understanding that you and your spouse think differently than each other on nearly every subject, agreement will require that one of you admit that your spouse’s ideas and thoughts are more valuable than your own. The “loser” will then have to abandon their own thoughts (which they know have merit) and adopt their spouse’s thoughts as their own. Even when this is accomplished without visible tension, silently held frustration usually exists. In most marriages this misguided goal means that one spouse or the other will triumph in determining what the “agreed” upon outcome will be, and the other is forced to acquiesce. In some marriages the winning position will vacillate between spouses with the husband winning some while the wife succeeds in others. In less fair instances either the husband or the wife will be the victor in a far more lopsided final count. 
When mutual agreement is the goal of communication, silent frustration is not the only kind that can abound. We can, and often do become overtly frustrated when a meeting of the minds is the expected outcome of communication. Actually this can cause a total breakdown altogether in the process. Often times as soon as it becomes apparent in a discussion that husband and wife to not see the matter at hand the same way, the process of “convincing” erupts. While one spouse is explaining their thoughts on the matter the other is not listening, but rather formulating a response designed to devalue their spouse’s ideas illustrating their own to be sup...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, welcome to the Monday Marriage Message, this will be the third installment in a series I am calling Marital Communication 101
For the past two weeks we have looked at the often difficult topic of marital communication. In the first session I spoke of the important difference between communication and mutual understanding. There I encouraged you to recognize that even when we don’t arrive at mutual understanding, we still communicate with each other through things like body language, tone, volume, etc. I spoke to the fact that if we are not careful we may communicate some things to each other that we don’t mean and that aren’t even true. Frustration brought on by a lack of arriving at mutual understanding can cause us to communicate things we do not wish our spouse to think. 
In the second, I spoke of a few of the variables that can lead to misunderstanding such as; differing process of thought, differing families of origin as well as the fact that we each have our own unique set of core beliefs. I discussed the fact that those core belief systems we each have often cause us to interpret the same information very differently and that can lead to breakdowns in mutual understanding. When this is the case it is vital that we recognize that differences in any of these areas or others do not make one of you right and the other wrong. You can, and often are, both right to think the way you each do given the variables that make up who you are and what you believe as individuals. The objective is not necessarily agreement, but rather that you each have heard and find the other person’s thoughts on the matter valuable. 
One of the major roadblocks to successful marital communication is frustration. That condition results from a faulty belief that communication is only effective if it results in agreement. When we are striving for mutual agreement rather than mutual understanding we unintentionally set ourselves up for failure. Understanding that you and your spouse think differently than each other on nearly every subject, agreement will require that one of you admit that your spouse’s ideas and thoughts are more valuable than your own. The “loser” will then have to abandon their own thoughts (which they know have merit) and adopt their spouse’s thoughts as their own. Even when this is accomplished without visible tension, silently held frustration usually exists. In most marriages this misguided goal means that one spouse or the other will triumph in determining what the “agreed” upon outcome will be, and the other is forced to acquiesce. In some marriages the winning position will vacillate between spouses with the husband winning some while the wife succeeds in others. In less fair instances either the husband or the wife will be the victor in a far more lopsided final count. 
When mutual agreement is the goal of communication, silent frustration is not the only kind that can abound. We can, and often do become overtly frustrated when a meeting of the minds is the expected outcome of communication. Actually this can cause a total breakdown altogether in the process. Often times as soon as it becomes apparent in a discussion that husband and wife to not see the matter at hand the same way, the process of “convincing” erupts. While one spouse is explaining their thoughts on the matter the other is not listening, but rather formulating a response designed to devalue their spouse’s ideas illustrating their own to be superior. Having proceeded to develop their own thoughts communication ceases to employ one of its two necessary components…listening. This breakdown soon becomes apparent and frustration and anger quickly follow. James 1:19 in the New Living Translation says: Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. This scripture warns that when we fail to listen and desire instead to speak our own mind, we risk anger on one or both of our parts as a result. As I mentioned last week, Proverbs 18:2 tells us that A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in expressing his own heart. The breakdowns in communication that I have just described come from the very foolishness that this scripture speaks of.
However, the reverse truth offers to us the correct objective of successful communication. A wise spouse seeks to understand the other and refrains from being pushy with their own thoughts. In other words, a wise person truly wants to know what another’s thoughts are and why they think what they do. Verbally seeking this information alone, validates the other’s thoughts as valuable. Making the point that we need to know our spouse’s thoughts because they are valuable to us…goes even further. When we take these wise steps we are exchanging the purpose of successful communication from agreement for mutual understanding. When the latter is the goal as opposed to the former there is no need for frustration, and the probability of success skyrockets. One might argue that mutual understanding sounds wonderful, and it might keep frustration at bay, but don’t decisions still have to be made? Don’t we sometimes still have to come to some sort of conclusion as to how to move forward? Yes.
Thankfully scripture has an answer for that as well. Proverbs 31:10-11 speak to this very thing. Essentially what those verses say is that if we will give equal value to each other’s thoughts they can be used to collaborate and arrive at a decision that has greater potential than even the best thoughts of one spouse alone. Here God is admonishing that success comes from wisdom which is arrived at only after carefully considering both spouse’s ideas. As the two thought processes exhibiting the intelligence of the husband and wife are married together, they give birth to wisdom…and true wisdom promotes success.
Questions to answer:
1.	When you consider it carefully what do you generally hold as the goal of successful communication between you and your spouse?
2.	How do each of you recognize when frustration is hijacking the process of successful marital communication for you?
Actions to take:
1.	Discuss some strategies the two of you could employ to trade mutual agreement for mutual understanding in your marital communication skills.
2.	Without using any form of the word frustrate, discuss how you feel when you see communication breaking down between the two of you.
So now, choosing to increase the success rate of your marital communication by exchanging the goal of mutual agreement for mutual understanding…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/87fbfce46abcbb16546f65ee9a436e25.mp3" length="10585320" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/87fbfce46abcbb16546f65ee9a436e25.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-communication-101-session-three</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[2022-Mothers Day Speakers]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Today is Mother’s Day 2022.
For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Today is Mother’s Day 2022.
For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Today is Mother’s Day 2022.
For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d6572518d4173f15a0ed26056da5de3f.mp3" length="30889210" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d6572518d4173f15a0ed26056da5de3f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/2022-mothers-day-speakers</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Day to Celebrate Moms]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Day to Celebrate Mom!
Proverbs 31:25-31 speaks of the virtuous mother. That scripture is paraphrased in the Living Bible as follows: She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear o...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Day to Celebrate Mom!
Proverbs 31:25-31 speaks of the virtuous mother. That scripture is paraphrased in the Living Bible as follows: She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule for everything she says.  She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household and is never lazy. Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband. He praises her with these words: “There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them all!” Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised. Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.
Moms are incredible people. There is no part of their being that is not impacted by being a mom. Their bodies are literally stretched to allow them to carry a baby to full term in pregnancy. The imposition on them does not start or stop there though. They are impacted hormonally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially…Moms are affected by being moms in every conceivable way (and yes, that pun was intended). Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be an expiration date on being a mom. I have a theory that every mom upon holding her child in the first moments of bonding looks into that child’s eyes and says to herself, “I am going to be this baby’s mommy forever!”
When I think of the moms that are a personal part of my life I can fairly quickly become overwhelmed with all that they have added to my life. The scripture above describes the kind of mom that is virtuous or in other words fulfilling her calling as a godly mom. It names several of her virtuous characteristics, many of which I see in the women in my life that are moms. It also predicts that this kind of mom will be called blessed by both their children and their husband. 
When I think of those women in my life who are moms, naturally my first thoughts go toward my own mother. She is a woman full of grace and dignity. She selflessly concerns herself with those around her. Though daily she suffers physically she focuses on the needs of those she loves and not on her own body’s weaknesses. She has always been industrious and has taken great joy in providing well for her family. And yes, I will always be her baby…even at 56 years of age if I enter her home she will seek to meet any need I may have though it is obvious to both of us that I could “do it myself”. Mom is able to be who she is because of Jesus…without Him she wouldn’t be capable of any of it. I think she would also tell you that it took a lot of Jesus to raise her three boys.
The second mom that comes to mind is my sweet wife. If my mom had her hands full raising three boys it was at the very least an equal challenge for my wife to raise four girls and one boy. When I think of her several characteristics come to mind. Loving, careful, tenacious, supportive, and fun those are only the beginnings of a complete list. We have a blended family and those come with their own set of challenges. Not to use a cliché but she is not a step-mom, but she is a mom who stepped up and into my children’s lives. When we married she understood that she was not marrying a man only, but another entire family and she did so with an open heart and open arms. I watched in awe over the years as she i...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Day to Celebrate Mom!
Proverbs 31:25-31 speaks of the virtuous mother. That scripture is paraphrased in the Living Bible as follows: She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule for everything she says.  She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household and is never lazy. Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband. He praises her with these words: “There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them all!” Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised. Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.
Moms are incredible people. There is no part of their being that is not impacted by being a mom. Their bodies are literally stretched to allow them to carry a baby to full term in pregnancy. The imposition on them does not start or stop there though. They are impacted hormonally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially…Moms are affected by being moms in every conceivable way (and yes, that pun was intended). Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be an expiration date on being a mom. I have a theory that every mom upon holding her child in the first moments of bonding looks into that child’s eyes and says to herself, “I am going to be this baby’s mommy forever!”
When I think of the moms that are a personal part of my life I can fairly quickly become overwhelmed with all that they have added to my life. The scripture above describes the kind of mom that is virtuous or in other words fulfilling her calling as a godly mom. It names several of her virtuous characteristics, many of which I see in the women in my life that are moms. It also predicts that this kind of mom will be called blessed by both their children and their husband. 
When I think of those women in my life who are moms, naturally my first thoughts go toward my own mother. She is a woman full of grace and dignity. She selflessly concerns herself with those around her. Though daily she suffers physically she focuses on the needs of those she loves and not on her own body’s weaknesses. She has always been industrious and has taken great joy in providing well for her family. And yes, I will always be her baby…even at 56 years of age if I enter her home she will seek to meet any need I may have though it is obvious to both of us that I could “do it myself”. Mom is able to be who she is because of Jesus…without Him she wouldn’t be capable of any of it. I think she would also tell you that it took a lot of Jesus to raise her three boys.
The second mom that comes to mind is my sweet wife. If my mom had her hands full raising three boys it was at the very least an equal challenge for my wife to raise four girls and one boy. When I think of her several characteristics come to mind. Loving, careful, tenacious, supportive, and fun those are only the beginnings of a complete list. We have a blended family and those come with their own set of challenges. Not to use a cliché but she is not a step-mom, but she is a mom who stepped up and into my children’s lives. When we married she understood that she was not marrying a man only, but another entire family and she did so with an open heart and open arms. I watched in awe over the years as she interacted with each of our five children in ways that were clearly for their best even if it made her life more difficult. It is absolutely true that there are many fine women in the world but that she is the best of them all!
I also have daughters who are moms. Next to my mom and my wife, they are the best moms I know. When I watch them interact with their children I see the following qualities that make them virtuous moms; encouragement, patience, gentleness and kindheartedness just to name a few. One of our daughters has not yet become a mom physically but has one of the best “mom hearts” I have ever seen. Her unconditional acceptance of each of her nephews and nieces has no limits, and I know that the children God will eventually gift her with will be blessed by her all the more for her experience.
What words come to mind when you rise up and call the moms in your life blessed? This Mother’s Day I encourage you to do more than send a card or flowers or give your mom a gift. There is nothing wrong with those things and I know they are appreciated by moms everywhere. However, I encourage each of you to additionally take the Proverbs 31 challenge. Stand up and bless the moms in your life, consider carefully the words you would use to describe their best mom characteristics…and then let them know.
Proverbs 31:31 Give her the reward she has earned; she should be praised in public for what she has done. (New Century Version)
So now, this Mother’s Day, stand up and give honor to the moms in your life…go tell her why you think she is so awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/acdd56459d09f5bab0e2fd8bb353a497.mp3" length="8711364" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/acdd56459d09f5bab0e2fd8bb353a497.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-day-to-celebrate-moms</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Marital Communication 101 - Session Two]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for another Monday Marriage Message. This is the second in a short series I am calling Marital Communication 101.Welcome!
Last week I said that many people assume they will be good communicators in their marr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for another Monday Marriage Message. This is the second in a short series I am calling Marital Communication 101.Welcome!
Last week I said that many people assume they will be good communicators in their marriages based on several things. First the obvious, they have been communicating with other people with some degree of success since before they even knew how to speak. Second, while dating most people find communication with their future spouse to be easy…almost effortless. So why does it have to be so difficult now?
The fact that husbands and wives have completely different thought processes as I shared in three previous editions entitled Differences That Divide 1, 2 & 3 is one major reason mutual understanding in our marriages can be so difficult to attain. If you have not listened to those podcasts or do not remember what I shared there, I would encourage you to review those. The differences between compartmentalized and relational thinking are notable and cause men and women to naturally arrive at differing conclusions even when they are considering the same information. This difference in thought process often causes us to attach different meanings to the same words strung together in sentences. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs gives a humorous example of this in his book Love and Respect. He says there, that when a woman says “I have nothing to wear.”, she means that she has nothing new to wear. When a man says “I have nothing to wear.”, he means he has nothing clean to wear. Same words in the sentence, different meaning. However, as I stated in those previously mentioned podcasts (the third one specifically), this difference is not a flaw or a problem just because we find it problematic. God is a good, good Father and has nothing but the best of intention toward us. Our misunderstanding of His purposes concerning our creation does not constitute a mistake on His part. In reality we should be just as grateful and enamored by any differences we find between us and our spouse as we are for the differences in our physical bodies that we appreciate with regularity. Differing thought processes while many times providing a difficulty to arrive at mutual understanding is but one in a long line of reasons we fail to communicate as we want to. 
Sometimes our momentary mental or emotional position leaves us vulnerable to misunderstanding. There are times when we respond to our spouse while still considering difficulties caused by others outside of the marriage such as co-workers, the kids, or the person who cut us off on the road two minutes before we got home. Our spouse may have had nothing to do with the adversity, but we allow our residual frustration to fall on them nonetheless. If they are yet unaware of the previously experienced difficulties, they may (and likely will) interpret that the frustration they sense in our response is directed toward them. Scenarios just like this one and others resulting in misunderstandings between spouses occur countless times every day around the world. Again misinterpreted intent is but one of the many things that can quickly and easily derail mutual understanding, and cause people to think they have failed to communicate.
Add to the list things like families of origin and you will have the beginnings (actually you will have only scratched the surface) of a long list of things that cause us to misconstrue what our spouse is trying to communicate. It was in yo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for another Monday Marriage Message. This is the second in a short series I am calling Marital Communication 101.Welcome!
Last week I said that many people assume they will be good communicators in their marriages based on several things. First the obvious, they have been communicating with other people with some degree of success since before they even knew how to speak. Second, while dating most people find communication with their future spouse to be easy…almost effortless. So why does it have to be so difficult now?
The fact that husbands and wives have completely different thought processes as I shared in three previous editions entitled Differences That Divide 1, 2 & 3 is one major reason mutual understanding in our marriages can be so difficult to attain. If you have not listened to those podcasts or do not remember what I shared there, I would encourage you to review those. The differences between compartmentalized and relational thinking are notable and cause men and women to naturally arrive at differing conclusions even when they are considering the same information. This difference in thought process often causes us to attach different meanings to the same words strung together in sentences. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs gives a humorous example of this in his book Love and Respect. He says there, that when a woman says “I have nothing to wear.”, she means that she has nothing new to wear. When a man says “I have nothing to wear.”, he means he has nothing clean to wear. Same words in the sentence, different meaning. However, as I stated in those previously mentioned podcasts (the third one specifically), this difference is not a flaw or a problem just because we find it problematic. God is a good, good Father and has nothing but the best of intention toward us. Our misunderstanding of His purposes concerning our creation does not constitute a mistake on His part. In reality we should be just as grateful and enamored by any differences we find between us and our spouse as we are for the differences in our physical bodies that we appreciate with regularity. Differing thought processes while many times providing a difficulty to arrive at mutual understanding is but one in a long line of reasons we fail to communicate as we want to. 
Sometimes our momentary mental or emotional position leaves us vulnerable to misunderstanding. There are times when we respond to our spouse while still considering difficulties caused by others outside of the marriage such as co-workers, the kids, or the person who cut us off on the road two minutes before we got home. Our spouse may have had nothing to do with the adversity, but we allow our residual frustration to fall on them nonetheless. If they are yet unaware of the previously experienced difficulties, they may (and likely will) interpret that the frustration they sense in our response is directed toward them. Scenarios just like this one and others resulting in misunderstandings between spouses occur countless times every day around the world. Again misinterpreted intent is but one of the many things that can quickly and easily derail mutual understanding, and cause people to think they have failed to communicate.
Add to the list things like families of origin and you will have the beginnings (actually you will have only scratched the surface) of a long list of things that cause us to misconstrue what our spouse is trying to communicate. It was in your family of origin (the setting you grew up in) where you developed the majority of your core beliefs. Those core beliefs are the things you decided were inarguable truths, and they were mostly developed through the eyes of a child with little life experience, I might add. They are the basis by which you decipher everything in the world around you. Studies show that the vast majority of core beliefs are determined and decided upon by the age of seven. Core beliefs are sometimes known as limiting beliefs for two reasons. First we address our responses to others and actions based on the ”truths” of our core or limiting beliefs. Second we find it difficult to, or limit accepting as true only those things that line up with our unique set of core beliefs. I am not trying to bore or bamboozle you with psychological mumbo-jumbo but our core beliefs are very much a part of how we interpret everything we encounter. So how does this affect mutual understanding in your marriage? Newsflash – your spouse grew up in a different family of origin than you did, and developed their own set of core beliefs which do not perfectly match yours! 
To give example of this from my own life I offer the following. In my family of origin, the only time I ever heard the phrase “Does that suit you?” was when my mom was being sarcastic or condescending toward someone. My mother being the gracious woman that she is with the influence of the Holy Spirit in her life only uttered that phrase then on rare occasions of undue frustration.  Fast forward to my marriage with my lovely wife at 34 years of age. We live in southern Delaware where she was born and raised. I was raised in various towns and cities along the east coast but did not come to live in southern Delaware until we married. In this region, and in her family the phrase “Does that suit you?” means nothing more than “Will that work for your schedule?”, and is actually asked as a courtesy. However, because of the limiting beliefs I accepted as truth growing up, I only heard it as sarcasm and a lack of graciousness caused by sheer frustration. For the first several years of our marriage I could not understand for the life of me, why perfectly normal conversations with my wife about the things we had to fit into our schedules had to end with her being totally frustrated and sarcastic with me. They didn’t and she wasn’t. Those misconceptions and misinterpretations of her lack of patience with me existed only in my misunderstanding, and caused me to think she was coming against me when that was not at all the case.
As I mentioned in the first of those three podcast episodes I eluded to earlier, you will find a list of ten things there that can cause us to fail to arrive at mutual understanding. That is as I mentioned moments ago, just the beginnings of a complete list. So what to do? Proverbs 18:2 says: A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in expressing his own heart. This means that when we choose to decipher what is meant by what our spouse says or does only by our limiting core beliefs, and we do not give them an honest chance to explain their words or actions, we are being foolish. The reverse truth contained in this scripture is that a wise person will give their spouse the opportunity to explain that their words and actions came from a position of good will…and then choose to believe them. Yes, this is going to mean an argument with that child inside of us who is trying to tell us how to interpret our spouse’s intentions, but that kid couldn’t have gotten everything right…could they? Besides, much better to argue with the remnants of the child you once were than the spouse actually present with you now.
Questions to Answer:
1.	Which of the things above do you believe contribute to a lack of mutual understanding in your marriage?
2.	How much of what I have shared with you today do you recognize as being true for you?
3.	How willing are you to adjust the ‘Go to’ conclusions you draw quite naturally to develop new strategies to gain mutual understanding with your spouse on a more regular basis?
Actions to Take:
1.	Discuss some recent times when misunderstanding ensued, and ask your spouse to express their heart toward you on that subject prior to the misunderstanding…then be willing to accept what they tell you as truth.
2.	As a strategy to minimize misunderstanding going forward, whenever you feel your spouse is likely to misinterpret your words or actions, begin the conversation by expressing your good will. Take time up-front to explain that the things you are going to talk about are on your mind because you love and respect them. This will do two valuable things. First, it will allow them to know where your heart is and interpret your words with your good will toward them in mind. Second, it will cause you to be more cautious, choosing only words that you would want to hear from someone with your best in mind.
So now, being wise and seeking to understand your spouse’s best intentions toward you, argue with the child inside you who is trying to tell you different, and…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/07e18a3bb049f8e0b9726ac98a9c340a.mp3" length="13674251" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/07e18a3bb049f8e0b9726ac98a9c340a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/marital-communication-101-session-two</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:29</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Words Remembered]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...Words Remembered.
My dad has quite a few “sayings” that if I have heard him say once, I have likely heard them escape his lips hundreds if not thousands of times over the years. Perhaps you...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...Words Remembered.
My dad has quite a few “sayings” that if I have heard him say once, I have likely heard them escape his lips hundreds if not thousands of times over the years. Perhaps you have the same memories of someone you listened to a lot growing up. One of the things he said and still does to this day is…”Good Lord willing, and the creeks don’t rise”. Many of you may have heard that one as well, if you know my dad, you’ve probably heard it come directly from him. The funny thing is, though we say it about some plan we have made, it is actually a biblically sound statement. 
There is much debate as to where the saying originated. Some say it was in a letter penned by Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator and general superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1796 to 1818. As the story goes he wrote this as a part of a reply upon being summoned to the nation’s capital, indicating he would indeed be there if it were at all possible. Others attribute the saying to Abraham Lincoln or Andrew Jackson among others. There doesn’t seem to be any way of determining the actual originator with absolute certainty. 
The meaning of the saying is that barring some unexpected yet completely reasonable obstruction one will do what has just been promised or stated as their intent. As I said a moment ago it is actually biblical that we would attach some caveat such as this one to promises and plans that we make.
James 4:13-15 in the New Living Translation says: Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” The obvious message here is that while we may have intentions to do one thing or another, we are actually in control of very little in comparison to what we are not in control of regarding the plans we make. God is the one in control of the vast majority of variables that might affect our plans. Creeks rising to the point of being uncross-able  due to heavy rains is but one of the many things outside our control. This scripture points out that the duration of our very lives is not in our hands therefore making plans to fill time we do not yet possess more than a little presumptuous.
So, should we just stop making plans altogether? Although this would appear at first glance to be an all-too enticing idea to pass up, for those like me, who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’, unfortunately the answer is no, we should not stop making those pesky plans. For those of you who like to make plans (though the rest of us have no idea why it makes you happy to do so), stop fretting, making plans does not go against scripture. Note what verse 15 above says though. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” This verse is indicative of much more than the mere fact that our lives and our continued existence on this planet is in God’s hands alone. It also gives us a framework for setting the plans we do make. If the Lord wants us to, is the defining part of the statement, and outlines for us what plans should be made to begin with. Proverbs 16:3 tells us, Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans wi...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...Words Remembered.
My dad has quite a few “sayings” that if I have heard him say once, I have likely heard them escape his lips hundreds if not thousands of times over the years. Perhaps you have the same memories of someone you listened to a lot growing up. One of the things he said and still does to this day is…”Good Lord willing, and the creeks don’t rise”. Many of you may have heard that one as well, if you know my dad, you’ve probably heard it come directly from him. The funny thing is, though we say it about some plan we have made, it is actually a biblically sound statement. 
There is much debate as to where the saying originated. Some say it was in a letter penned by Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, a Continental Congress senator and general superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1796 to 1818. As the story goes he wrote this as a part of a reply upon being summoned to the nation’s capital, indicating he would indeed be there if it were at all possible. Others attribute the saying to Abraham Lincoln or Andrew Jackson among others. There doesn’t seem to be any way of determining the actual originator with absolute certainty. 
The meaning of the saying is that barring some unexpected yet completely reasonable obstruction one will do what has just been promised or stated as their intent. As I said a moment ago it is actually biblical that we would attach some caveat such as this one to promises and plans that we make.
James 4:13-15 in the New Living Translation says: Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” The obvious message here is that while we may have intentions to do one thing or another, we are actually in control of very little in comparison to what we are not in control of regarding the plans we make. God is the one in control of the vast majority of variables that might affect our plans. Creeks rising to the point of being uncross-able  due to heavy rains is but one of the many things outside our control. This scripture points out that the duration of our very lives is not in our hands therefore making plans to fill time we do not yet possess more than a little presumptuous.
So, should we just stop making plans altogether? Although this would appear at first glance to be an all-too enticing idea to pass up, for those like me, who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’, unfortunately the answer is no, we should not stop making those pesky plans. For those of you who like to make plans (though the rest of us have no idea why it makes you happy to do so), stop fretting, making plans does not go against scripture. Note what verse 15 above says though. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” This verse is indicative of much more than the mere fact that our lives and our continued existence on this planet is in God’s hands alone. It also gives us a framework for setting the plans we do make. If the Lord wants us to, is the defining part of the statement, and outlines for us what plans should be made to begin with. Proverbs 16:3 tells us, Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. If our plans are for things God would want, then they are permissible plans, but still should be made with the caveat that we will do those things only if He allows us to…if the creeks don’t rise. 
Actually, God’s word does advise that we make plans for the future in numerous ways. Financially speaking and to make provision for our families, His word offers several instances of instruction. Proverbs 21:5 says: Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Additionally, verse 20 of that same chapter tells us that; In the house of the wise there are stores of choice food and oil, but the fool devours all he has. Clearly, God desires that we make plans to save for a rainy day to quote another saying from days gone by. God wants us to make plans for future needs. His word indicates that we should plan ahead to be able to care for those He has entrusted to us. The fact of the matter is that the entirety of His word is given that we might see our need for and know how to plan toward our spiritual future. We are unable to work for our salvation, we know that, but we are also told to do things like store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20).
Let us not fail to remember that although we may be permitted to make plans we should never forget who controls the vast majority of the variables affecting those plans. In fact, I would submit that it is through God’s ability to easily control what for us are the uncontrollable variables, that He is able to fulfill the following scriptures without usurping the free will His word indicates He has endowed us with. Proverbs 16:9 says: We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 19:21 reiterates:   Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 
With these things in mind, I think it most important for those of us who like to plan and those of us who would rather not, when we do…or must, remember the all-encompassing wisdom found in Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
 So now, in wisdom and with renewed understanding, make plans only with the addition of “Good Lord willing, and the creeks don’t rise”…and go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/83967dba8f411baff8f911cc0f92cdf9.mp3" length="9627934" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/83967dba8f411baff8f911cc0f92cdf9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/words-remembered</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Welcome To Marital Communication 101]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for taking the time to join me again for my Monday Marriage Message. I’ll call this and the next few episodes…Marital Communication 101
I chose that title for various reasons. Many couples who come to see me for counseling ne...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for taking the time to join me again for my Monday Marriage Message. I’ll call this and the next few episodes…Marital Communication 101
I chose that title for various reasons. Many couples who come to see me for counseling never really learned how to communicate with one another. It was simply assumed that since they each had been communicating with some level of success since before they even knew how to talk that they would be able to do so with their spouse. For many, regardless of past and present experience with others, they find they are not as successful at communicating within their marriages as they imagined they would be. As anyone who has been to college knows the beginning classes in any subject are numbered 101. If this has been your experience trying somewhat unsuccessfully to communicate with your spouse…Welcome to Marital Communication 101, come on in and have a seat.
I also chose the title of these episodes because many would say they have tried at least 101 ways to communicate with their spouse, and none of it has worked. If that’s you, don’t think you are alone. Often times when I ask a couple on their first visit to see me, “How can I help?” They answer that they have trouble communicating. Usually, both of them are frustrated by the fact that they are seemingly misunderstood more often than not. They wonder how it can be that the person that was so easy to talk to when they were dating, they can’t seem to converse with now about anything without finding they are both frustrated.
One further reason I entitled them Marital communication 101 is that for some, it seems that they must argue about at least 101 things before they find common ground. Even those breakthrough events can’t be fully enjoyed because they are innately aware that once that successful conversation passes…there are probably 101 more difficult ones to wade through and endure before the next good one occurs. 
There certainly are many reasons spouses who come to see me tell me their problem is that they have trouble communicating. First of all, and I don’t want to be seen as trying to split hairs or have a semantical argument but, very few people have trouble communicating. They have trouble arriving at mutual understanding. There is a marked and important distinction. That difference is crucial to understand because communication is in fact occurring and much of it is unintentional. For example, when a husband and wife are having difficulty understanding each other, they become frustrated. This frustration can lead to things like raised voices as yet another attempt to convey the intended meaning is made. It can lead to speaking faster, changing inflection of tone, and interrupting or talking over one another. Body language unmistakably changes as arms cross over the chests and fingers get pointed. Faces can redden or lips begin to quiver. As the tempo of the conversation rises to match the nearly palpable tension in the space, mouths becomes dry, hands become sweaty, and a fight or flight instinct settles on one or both of the contestants…(sorry, I meant to say) participants. Sometimes when all else fails one or both people leave the room where the attempted conversation has taken place in a rapid or stormy manner muttering under their breath or shouting their frustration over their shoulder as they exit. The couple I have just described are communicating very effectively, and they are espousing some things they had n...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for taking the time to join me again for my Monday Marriage Message. I’ll call this and the next few episodes…Marital Communication 101
I chose that title for various reasons. Many couples who come to see me for counseling never really learned how to communicate with one another. It was simply assumed that since they each had been communicating with some level of success since before they even knew how to talk that they would be able to do so with their spouse. For many, regardless of past and present experience with others, they find they are not as successful at communicating within their marriages as they imagined they would be. As anyone who has been to college knows the beginning classes in any subject are numbered 101. If this has been your experience trying somewhat unsuccessfully to communicate with your spouse…Welcome to Marital Communication 101, come on in and have a seat.
I also chose the title of these episodes because many would say they have tried at least 101 ways to communicate with their spouse, and none of it has worked. If that’s you, don’t think you are alone. Often times when I ask a couple on their first visit to see me, “How can I help?” They answer that they have trouble communicating. Usually, both of them are frustrated by the fact that they are seemingly misunderstood more often than not. They wonder how it can be that the person that was so easy to talk to when they were dating, they can’t seem to converse with now about anything without finding they are both frustrated.
One further reason I entitled them Marital communication 101 is that for some, it seems that they must argue about at least 101 things before they find common ground. Even those breakthrough events can’t be fully enjoyed because they are innately aware that once that successful conversation passes…there are probably 101 more difficult ones to wade through and endure before the next good one occurs. 
There certainly are many reasons spouses who come to see me tell me their problem is that they have trouble communicating. First of all, and I don’t want to be seen as trying to split hairs or have a semantical argument but, very few people have trouble communicating. They have trouble arriving at mutual understanding. There is a marked and important distinction. That difference is crucial to understand because communication is in fact occurring and much of it is unintentional. For example, when a husband and wife are having difficulty understanding each other, they become frustrated. This frustration can lead to things like raised voices as yet another attempt to convey the intended meaning is made. It can lead to speaking faster, changing inflection of tone, and interrupting or talking over one another. Body language unmistakably changes as arms cross over the chests and fingers get pointed. Faces can redden or lips begin to quiver. As the tempo of the conversation rises to match the nearly palpable tension in the space, mouths becomes dry, hands become sweaty, and a fight or flight instinct settles on one or both of the contestants…(sorry, I meant to say) participants. Sometimes when all else fails one or both people leave the room where the attempted conversation has taken place in a rapid or stormy manner muttering under their breath or shouting their frustration over their shoulder as they exit. The couple I have just described are communicating very effectively, and they are espousing some things they had no intention to just moments before. Communication has ensued. Mutual understanding about the original topic…under those circumstances never had a chance.
If what I have just depicted sounds like you, I promise I haven’t been eavesdropping…this unintended result happens to more good, well intentioned, Christian couples than you could imagine. The problem is that unfortunately, the couple I just described has indeed communicated very effectively to one another. They have in no uncertain terms informed their spouse of some things they never meant to, and that likely aren’t even true. They have clearly communicated a lack of love and respect for each other and each other’s thoughts. They have left little doubt that they often find each other intolerable. Furthermore, they have made whatever the issue was, the most important thing in the world, instead of something they needed to have the most important person in the world understand their feelings about.
Scripture tells us in proverbs 3:13-18 that Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. I am sure that you know how well things go when there is understanding. The things described in the scripture above are true for those who have and seek understanding. No one likes to misunderstand nor be misunderstood, and there are steps we can take and strategies we can employ to help achieve mutual understanding without all of the friction and sparks. 
In the coming weeks we will look into some of the problems that often leave married couples struggling to communicate well, and we will search the scriptures to find out how God would have us achieve mutual understanding. God’s word tells us in James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Asking God for wisdom is exactly what we should do when we don’t know what to do. For that reason, we will find specific places in His word to see what He says our responses should be when we are having difficulty understanding one another. Verse six above is important though. If we don’t know what to do, and we ask, and we learn in His word what He says we should do…we can’t argue with the answer…otherwise we will end up more unsettled than we were to begin with. So if you are ready to see how God wants to help you adjust your responses to your spouse and avoid misunderstanding…Welcome to Marital Communication 101
Questions to answer:
1.	What does the distinction between failure to communicate and failure to attain mutual understanding mean to you?
2.	What things or subjects derail your ability to successfully communicate your thoughts and ideas with your spouse?
3.	Are there subject areas you have less trouble communicating about?
4.	How long has it been since communication seemed easy for the two of you?
Actions to take:
1.	Ask God together to accept the things His word instructs you to do to increase the level of positive communication in your marriage.
2.	Decide right now that learning to communicate effectively is more important than being right. 
3.	Choose today to be willing for judgement free discussions that will enlighten and help you both do that successfully.
4.	Commit to being willing for the discovery process with your spouse as to what makes it difficult for each of you to remain engaged when the communication begins to break down.
So now, learning the importance of mutual understanding and inviting new ideas from God’s own word to communicate in positive ways with your spouse…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8bd652de706f54e125ff15aaa8b16892.mp3" length="11641711" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8bd652de706f54e125ff15aaa8b16892.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/welcome-to-marital-communication-101</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do you bear good fruit - April 24th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Do you bear good fruit - April 24th, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts teaches out of Mark 11 : 20-26 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and time...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Do you bear good fruit - April 24th, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts teaches out of Mark 11 : 20-26 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Do you bear good fruit - April 24th, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts teaches out of Mark 11 : 20-26 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2b30c7458e17ad6102c141a65324dabd.mp3" length="44734337" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2b30c7458e17ad6102c141a65324dabd.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-you-bear-good-fruit-april-24th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:10:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Growth]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Growth
I have spent this week in the bounty of the Blue Ridge. Most of you know from previous podcasts I have done that I think this the most gorgeous place in the world. Add to that the p...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Growth
I have spent this week in the bounty of the Blue Ridge. Most of you know from previous podcasts I have done that I think this the most gorgeous place in the world. Add to that the presence of my beautiful wife by my side and there is no place more stunning on the planet. Even as spring is still breaking forth here and some of the shrubs and trees are still without their full complement of leaves, these hills lack nothing. They are astounding in any season. 
Several years ago I strategically planted a half dozen grapevines in a row to block some of the view of the road that runs a few hundred feet from our house. Each spring those vines need to be pruned and so this week (a little late perhaps) I headed toward them with shears in hand. To the untrained eye one might think I cut them back too much. Though it might seem I have cut off more than half of the existing vines, in truth I only take away the shoots from the previous season. If I were to allow them to remain there would be new growth this year but its potential would be severely restricted. The vine would not have the ability to feed all of the previous season’s growth and still have what is needed to fuel the pace of the intended growth this year. 
I understand I have the ability to think of some crazy things. As I headed up the hill to prune the vines wielding the aforementioned shears I thought of what the vine might think if it had such ability. Would it be asking why I was cutting away what it had labored so diligently to grow last year, or would it be inviting me to free it to be able to meet its potential this season? Would it want to keep its old growth that might not produce as abundant a crop, but would also get to save the expenditure of energy on new growth? Perhaps, it is happy to see me coming though. Maybe it likes being unencumbered by past choices to be free to try to be even more fruitful this year. It’s silly I know but, please don’t judge my sanity just yet, I promise I am going somewhere with this.
In fact, it did get me thinking about the pruning God has to do in my life as I snipped away one old shoot and then another. I wasn’t cutting away that old growth for no reason, I was doing so in anticipation of the harvest. That time is many months away yet, but it must be considered now if it is to be all it can be. Scripture speaks of this very thing. 
John 15:1-8 in the New living translations says, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 
These verses say that God prunes the branches that bear fruit, so that they will bear ev...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Growth
I have spent this week in the bounty of the Blue Ridge. Most of you know from previous podcasts I have done that I think this the most gorgeous place in the world. Add to that the presence of my beautiful wife by my side and there is no place more stunning on the planet. Even as spring is still breaking forth here and some of the shrubs and trees are still without their full complement of leaves, these hills lack nothing. They are astounding in any season. 
Several years ago I strategically planted a half dozen grapevines in a row to block some of the view of the road that runs a few hundred feet from our house. Each spring those vines need to be pruned and so this week (a little late perhaps) I headed toward them with shears in hand. To the untrained eye one might think I cut them back too much. Though it might seem I have cut off more than half of the existing vines, in truth I only take away the shoots from the previous season. If I were to allow them to remain there would be new growth this year but its potential would be severely restricted. The vine would not have the ability to feed all of the previous season’s growth and still have what is needed to fuel the pace of the intended growth this year. 
I understand I have the ability to think of some crazy things. As I headed up the hill to prune the vines wielding the aforementioned shears I thought of what the vine might think if it had such ability. Would it be asking why I was cutting away what it had labored so diligently to grow last year, or would it be inviting me to free it to be able to meet its potential this season? Would it want to keep its old growth that might not produce as abundant a crop, but would also get to save the expenditure of energy on new growth? Perhaps, it is happy to see me coming though. Maybe it likes being unencumbered by past choices to be free to try to be even more fruitful this year. It’s silly I know but, please don’t judge my sanity just yet, I promise I am going somewhere with this.
In fact, it did get me thinking about the pruning God has to do in my life as I snipped away one old shoot and then another. I wasn’t cutting away that old growth for no reason, I was doing so in anticipation of the harvest. That time is many months away yet, but it must be considered now if it is to be all it can be. Scripture speaks of this very thing. 
John 15:1-8 in the New living translations says, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 
These verses say that God prunes the branches that bear fruit, so that they will bear even more fruit. I know from pruning my grapevines that I don’t do it out of anger and frustration, I do it carefully and with goodwill toward the plant. I don’t hack away at it indiscriminately, I thoughtfully choose what goes and what will remain based on what will make the vine most fruitful. God does the same with us. It is the branch that produces no fruit that is cut off. The rest He carefully removes what will hinder our new growth and fruit producing ability. He does so lovingly, for our good, so we can bear much fruit that will showcase the goodness of the Gardener! 
Hebrews 12:5-6 in the message says, My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. It is because God loves us so that He desires our lives produce good fruit. He knows that if we are going to have bountiful lives He sometimes has to cut off that which will hinder our new growth. Jesus said that He is the vine and we are the branches. If we remain connected to the vine we will produce much fruit. The fruit we bear make us by extension the ones who bear Christ’s fruit. Meaning our fruit must look like His fruit. Anything that detracts from that needs to be removed. I don’t know about you, but I am anxious for that kind of pruning to take place in my life. 
When I approached my vines to prune them I came armed with a pair of sharp pruning shears. I need the cuts to be accurate and clean so the branches heal quickly and the energy can then be expended on the desirable new growth. So what does God use to prune us? He uses the conviction of the Holy Spirit to highlight where to cut, but He also needs a sharp blade that will be effective and efficient in His hand. Hebrews 4:12 describes His pruning shears like this, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 speak further of the effectiveness of His shears aka His Word. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

God is so very good to us. He cares for us, makes sure we have everything we need and to be strong and fruitful and He lovingly removes the things that hinder our good new growth. He wants us to bear good fruit…more than that, He wants us to want to bear good fruit. That is why Jesus ended His discussion with His disciples about profitable vineyard keeping practices explaining just what kind of fruit He was looking for. 
John 15:9-17 describes the good fruit He wants to see in us in great abundance. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My Name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
So now, accepting His loving pruning in your life, bear the good fruit that Jesus gives you the ability to, love one another just like He loved you…and Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7870fabd854ce49b19bb428449acb244.mp3" length="11816565" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7870fabd854ce49b19bb428449acb244.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-growth</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Jesus' Thoughts On A Painfully Necessary Thursday - April 14th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.

One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in Jo...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.

One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in John chapter 17 come directly from the prayer Jesus prayed the evening before his crucifixion. We know that took place at Passover, on the day we call Good Friday, so it stands to reason these words of our Lord were spoken on a Thursday evening.

This prayer of Christs’ is essentially made up of three parts. In the first part He prayed for Himself. In the second section He prayed for His disciples, and finally He prayed for us…for you and for me. It is the final portion I usually find so special because Jesus is literally praying for us, and expressing that the reason He was willing to go to the cross was so that He would be able to spend eternity, being one with us, in heaven, forever! When I recognize the gravity of that it is so moving. Let it hit you for a minute. Jesus loves you so very much that He can’t bear the thought of spending eternity without you. His love for you is so immense…so intense that when faced with the choice of an agonizing death or being separated from you forever…He chose the cross! There is literally no way you or I could be loved more completely.

Going back to the second portion of Jesus prayer, He prayed for His disciples. He specifically prayed that rather than them being taken out of the world alongside Himself, that they would instead be enabled by God to remain behind and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, offer their testimony to others about The Christ. Again He was willing for their pain to necessarily be endured that we might know through their ministry His great love for us.

Today however, my thoughts are focused on the beginning of His prayer. Here Jesus prays for Himself. Verse 1 of that chapter tells us that Jesus asked for God’s help with what was coming. We read that He opened his prayer with these words.  “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…” We know that this was an incredibly difficult time for Jesus. In Matthew’s account found in chapter 26 of his gospel it tells us that Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful, to the point of death. There we read that He prayed that if it was at all possible, if there were any other way to get the same result, He asked God to choose that, instead of what He knew was in store for Him. However, we read that He relented, that if there was no other way, He would submit to this one. Why? Again, He was unwilling that we be left without a way to be one with Him forever. You can read other accounts of this same prayer recorded in Mark 14 and Luke chapter 22.

Why did Jesus need encouragement so badly that Luke’s account tells us God sent an angel specifically to strengthen Him? Why would the Son of God need to pray for Himself? Because He knew that what was coming was going to hurt. Obviously He knew it would hurt physically. Jesus had likely seen crucifixions. It was the barbaric way the Romans executed those they found deserving of capital punishment. It was so brutal that the Jewish people didn’t think a dog deserved to die in that fashion. To their way of thinking it was completely inhumane. The Bible tells us Jesus was well aware that this was the painful way in which He was going to be put to death. It says that He told His disciples that the Son of man...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.

One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in John chapter 17 come directly from the prayer Jesus prayed the evening before his crucifixion. We know that took place at Passover, on the day we call Good Friday, so it stands to reason these words of our Lord were spoken on a Thursday evening.

This prayer of Christs’ is essentially made up of three parts. In the first part He prayed for Himself. In the second section He prayed for His disciples, and finally He prayed for us…for you and for me. It is the final portion I usually find so special because Jesus is literally praying for us, and expressing that the reason He was willing to go to the cross was so that He would be able to spend eternity, being one with us, in heaven, forever! When I recognize the gravity of that it is so moving. Let it hit you for a minute. Jesus loves you so very much that He can’t bear the thought of spending eternity without you. His love for you is so immense…so intense that when faced with the choice of an agonizing death or being separated from you forever…He chose the cross! There is literally no way you or I could be loved more completely.

Going back to the second portion of Jesus prayer, He prayed for His disciples. He specifically prayed that rather than them being taken out of the world alongside Himself, that they would instead be enabled by God to remain behind and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, offer their testimony to others about The Christ. Again He was willing for their pain to necessarily be endured that we might know through their ministry His great love for us.

Today however, my thoughts are focused on the beginning of His prayer. Here Jesus prays for Himself. Verse 1 of that chapter tells us that Jesus asked for God’s help with what was coming. We read that He opened his prayer with these words.  “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…” We know that this was an incredibly difficult time for Jesus. In Matthew’s account found in chapter 26 of his gospel it tells us that Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful, to the point of death. There we read that He prayed that if it was at all possible, if there were any other way to get the same result, He asked God to choose that, instead of what He knew was in store for Him. However, we read that He relented, that if there was no other way, He would submit to this one. Why? Again, He was unwilling that we be left without a way to be one with Him forever. You can read other accounts of this same prayer recorded in Mark 14 and Luke chapter 22.

Why did Jesus need encouragement so badly that Luke’s account tells us God sent an angel specifically to strengthen Him? Why would the Son of God need to pray for Himself? Because He knew that what was coming was going to hurt. Obviously He knew it would hurt physically. Jesus had likely seen crucifixions. It was the barbaric way the Romans executed those they found deserving of capital punishment. It was so brutal that the Jewish people didn’t think a dog deserved to die in that fashion. To their way of thinking it was completely inhumane. The Bible tells us Jesus was well aware that this was the painful way in which He was going to be put to death. It says that He told His disciples that the Son of man would be “lifted up” as on a cross, so that they too would know the manner in which He was going to die. Jesus knew that physically speaking the crucifixion was going to hurt, in fact, it was going to be excruciatingly painful.

Jesus also knew it was going to hurt emotionally. Just days before this prayer was being lifted to the Father, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem triumphantly. He had come in riding on the back of a colt. People had thronged to see him and to have the opportunity to wave palm branches and even pave his entrance to the city by throwing their clothes down on the road under His mount. He had received from them a welcome fit for a king! We are told that as He took that ride He looked at the city stretching out before Him and said sorrowfully, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, oh how I would have gathered and cared for you like a hen gathers and protects her chicks…but you would not have it”. As Jesus prayed that evening in the garden, I think He knew that the next day some of those same voices that had heralded His entrance with “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” would soon be following another crowd and vilely spewing the words filled with hatred, “Crucify Him...Crucify Him!”. I think Jesus was also in such distress because He knew emotionally, it was going to hurt beyond belief!

I believe Jesus also knew it was going to hurt almost unbearably, in a spiritual sense. Remember, Jesus was willing to go through all of this because He could not bear the thought of spending eternity without you. If there was any less of a payoff than that…it would not have been worth it to Him. In fact, in the final part of the prayer recorded in John 17 it tells us that He prayed these words, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us…” (John 17:20-21 NKJV) Jesus proclaimed He was doing this entirely to enjoy a oneness with us. Hebrews Chapter 12 tells us that it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross. What was the joy? Oneness with us!

So what was this excruciating spiritual pain that was coming, that needed prayer to enable Him to overcome? Jesus was fully aware that to enjoy that oneness with us, He had to take upon Himself our sin. He understood that to do that was going to mean that His Father who had been one with Him for eternity…was going to be forced to separate Himself from Him. There had never been a time when He and The Father had not been one, but if Jesus were to enrobe Himself with our sin, so that we could wear His robes of righteousness, the Father was going to be forced to turn His face away from His only Son! Just a few hours after this time of prayer, Jesus would be crying out to His Father in agony…”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!?! Let that rest on you for a moment. Jesus was so desirous that we not be separated from Him that He was willing to spend the darkest, most physically, and most emotionally pain filled time of His eternal existence separated from His Father for our sakes. The one who had been with Him forever, was going to turn His back on Him, and that was the plan Jesus was asking for strength to endure…all to have an eternal oneness with you and with me.

Jesus needed prayer that Thursday because He knew that Friday would bring the worst pain imaginable…physically, emotionally and spiritually. The Bible tells us that Jesus desires that no one should perish, but that all would be saved. His prayer on that particularly difficult Thursday and His actions on an awful, and unbelievably painful Friday prove He is all in because He was willing to die for us. In response to that, anything less than being ready and willing to live for Him doesn’t even make sense! We might not have the opportunity to do that except for the resurrection power of God who raised Jesus from the grave just three days later and placed Him on the throne of highest authority in Heaven! Glory to God for the Easter morning miracle that restored our wonderful, sweet, sweet Savior to His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. He deservedly sits on the throne of Heaven, and equally deserves to sit on the throne of our very lives!

So now, under the weight of His incredible love for You…normally I would tell you to go be awesome…but today I think we should all Go thank Him for being so awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/21cd791657bc9ca9d61ffb13e9433c02.mp3" length="13420925" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/21cd791657bc9ca9d61ffb13e9433c02.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/jesus-thoughts-on-a-painfully-necessary-thursday-april-14th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Renewed Oneness]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken, Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I have entitled this episode…Renewed Oneness.
At the beginning of next week, we will celebrate Easter. One might ask what Easter has to do with marriage. At first gl...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken, Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I have entitled this episode…Renewed Oneness.
At the beginning of next week, we will celebrate Easter. One might ask what Easter has to do with marriage. At first glance it may not seem like an easy correlation to draw. However, there are several aspects of the scriptural account surrounding Easter that are directly connected to marriage.
First is the prayer spoken by Jesus the night before He was crucified. There he prayed for Himself that He would have the strength to follow through with the plan He and the Father had been committed to since before the world was even created. 1 Peter 1:19-21 tells us, But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Jesus knew this was going to be a very painful event in every way a person can experience pain. It was going to hurt Him physically, emotionally and spiritually, but He was willing for it because it was necessary to express his love for His bride…more on that in a moment. 
In the second part of the prayer, Jesus prayed for the strengthening of His disciples knowing also the difficulty that lay ahead for them. The third part of His prayer that awful Thursday night is the portion I want to focus on today. That section is found in John 17:20-26. There it is recorded that Jesus prayed; “I do not pray for these alone [the disciples], but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” So what does this have to do with marriage? As I have mentioned before, in the Greek language there are often many words that translate into one word in English because where a singular word in our language may mean several different things, in the Greek there is a different word for each of those meanings. So in Greek the word that we translate into “one” in the verses above where Jesus is asking that we be “one” with one another, just like He is “one” with the Father, and that we be “one” with them is the same word that He used in Matthew 19:6 where He said “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” The significance of this is that the Greek word used means the same thing as our word homogenize. It means to mix or blend two separate things so completely that they can no longer be successfully separated again. The obvious illustration of this is homogenized milk, where the milk and...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken, Thanks for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. I have entitled this episode…Renewed Oneness.
At the beginning of next week, we will celebrate Easter. One might ask what Easter has to do with marriage. At first glance it may not seem like an easy correlation to draw. However, there are several aspects of the scriptural account surrounding Easter that are directly connected to marriage.
First is the prayer spoken by Jesus the night before He was crucified. There he prayed for Himself that He would have the strength to follow through with the plan He and the Father had been committed to since before the world was even created. 1 Peter 1:19-21 tells us, But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Jesus knew this was going to be a very painful event in every way a person can experience pain. It was going to hurt Him physically, emotionally and spiritually, but He was willing for it because it was necessary to express his love for His bride…more on that in a moment. 
In the second part of the prayer, Jesus prayed for the strengthening of His disciples knowing also the difficulty that lay ahead for them. The third part of His prayer that awful Thursday night is the portion I want to focus on today. That section is found in John 17:20-26. There it is recorded that Jesus prayed; “I do not pray for these alone [the disciples], but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” So what does this have to do with marriage? As I have mentioned before, in the Greek language there are often many words that translate into one word in English because where a singular word in our language may mean several different things, in the Greek there is a different word for each of those meanings. So in Greek the word that we translate into “one” in the verses above where Jesus is asking that we be “one” with one another, just like He is “one” with the Father, and that we be “one” with them is the same word that He used in Matthew 19:6 where He said “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” The significance of this is that the Greek word used means the same thing as our word homogenize. It means to mix or blend two separate things so completely that they can no longer be successfully separated again. The obvious illustration of this is homogenized milk, where the milk and cream have been blended to the point that the cream no longer separates itself from the milk and rises to the top of the container. In both instances Jesus is saying the same thing. In the one, He is saying God homogenizes a man and a woman into an entity called marriage. In the other He is praying that He will have what it takes to follow through with the plan so that we can be homogenized with Him and be provided a way to be inseparably joined with Him forever in Heaven. His desire for oneness with us is illustrated in the oneness God endows us with as husband and wife in marriage. 
The second correlation between Easter and marriage is found in Christ’s willingness to go to the cross for our blessing. Before Jesus came to earth He had reigned in the heavens with the Holy Spirit and the Father forever. They had existed, unseparated, homogenized, One for all of eternity past. Aside from the plan referenced above in 1 Peter, Jesus had no need to come to earth and die a horrible death, we had need of him to come. He left the perfection of heaven and lived as one of His own creation in a completely and totally imperfect world solely for our good. He calls us His bride and references the fact that it was the love of a Husband that led Him to the cross. 
Ephesians 5:25-29 says; Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. Romans 12:10 tells us that as a result of our love, we are to prefer one another. Jesus choosing to come to Earth and die in our place to pay the penalty for our sins for us is the ultimate example of preferring another over self. Jesus lowered Himself from His rightful position expressly for the purpose of elevating us, the church, His bride to an undeserved position. The events of Good Friday and Easter are the perfect gifts given to us, the bride, as a result of the perfect Love of our Bridegroom. It has always been the plan because with foreknowledge that Adam would fall to sin and interrupt the oneness he enjoyed with God in the Garden God made a way for Renewed Oneness.
Questions to answer:
1.	Have you ever made the connection between Easter and marriage?
2.	As you recognize the correlations I have mentioned today, what new meaning do these events mentioned have for you?
3.	Are there any other connections you can think of between Easter and marriage?
Actions to take: 
1.	Take time today together to thank God for the plan He put in place to make a way for your renewed oneness with Him.
2.	If you never have realized that Jesus came to make a way for you to stand together with Him free of your sin, thank Him now for coming and dying in your place. Tell Him you want to be connected with Him forever as one and that you now desire Him to be your personal Lord and Savior for the rest of eternity. Do that now in your own words and you will begin an incredible and amazing journey of love with Him the likes of which you have never known!
So now living out the oneness of your marriage in a way that responds to what Jesus did for you to provide renewed oneness with Him …Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b649b9b0d84ba25544fa463e4c5d11d4.mp3" length="11844798" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b649b9b0d84ba25544fa463e4c5d11d4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/renewed-oneness</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Normal - April 7th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Normal
“New normal” is a statement that gets used a lot these days. I have to admit that I have even used it in my counseling room, though in light of this edition to my podcast, I am cons...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Normal
“New normal” is a statement that gets used a lot these days. I have to admit that I have even used it in my counseling room, though in light of this edition to my podcast, I am considering eliminating it all together from my vernacular. 
Just two years ago as a result of the pandemic, we were all essentially forced to sequester ourselves in our homes as much as possible. While we were still allowed to leave to do things deemed essential, like shop, other things were deemed too dangerous and we were commanded not to leave the safety of our houses for those things, like corporate worship. It was all a part of the “New normal” we were told.   It didn’t matter that for all of human history prior to that time we quarantined the sick, in our “New normal” we were going to have to enact that measure on those were perfectly healthy as well. 
It wasn’t all that long ago we were still being asked to accept that when we were in public we would have to cover our faces with a mask, it was just the “New normal”. That “New normal” had so many unintended consequences. Physically, emotionally, mentally and even socially. It created enough other problems that eventually even those forcing the policy had to recognize the dangers being averted were likely not as great as the ones being caused. Thankfully, these above mentioned “New normals” have been for the most part restored to the old.
Recently I heard this same phrase being offered by the media to explain away some of the things happening in our nation. It was mentioned in regards to runaway gas prices. The pundit I was listening to was explaining that these higher prices were here to stay. Until we weaned ourselves of our need for fossil fuels and learned how to use renewable energy sources to propel our lives, we would just have to get used to the “New normal” of astronomically high prices at the pump. On that same program, the panel assembled advised that Americans should also get used to higher expenses across the board as transportation costs for goods and services continued to rise as a result of the higher cost of fuel. Their take on inflation is that higher prices are the “New normal” and we will all just have to accept and get used to it.
Morality is another area we are being asked to accept a “New normal”. When “Mostly peaceful protests” cost taxpayers and insurance companies billions of dollars from the ensuing damage, we were asked to accept it as the “New normal” of social justice. As the family structure is discarded as unimportant because marriage and fidelity are considered old fashioned, we are told to simply understand that those are personal decisions and we have no right to disagree and force our ideals on others. It’s just the “New normal”. Entire cities have even acquiesced to the stipulation that unless loss from thievery is in excess of $900.00 a robbery hasn’t even occurred. Those businesses affected by such “grand lunacy” are told not to consider it being robbed, and call the police. Rather, they should see it as “Loss of inventory” and call their insurance agent. After all, can’t we all just admit we are living in a “New normal”? 
What does God’s word have to say about our “New normal”? Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us; That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun. (Amplified Version) Yet, it seems im...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Normal
“New normal” is a statement that gets used a lot these days. I have to admit that I have even used it in my counseling room, though in light of this edition to my podcast, I am considering eliminating it all together from my vernacular. 
Just two years ago as a result of the pandemic, we were all essentially forced to sequester ourselves in our homes as much as possible. While we were still allowed to leave to do things deemed essential, like shop, other things were deemed too dangerous and we were commanded not to leave the safety of our houses for those things, like corporate worship. It was all a part of the “New normal” we were told.   It didn’t matter that for all of human history prior to that time we quarantined the sick, in our “New normal” we were going to have to enact that measure on those were perfectly healthy as well. 
It wasn’t all that long ago we were still being asked to accept that when we were in public we would have to cover our faces with a mask, it was just the “New normal”. That “New normal” had so many unintended consequences. Physically, emotionally, mentally and even socially. It created enough other problems that eventually even those forcing the policy had to recognize the dangers being averted were likely not as great as the ones being caused. Thankfully, these above mentioned “New normals” have been for the most part restored to the old.
Recently I heard this same phrase being offered by the media to explain away some of the things happening in our nation. It was mentioned in regards to runaway gas prices. The pundit I was listening to was explaining that these higher prices were here to stay. Until we weaned ourselves of our need for fossil fuels and learned how to use renewable energy sources to propel our lives, we would just have to get used to the “New normal” of astronomically high prices at the pump. On that same program, the panel assembled advised that Americans should also get used to higher expenses across the board as transportation costs for goods and services continued to rise as a result of the higher cost of fuel. Their take on inflation is that higher prices are the “New normal” and we will all just have to accept and get used to it.
Morality is another area we are being asked to accept a “New normal”. When “Mostly peaceful protests” cost taxpayers and insurance companies billions of dollars from the ensuing damage, we were asked to accept it as the “New normal” of social justice. As the family structure is discarded as unimportant because marriage and fidelity are considered old fashioned, we are told to simply understand that those are personal decisions and we have no right to disagree and force our ideals on others. It’s just the “New normal”. Entire cities have even acquiesced to the stipulation that unless loss from thievery is in excess of $900.00 a robbery hasn’t even occurred. Those businesses affected by such “grand lunacy” are told not to consider it being robbed, and call the police. Rather, they should see it as “Loss of inventory” and call their insurance agent. After all, can’t we all just admit we are living in a “New normal”? 
What does God’s word have to say about our “New normal”? Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us; That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun. (Amplified Version) Yet, it seems impossible that this old world has ever been like it is today. Paul wrote however that; “…When [people] measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools”. (2 Corinthians 10:12 AMP) That statement certainly bears itself out to be true. When we rightly compare ourselves to God we have something to glorify and reflect because we have been created by Him in His image and His likeness. His righteousness gives us example of how we are to act and what we ought to do. His instruction to us shows us the correct way to interact not only with Him but also with those around us. He is loving and selfless and through relationship with Him and understanding of His word we are given opportunity to be the same toward others. However, when we begin comparing ourselves to ourselves, we see only our peers, our equals and our selfish nature drives us to discover what we deserve and how they should treat us. When you take that into consideration, men and women have been doing exactly that since the beginning of time…I guess there really isn’t anything new under the sun. But still… Should we simply accept it as the “New normal”?
This week in my regular time with the Lord I was reading in the book of 2 Timothy. In the fourth chapter of that letter from the Apostle Paul to his spiritual son Timothy, Paul instructed him, and us how to deal with “New Normals”.  2 Timothy 4:2-5 in the Amplified Version reads as follows. Preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
When I read these words penned by the Apostle Paul, they almost seem to be written to the 21st century church in regards to the educational system of our day. Our schools and universities are currently seeking out teachers and professors who will validate the nonsensical thought processes that fulfill the selfish desires of mankind. Their academic stature is lent to offer legitimacy to the “New normals”. 
But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry. (vs 5) Our mission is clear…continue to speak truth. Don’t shy away from it, don’t stand down from it. Most importantly however, never do it in the absence of love. Scripture is clear, correction without love will never be seen as anything but irritating. Irritating confused people is not, has never been, nor ever will be an effective way to point them to the truth. Love on the other hand is able to empathize with one who is misunderstanding, while not agreeing with their misconception. We have all at times tried to justify our own ungodliness, we shouldn’t be surprised when someone else tries to do the same. 
1 Peter 3:15 encourages us as to the importance of measuring out the truth about “New normals” in a loving way. But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.
So now, taking up the ministry of lovingly offering truth about “New normals” to the lost and confused world around you…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5423647acb8a0245dc35045316d6fe42.mp3" length="12956357" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5423647acb8a0245dc35045316d6fe42.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-normal-april-7th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Are You Choosing Correctly?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message, thanks for joining me today. Are You Choosing Correctly?
When I go to the card store to buy my wife a card for Valentine’s day, her birthday, our anniversary or some other reason I always have a bit...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message, thanks for joining me today. Are You Choosing Correctly?
When I go to the card store to buy my wife a card for Valentine’s day, her birthday, our anniversary or some other reason I always have a bit of difficulty finding the right one. It isn’t that they don’t all say wonderful things; it’s just that there are very few that say it the way I would. One of the things I find that many of them do say in one way or another is; “If I had to choose all over again…I would choose you.” While this is true, it is but one of thousands of choices that need to be made correctly if our marriages are to be what God wants them to be. 
There have been too many times that a wife or a husband has come into my office and proclaimed that they are afraid they chose the wrong spouse when they married. Their marriages have experienced problems, some of them legitimately hurtful difficulties. The results of those have left them wondering if they made the wrong choice. Obviously I can’t be as direct and succinct in the counseling room as I am able to be in this format, but ultimately the truth still has to be spoken…the choice they are referencing is but one of many and in no way negates the necessity to continue to make the right ones…even following or enduring emotional pain.
I have had the privilege to officiate at many weddings and remember vividly my own with my lovely wife. It is there that we stand before men and God and make promises to one another for a lifetime. In a sense it is the public announcement that we are choosing one another, just as those greeting cards elude to so often. It is a very important, life changing choice we are making, and it should be considered carefully before it is made. However, though we are supposed to be choosing for a lifetime, it isn’t the final choice we will need to make in terms of being married if our marriages are to go well. While the wedding day choice is monumental, it is the daily choices, the ones made moment by moment that make or break the outcome of any marriage.
When I offer premarital counsel to a couple getting ready for the day they will proclaim their vows to one another, I teach them how to make the correct choices in each of those critical moments that will affect their marriage either positively or negatively. I advise them to install an imperative filter in their thinking, and to use it so frequently that it becomes habitual. However, they will only be willing to utilize the filter if they recognize the truth that when they marry, they are losing the right to think ever again as an individual, because they will become a part of something much bigger than themselves. So, what is this all-important filter? Literally, every decision must only be made after this consideration…How will this affect my spouse? One might ask, every decision? Yes, every decision. In last week’s episode I made the point that you and your spouse are “One Flesh” according to Jesus. So, where you are, so is your spouse whether they are present physically speaking or not. Therefore, one must always use the filter to make the correct choices. If I say such-and-such, how would it affect my spouse if they heard me? If I go here-or-there, how would it affect my spouse if they were physically with me? If I look at that website, how would it affect my spouse if they were watching over my shoulder? If I interact flirtatiously with my co-worker, how would it affect my spouse if...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message, thanks for joining me today. Are You Choosing Correctly?
When I go to the card store to buy my wife a card for Valentine’s day, her birthday, our anniversary or some other reason I always have a bit of difficulty finding the right one. It isn’t that they don’t all say wonderful things; it’s just that there are very few that say it the way I would. One of the things I find that many of them do say in one way or another is; “If I had to choose all over again…I would choose you.” While this is true, it is but one of thousands of choices that need to be made correctly if our marriages are to be what God wants them to be. 
There have been too many times that a wife or a husband has come into my office and proclaimed that they are afraid they chose the wrong spouse when they married. Their marriages have experienced problems, some of them legitimately hurtful difficulties. The results of those have left them wondering if they made the wrong choice. Obviously I can’t be as direct and succinct in the counseling room as I am able to be in this format, but ultimately the truth still has to be spoken…the choice they are referencing is but one of many and in no way negates the necessity to continue to make the right ones…even following or enduring emotional pain.
I have had the privilege to officiate at many weddings and remember vividly my own with my lovely wife. It is there that we stand before men and God and make promises to one another for a lifetime. In a sense it is the public announcement that we are choosing one another, just as those greeting cards elude to so often. It is a very important, life changing choice we are making, and it should be considered carefully before it is made. However, though we are supposed to be choosing for a lifetime, it isn’t the final choice we will need to make in terms of being married if our marriages are to go well. While the wedding day choice is monumental, it is the daily choices, the ones made moment by moment that make or break the outcome of any marriage.
When I offer premarital counsel to a couple getting ready for the day they will proclaim their vows to one another, I teach them how to make the correct choices in each of those critical moments that will affect their marriage either positively or negatively. I advise them to install an imperative filter in their thinking, and to use it so frequently that it becomes habitual. However, they will only be willing to utilize the filter if they recognize the truth that when they marry, they are losing the right to think ever again as an individual, because they will become a part of something much bigger than themselves. So, what is this all-important filter? Literally, every decision must only be made after this consideration…How will this affect my spouse? One might ask, every decision? Yes, every decision. In last week’s episode I made the point that you and your spouse are “One Flesh” according to Jesus. So, where you are, so is your spouse whether they are present physically speaking or not. Therefore, one must always use the filter to make the correct choices. If I say such-and-such, how would it affect my spouse if they heard me? If I go here-or-there, how would it affect my spouse if they were physically with me? If I look at that website, how would it affect my spouse if they were watching over my shoulder? If I interact flirtatiously with my co-worker, how would it affect my spouse if they witnessed it? It is easy to see how these decisions need to be made with that necessary filter installed if we are going to make the right choices, but the less critical ones are equally important. Why? Because all of them help us to learn to practically carry out the command given in Romans 12:10, In Love we are to prefer one another. 
The overall condition of your marriage is undoubtedly determined in the moment-by moment choices. However, it is not only our spouse we need to consider as we face the day-to day decisions we encounter. God has given us His instruction in how to walk together as husbands and wives…He even wrote it down for us so we could reference it as needed. The wise husband and wife are choosing to make time to access those written instructions daily. They are investing heavily in their own personal relationships with Jesus so they are capable of investing in their marriage correctly as well. Psalm 25:12-13 in the NIV says, Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land. In terms of marriage this verse encourages us that if we correctly understand our relationship with God, that He is the authority in our lives, He will tell us how to make the right choices, and our marriages will thrive as a result. Furthermore, our children, and our children’s children will have an awesome example of a godly marriage and theirs will be positively affected because of it.
 Maybe your marriage is suffering because poor choices have already been made. What then? First of all, take your frustration, hurt and even anger to the Lord. His word clearly indicates that we are to bother Him with the things that are bothering us…because He says He cares about us and so what bothers us does bother Him. (1 Peter 5:7) Additionally, this truth is an imperative understanding. Another person’s wrong choice toward me, does not negate my ability to choose correctly toward them. Any other mindset gives away all our power in the situation and there is nothing worse than being hurt AND powerless to do anything about it! Furthermore, in terms of reconciliation there is nothing more compelling than undeservedly being chosen by someone who has been wronged. Understanding that, Jesus instructed us; “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. Luke 6:27-28 Christ knew the power of using our power to return kindness for unkindness and wrongdoing toward us. It is indeed a powerful thing and often brings about incredible results.
Our choices matter. Our choices as married people have incredible consequences. Those choices can bring life to a marriage and keep it healthy and thriving, or they can bring pain, destruction, and even death to the relationship. Choose well.
Questions to answer:
1.	Do you see everyday decisions as having a profound effect on your marriage?
2.	What decisions do you make only after considering the effect it will have on your spouse?
3.	Do you think you need to adjust what decisions you do and don’t run through that filter?
Actions to take:
1.	Make note of the decisions you made just today that you might have chosen differently if your spouse had been right there with you.
2.	Understanding the power of decision, discern what choices that can be pre-decided and make those determinations right now so that if the occasion ever arises, the choices have already been made and you can confidently walk in those decisions.
3.	Share with each other the choices you are pre-deciding right now. (I assure you this action should not be skipped. It will have an incredible impact on the confidence of your marriage. It should even be done if poor, hurtful choices have been made in the past, perhaps even more so if this is the case.)
So now, choosing your spouse again, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, to enjoy the incredible marriage God wants you to have…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/495b97060de56a26b70b1f05f4fbe96e.mp3" length="12462356" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/495b97060de56a26b70b1f05f4fbe96e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/are-you-choosing-correctly</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Eye Exams - March 31st, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Eye Exams
The other day I was amused by a text I got from my eye doctor’s office. It said that it was time for my regular eye exam and that I should call and make an appointment to come in at...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Eye Exams
The other day I was amused by a text I got from my eye doctor’s office. It said that it was time for my regular eye exam and that I should call and make an appointment to come in at my earliest convenience. What made the text amusing was that I had just been in for my regular eye exam not two months ago. The text had been sent by a computer based on some past exam date, but obviously not taking into account my most recent visit. A marketing strategy no doubt, but funny to me none the less. I probably wouldn’t have found it particularly comical, but it was the eye doctor…all they had to do was look at my records…you know…with their eyes, and they would have seen I didn’t need to make an appointment. I smiled and thought perhaps I wasn’t the one in need of an eye exam!
It got me thinking though about how often the Holy Spirit has to notify me that I need to come in for an eye exam, because He is aware that I am not “seeing” things as clearly as I ought to. I must admit that it is often more than once-a-year. Sometimes I look around at the world around me and I think to myself…”This is crazy, everything is spiraling out of control.” In those moments I realize that my observations are very nearsighted. I am considering my circumstances from a temporal point of view. I don’t like whatever I am seeing because it isn’t conducive to an outcome I desire. For instance, there are times when I see the upheaval on the world stage and grow concerned for the well-being of my children and grandchildren. When I look at the self-serving attitude of our world leaders it can cause me to have grave concerns over the possible or might I even say probable outcome. Then the Holy Spirit reminds me it is time for an eye exam.
Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus about their nearsightedness too. He reminded them of what The Spirit reminds me of and what I want to remind you of today. King Jesus is still on the throne! He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present King! All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. (Matthew 28:18) God is, has always been, and will forever be in control. Nothing is above Him or beyond Him and He is a good, good Father. Additionally, we are promised that the same Holy Spirit that reminds me of the necessity of an eye exam is interceding for us in prayer as we go through whatever experience is causing us difficulty in any given moment. (Romans 8:26-27)
In the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesians we find in verses 17-23 what Paul wrote to encourage them in their nearsightedness that I want to encourage you with today. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fill...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Eye Exams
The other day I was amused by a text I got from my eye doctor’s office. It said that it was time for my regular eye exam and that I should call and make an appointment to come in at my earliest convenience. What made the text amusing was that I had just been in for my regular eye exam not two months ago. The text had been sent by a computer based on some past exam date, but obviously not taking into account my most recent visit. A marketing strategy no doubt, but funny to me none the less. I probably wouldn’t have found it particularly comical, but it was the eye doctor…all they had to do was look at my records…you know…with their eyes, and they would have seen I didn’t need to make an appointment. I smiled and thought perhaps I wasn’t the one in need of an eye exam!
It got me thinking though about how often the Holy Spirit has to notify me that I need to come in for an eye exam, because He is aware that I am not “seeing” things as clearly as I ought to. I must admit that it is often more than once-a-year. Sometimes I look around at the world around me and I think to myself…”This is crazy, everything is spiraling out of control.” In those moments I realize that my observations are very nearsighted. I am considering my circumstances from a temporal point of view. I don’t like whatever I am seeing because it isn’t conducive to an outcome I desire. For instance, there are times when I see the upheaval on the world stage and grow concerned for the well-being of my children and grandchildren. When I look at the self-serving attitude of our world leaders it can cause me to have grave concerns over the possible or might I even say probable outcome. Then the Holy Spirit reminds me it is time for an eye exam.
Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus about their nearsightedness too. He reminded them of what The Spirit reminds me of and what I want to remind you of today. King Jesus is still on the throne! He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present King! All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. (Matthew 28:18) God is, has always been, and will forever be in control. Nothing is above Him or beyond Him and He is a good, good Father. Additionally, we are promised that the same Holy Spirit that reminds me of the necessity of an eye exam is interceding for us in prayer as we go through whatever experience is causing us difficulty in any given moment. (Romans 8:26-27)
In the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesians we find in verses 17-23 what Paul wrote to encourage them in their nearsightedness that I want to encourage you with today. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 
Paul said that as a part of his prayer for the Ephesians he prayed regularly that they would know God better because he understood that would bring them wisdom and revelation about what was going on in the world around them. He said he also prayed that the “eyes of their hearts might be enlightened”. He was praying that they would receive corrective lenses. He wanted them to get new glasses. The same prescription that I need and that you need. What prescription is that? It’s the one that helps us see who is on the throne. Who the one is that has the greatest power and highest authority. They are the glasses that help us see that in fact no one in power on the world stage is there except that our Father, The God of all creation has placed them there, ultimately for His own purposes. Never allow the fact that God is good and we deem the leaders around us bad to lead you to the conclusion that God is not in control. God has used poor human rulers to bring about his will in his time all throughout history. Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, Herod, and Pilate come to mind just to name a few of those who were not for God, but were used in their places of earthly power by God to bring his plans to fruition.  
Paul went on to remind the Ephesians, as well as you and I  that God wants us to walk in the incomparable power that He has, the same power He used to raise Christ from the dead, the lowest of lows and then seat Him in the Heavens at His own right hand, the highest of all places. That same power that God exerted to put every world leader that ever existed, that currently exists and that ever will exist, under the authority and rule of Christ, God wants to infill you with, but you need the right glasses to see it.
So now, having understanding that you serve the greatest King of all time…ever, walk in confidence seeing the world around you for what it really is…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/74f2b52730681f57ccc24ba70819e2eb.mp3" length="7571401" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/74f2b52730681f57ccc24ba70819e2eb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/eye-exams-march-31st-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Poor Trade Off - March 28, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Poor Trade off.
In every premarital counseling opportunity, I have I spend part of one of the sessions exploring a concept I call “Stupid Honesty”. As I have mentioned here before...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Poor Trade off.
In every premarital counseling opportunity, I have I spend part of one of the sessions exploring a concept I call “Stupid Honesty”. As I have mentioned here before, the reason I have so named it is because if you operate your marriage at that level of honesty, your friends will think you are stupid. I understand that as I say that it is somewhat tongue-in cheek, but to some degree I am being serious. There is a common misconception out there that there are certain things we just can’t or shouldn’t divulge to our spouses. I call it a misconception because it is based on a false premise when it comes to marriage. That falsehood is that you are two individual beings who are able to decide for yourselves what level of connectedness you will have. Simply put, that’s not how this works.
In Genesis chapter two after God had presented Eve to Adam, wife to husband, Adam recognized that she was one with him. In a sense, God was offering to Adam his rib that he had taken from him in back, the form of Eve. Upon seeing her for the first time, Adam declared, “This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man” (Gen. 2:23). They were created of one flesh; they were provided for, and presented to each other in a married state. We know this is true because at the end of the chapter God referred to Eve as Adam’s wife…And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen.2:25). In Genesis 2:24 we read God’s declaration once Adam and Eve were present before Him. God said, “For this reason [the oneness condition of Adam and Eve] [going forward] a man shall leave his father and mother [his primary loyalty will shift] and be joined to his wife [by God] and they shall become one flesh [to replicate the oneness of Adam and Eve]. Adam and Eve were not viewed as individuals in the sense that they were both parts of a greater entity with a higher purpose than they could attain separately. According to God in the afore mentioned scripture you and your spouse are no longer individuals either, you also are the two parts of a greater entity…your marriage. Jesus affirmed this understanding in Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
In your oneness, honesty is more than a good idea, it is an indicator of marital health. I often use the following to illustrate that idea. I ask you, could a person could hold a ten dollar bill in their right hand so tightly that their left hand wouldn’t know what was in it? Of course not. Why? The answer is obvious. Both hands share a central nervous system. They are both parts of the same body. If the scenario above were possible it would only indicate there was some mental illness present. Jesus said that in marriage the two become one and are in fact no longer two, but one flesh. If this is the case (and it is), any lack of honesty within that marriage is the presentation of a marital illness.
Much like love is, honesty is an absolute, not an average. Being mostly honest is an oxymoron. The term is indicative that some level of dishones...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Poor Trade off.
In every premarital counseling opportunity, I have I spend part of one of the sessions exploring a concept I call “Stupid Honesty”. As I have mentioned here before, the reason I have so named it is because if you operate your marriage at that level of honesty, your friends will think you are stupid. I understand that as I say that it is somewhat tongue-in cheek, but to some degree I am being serious. There is a common misconception out there that there are certain things we just can’t or shouldn’t divulge to our spouses. I call it a misconception because it is based on a false premise when it comes to marriage. That falsehood is that you are two individual beings who are able to decide for yourselves what level of connectedness you will have. Simply put, that’s not how this works.
In Genesis chapter two after God had presented Eve to Adam, wife to husband, Adam recognized that she was one with him. In a sense, God was offering to Adam his rib that he had taken from him in back, the form of Eve. Upon seeing her for the first time, Adam declared, “This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man” (Gen. 2:23). They were created of one flesh; they were provided for, and presented to each other in a married state. We know this is true because at the end of the chapter God referred to Eve as Adam’s wife…And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen.2:25). In Genesis 2:24 we read God’s declaration once Adam and Eve were present before Him. God said, “For this reason [the oneness condition of Adam and Eve] [going forward] a man shall leave his father and mother [his primary loyalty will shift] and be joined to his wife [by God] and they shall become one flesh [to replicate the oneness of Adam and Eve]. Adam and Eve were not viewed as individuals in the sense that they were both parts of a greater entity with a higher purpose than they could attain separately. According to God in the afore mentioned scripture you and your spouse are no longer individuals either, you also are the two parts of a greater entity…your marriage. Jesus affirmed this understanding in Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
In your oneness, honesty is more than a good idea, it is an indicator of marital health. I often use the following to illustrate that idea. I ask you, could a person could hold a ten dollar bill in their right hand so tightly that their left hand wouldn’t know what was in it? Of course not. Why? The answer is obvious. Both hands share a central nervous system. They are both parts of the same body. If the scenario above were possible it would only indicate there was some mental illness present. Jesus said that in marriage the two become one and are in fact no longer two, but one flesh. If this is the case (and it is), any lack of honesty within that marriage is the presentation of a marital illness.
Much like love is, honesty is an absolute, not an average. Being mostly honest is an oxymoron. The term is indicative that some level of dishonesty exists and that contaminates the rest making it all dishonest. This is because there are two kinds of dishonesty. Lies of commission, an untruth being offered as a truth, and lies of omission, the withholding of truth to change the perceived meaning of a statement (or lack of one). Both are dishonesty, and all dishonesty contaminates honesty and renders it untrustworthy. This is why when someone is placed under oath in a court of law, they must profess to tell “The truth…The whole truth…and nothing but the truth.” You can find out more about “Stupid Honesty” in a podcast I produced by that title.
There are many reasons people use to justify operating within their marriages with dishonesty. They may believe that their spouse is too fragile emotionally and can’t handle the whole truth. They may say they are just trying to protect their spouse. They may be trying to avoid being in ‘trouble’. Sometimes people think withholding the whole truth will avoid a potential marital difficulty. Whatever their reasoning, they are thinking like an individual and not like a part of God ordained oneness with someone else. Greater still they are trading honesty for peace. The problem with this is simple. Honesty will grow and strengthen the oneness of marriage. Peace on the other hand does neither of those things for your marriage. It’s a poor trade off.
Is it always easy for spouses to interact in stupid honesty? Emphatically, NO! Will honesty avoid problems the marriage will have to work through? Absolutely not! Can honesty…genuine honesty ensure a peaceful existence? Not a chance! Will honesty over time strengthen your marriage and give it a necessary resilience that can endure even the most difficult and ugliest of truths…it sure can, and likely will, if you don’t trade it off to have a little bit of peace.
Questions to answer:  
1.	What things make it difficult for you to be totally honest (a redundancy I know) with your spouse?
2.	Why is it difficult to be honest in these areas of your marriage?
3.	Do you wish there was more honesty in your marriage or are you ok with the trade off?
Actions to take:
1.	Choose just one area that you may have been less than honest and find a loving and respectful way to be honest right now.
2.	Ask God to give both of you a desire to live in the oneness He gave you without any of the marital disease caused by dishonesty.
3.	Commit to not accepting the poor trade off of peace for honesty in your marriage going forward.
So now, desiring to avoid marital illness and learning to live in stupid honesty with your spouse every day…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ceedc45eccca58d77393ffb3c08ae28b.mp3" length="10294376" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ceedc45eccca58d77393ffb3c08ae28b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/poor-trade-off-march-28-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Renewal Of Spring! - March 24th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Renewal of Spring!

Ever since I was a kid I have loved spring. I love the warm lazy days of summer. Autumn is beautiful in a very colorful kind of way. Winter…well winter is winter, not...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Renewal of Spring!

Ever since I was a kid I have loved spring. I love the warm lazy days of summer. Autumn is beautiful in a very colorful kind of way. Winter…well winter is winter, not much appealing I can say about winter, but spring, spring is my favorite. Spring is when everything is new. There are new leaf buds breaking forth on the trees. The differing flowering trees seem to burst forth with new colors and fragrances each week for at least a month as if vying for my attention, and the grass awakens from its wintry slumber cropping up unevenly across my yard like a bad case of bed-head. Yes, of all the seasons, I love spring the most. No matter what the long winter has ushered into our lives, Spring is bursting forth with new promises. I think one of the things that endears this time of year to me is that it is an incredible time of renewal.

In my opinion our awesome God brings renewal to the earth every year in part to remind us regularly of our need to be diligent for His renewal in our lives as well. His word speaks of that necessary renewal and reminds us of His ability and desire to offer it to us. His love for us…all of us is so great, so intense, and so immense that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place so that we might live eternally with Him…the ultimate in renewal. Today I was thinking of some of the other places the Bible speaks of renewal.

Psalm 51:7-10 says; Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. King David wrote this Psalm after facing the sin he had committed against Bathsheba, Uriah, her husband, and God. David understood the gravity of his sin, and he also came to understand the mercy of his God. He knew that renewal could only come from God and humbly approached Him to receive it. King David also seemed to understand that forgiveness was not all he needed and asked that a steadfast spirit, or in other words one that would continuously seek righteousness would be renewed within him. We need that same steadfast spirit to be found within us.

Isaiah 40:31 is another well-known example of renewal. It reads; But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Here Isaiah is writing of the incredible, infallible strength, ability, and understanding of God. He also writes in the verses preceding this one that humans have limited amounts of those qualities. In response to these facts, he tells us that if we choose not to attempt to do things in our own abilities but rather look to God to empower us, we will experience a renewal of God’s strength being demonstrated through our lives. The Apostle Paul spoke of this same kind of renewal. He said that it is in our weaknesses that God is able to show Himself strong. In other words, it is in our weakness that God’s strength is seen in stark contrast as we are enabled by Him to do things far above our own abilities. When we find we are growing tired, we ought to recognize we are laboring in our own strength and that we need this very renewal.

Paul also wrote of a necessary renewal in Romans 12:2. There he wrote; And do n...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Renewal of Spring!

Ever since I was a kid I have loved spring. I love the warm lazy days of summer. Autumn is beautiful in a very colorful kind of way. Winter…well winter is winter, not much appealing I can say about winter, but spring, spring is my favorite. Spring is when everything is new. There are new leaf buds breaking forth on the trees. The differing flowering trees seem to burst forth with new colors and fragrances each week for at least a month as if vying for my attention, and the grass awakens from its wintry slumber cropping up unevenly across my yard like a bad case of bed-head. Yes, of all the seasons, I love spring the most. No matter what the long winter has ushered into our lives, Spring is bursting forth with new promises. I think one of the things that endears this time of year to me is that it is an incredible time of renewal.

In my opinion our awesome God brings renewal to the earth every year in part to remind us regularly of our need to be diligent for His renewal in our lives as well. His word speaks of that necessary renewal and reminds us of His ability and desire to offer it to us. His love for us…all of us is so great, so intense, and so immense that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place so that we might live eternally with Him…the ultimate in renewal. Today I was thinking of some of the other places the Bible speaks of renewal.

Psalm 51:7-10 says; Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. King David wrote this Psalm after facing the sin he had committed against Bathsheba, Uriah, her husband, and God. David understood the gravity of his sin, and he also came to understand the mercy of his God. He knew that renewal could only come from God and humbly approached Him to receive it. King David also seemed to understand that forgiveness was not all he needed and asked that a steadfast spirit, or in other words one that would continuously seek righteousness would be renewed within him. We need that same steadfast spirit to be found within us.

Isaiah 40:31 is another well-known example of renewal. It reads; But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Here Isaiah is writing of the incredible, infallible strength, ability, and understanding of God. He also writes in the verses preceding this one that humans have limited amounts of those qualities. In response to these facts, he tells us that if we choose not to attempt to do things in our own abilities but rather look to God to empower us, we will experience a renewal of God’s strength being demonstrated through our lives. The Apostle Paul spoke of this same kind of renewal. He said that it is in our weaknesses that God is able to show Himself strong. In other words, it is in our weakness that God’s strength is seen in stark contrast as we are enabled by Him to do things far above our own abilities. When we find we are growing tired, we ought to recognize we are laboring in our own strength and that we need this very renewal.

Paul also wrote of a necessary renewal in Romans 12:2. There he wrote; And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Here he cautioned us that as Christ followers we are not supposed to be comfortable looking like everyone else around us. Our actions, words and even thoughts are supposed to reflect the presence of God in our lives, so much so that our minds literally become renewed. In this renewed state of mind, we will act, speak and think differently than the world at large. He mentioned in Colossians 3:9-10 that since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, that through this renewal we will begin to conform once again to the image of God and reflect Him more accurately. This is an ongoing renewal that we should be seeing greater evidence of each day.

Finally, today I want to look at one more scripture of renewal. In his letter to Titus Paul wrote that this necessary renewal is nothing we can accomplish on our own. Nothing can renew itself. Just as it is only by the power of God that the earth goes through this time of renewal each year, it is no different for us. Renewal can only come through an outside source of power. Nothing is capable of self-renewal and we are no different. Even a plant creating and dropping its own seed must be sustained by earth, sun, and rain, none of which the plant has any power to control. We also need an outside source of power to experience the renewal we so desperately need. Titus 3:4-7 expresses this wonderfully. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His Mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit Whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

So now, enjoying the process of renewal in your own life and giving all glory and praise to God for making it possible…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/009c1e1043e5d89f51b5678195993f99.mp3" length="9529031" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/009c1e1043e5d89f51b5678195993f99.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-renewal-of-spring-march-24th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Never Fails]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for another Monday Marriage Message. This week we are finishing up with our study of the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. The final attribute of love as found there in verse 8 is this…Love nev...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for another Monday Marriage Message. This week we are finishing up with our study of the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. The final attribute of love as found there in verse 8 is this…Love never fails.
This verse goes on to mention some other very important activities and implies that they all have an endpoint or limitations. I believe this to be written in contrast to love. These things can fail, or in other words not withstand the tests of time, but love, real love, perfected love…never fails.
Never fails how? It never fails to continue to contain all of the attributes we have investigated over the past several episodes of this podcast. If you will allow me I would like to offer, based on the study we have been engaged in to write an expanded version of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
Love is patient. [When love is hurt or mistreated it refuses to retaliate even if everyone looking at the situation would understand if it did. Love will only display anger as the Lord directs, and otherwise will show incredible patience and even refrain from reacting negatively on the inside. Love never fails to be patient with the one being shown love.]
Love is kind. [Love has a charitable nature to it. Real love is sympathetic to the needs of others above self and desires to meet those needs whenever possible. Love does not do this to be recognized but rather to be useful. Love never fails to be kind toward the one being loved.]
Love does not envy. [Love does not react negatively because it is not being treated as it perceives it deserves to or because it sees someone else getting something it is not receiving. Aside from a lack of faithfulness love does not allow anger to be the result of jealousy. Love never fails to avoid being envious.]
Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. [Love does not point out all of the things it does for the one it says it loves. It does not make a show of ‘loving action’ or deeds so that it will be recognized. It does not require another to make a big deal of thankfulness and make that a condition of future loving action or threaten to withhold love if it is not properly compensated with appreciation. Love never fails to be humble.]
Love does not behave rudely. [Love does not act in ways that are improper or dishonorable. Love is never unseemly or indecent. Love is never coarse or vulgar. Love is careful with the one being loved regardless of whether the other is present or not. Love never fails to lift up another and never tears another down…not even in jest.]
Love does not seek its own. [love is not selfish. Love does not seek to further its own interests with no regard to others. Love actually looks for opportunities to further the interests of others even if it means doing so to the detriment of its own interest. Love understands that caring for others first is in its own best interest. Love never fails to put others above self and choose all of its words and actions from a position of selflessness.]
Love is not easily provoked, thinks no evil. [Real love does not easily become angry when it feels it is being mistreated. It does not decide that the only logical conclusion is that the perceived mistreatment has come from a bad or evil motive on the part of another. True love will instead attempt to interpret the words or actions of another as if they have come from a good and generous motivation. Love will choose to allow for some other explanation o...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for another Monday Marriage Message. This week we are finishing up with our study of the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. The final attribute of love as found there in verse 8 is this…Love never fails.
This verse goes on to mention some other very important activities and implies that they all have an endpoint or limitations. I believe this to be written in contrast to love. These things can fail, or in other words not withstand the tests of time, but love, real love, perfected love…never fails.
Never fails how? It never fails to continue to contain all of the attributes we have investigated over the past several episodes of this podcast. If you will allow me I would like to offer, based on the study we have been engaged in to write an expanded version of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
Love is patient. [When love is hurt or mistreated it refuses to retaliate even if everyone looking at the situation would understand if it did. Love will only display anger as the Lord directs, and otherwise will show incredible patience and even refrain from reacting negatively on the inside. Love never fails to be patient with the one being shown love.]
Love is kind. [Love has a charitable nature to it. Real love is sympathetic to the needs of others above self and desires to meet those needs whenever possible. Love does not do this to be recognized but rather to be useful. Love never fails to be kind toward the one being loved.]
Love does not envy. [Love does not react negatively because it is not being treated as it perceives it deserves to or because it sees someone else getting something it is not receiving. Aside from a lack of faithfulness love does not allow anger to be the result of jealousy. Love never fails to avoid being envious.]
Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. [Love does not point out all of the things it does for the one it says it loves. It does not make a show of ‘loving action’ or deeds so that it will be recognized. It does not require another to make a big deal of thankfulness and make that a condition of future loving action or threaten to withhold love if it is not properly compensated with appreciation. Love never fails to be humble.]
Love does not behave rudely. [Love does not act in ways that are improper or dishonorable. Love is never unseemly or indecent. Love is never coarse or vulgar. Love is careful with the one being loved regardless of whether the other is present or not. Love never fails to lift up another and never tears another down…not even in jest.]
Love does not seek its own. [love is not selfish. Love does not seek to further its own interests with no regard to others. Love actually looks for opportunities to further the interests of others even if it means doing so to the detriment of its own interest. Love understands that caring for others first is in its own best interest. Love never fails to put others above self and choose all of its words and actions from a position of selflessness.]
Love is not easily provoked, thinks no evil. [Real love does not easily become angry when it feels it is being mistreated. It does not decide that the only logical conclusion is that the perceived mistreatment has come from a bad or evil motive on the part of another. True love will instead attempt to interpret the words or actions of another as if they have come from a good and generous motivation. Love will choose to allow for some other explanation other than that its counterpart is simply mean. Love never fails to give the benefit of the doubt to another.]   
Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. [Because love desires to experience the grace and favor of God it adheres to His standards and righteous judgements. Love never fails to look to God’s word to determine how to interact with one another. It always understands that God’s precepts are best regardless of worldly wisdom or personal experience. Love does not fail to follow God’s precepts.]
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [Love protects and upholds another…all the time, it never fails to do this. Love knows what is best for the relationship according to God’s instruction and encourages the other to join them in following those precepts. It believes that the other also wants what is best regardless of the current circumstances. Love holds to the hope that as God’s laws for love are going to correct past and present missteps in the relationship. Perfected love calmly and steadfastly stands behind another while the imperfections are worked out both in self and in the one being loved. It understands and allows for the fact that there is more that could be done on both sides. Love never fails to uphold another understanding that it will likely have to lower self to elevate the one being loved.]
Love never fails. [Agape love never fails to do any of these things. Love is an absolute not an average. One cannot say that because they are loving in the ways above that they understand, they are completely loving. One cannot say that if they are illustrating the actions and attributes above that are being shown to them, they are loving as they should. Love is all of the above and is not complete if some of the above…even one seemingly small thing listed is not present.] 
So should we just recognize it is impossible to be all of these things all of the time and just give up on love? No. Should we then simply try to redefine love? Absolutely not! Attempting to redefine love or its parameters is what has caused so much difficulty for us in relationships to this point. God is love…let’s let the author of it tell us what it looks like. So what then? Why a seemingly impossible list of characteristics to a thing we are commanded to do? First reason, so we can have some understanding of the immensity and intensity of the Love God has for each and every one of us. Second reason, in my estimation it is an impossible list so that as imperfect human beings we have an understanding that when we feel someone is failing us, the same light we hold them up to, shows us to also fail them. It almost requires that we place ourselves in the same standing with one another and recognize God needs more from both of us, and will until we see Him face to face and are finally like Him…perfectly loving!
Questions to answer:
1.	Which of the attributes listed above are you doing well illustrating? 
2.	Which do you see your spouse demonstrate well?
3.	Which do you still have difficulty with?
Actions to take:
1.	Ask God to give you a real desire to learn to love in the ways He wants you to as we have discovered in this study. Especially the ones that are difficult for you.
2.	If possible, decide why those difficult attributes are troublesome for you. Determine if there are events or experiences in your life that attempt to convince you that God’s definition of love is not wise for you to accept, and seek His help in choosing to display love His way.
So now, with a greater understanding of the kind of Love God wants you to show others, just do it…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ae996b7b4d2f6d5bd7d7a81e9bd75e72.mp3" length="12604647" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ae996b7b4d2f6d5bd7d7a81e9bd75e72.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-never-fails</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:45</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Moments with God - March 20th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts And Gideon Lenny Brown]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 20th,  2022

Welcome and prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones

Worship:
02:43 - Holy spirit come
06:39 - Rescue
11:44 - I Exalt Thee

Message: Pastor R...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 20th,  2022

Welcome and prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones

Worship:
02:43 - Holy spirit come
06:39 - Rescue
11:44 - I Exalt Thee

Message: Pastor Rick Betts And Lenny Brown

22:46 - Psalms 119 : 9
23:39 - Psalms 119 : 11
24:26 - Psalms 119 : 105
33:09 -  Proverbs 16 : 20
33:09 - Isaiah 55 : 10-11
36:35 - John 17 : 15-17
38:42 - Romans 10 : 17
39:27 - Colossians 3:16
39:51 - Hebrews 4 : 12-13
40:44 - James 1 : 22

46:06 - Gideon Lenny Brown

55:56 - Closing prayer]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 20th,  2022

Welcome and prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones

Worship:
02:43 - Holy spirit come
06:39 - Rescue
11:44 - I Exalt Thee

Message: Pastor Rick Betts And Lenny Brown

22:46 - Psalms 119 : 9
23:39 - Psalms 119 : 11
24:26 - Psalms 119 : 105
33:09 -  Proverbs 16 : 20
33:09 - Isaiah 55 : 10-11
36:35 - John 17 : 15-17
38:42 - Romans 10 : 17
39:27 - Colossians 3:16
39:51 - Hebrews 4 : 12-13
40:44 - James 1 : 22

46:06 - Gideon Lenny Brown

55:56 - Closing prayer]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2ffaee02ee5fd163f881ab2e9f6553f7.mp3" length="38844637" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2ffaee02ee5fd163f881ab2e9f6553f7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/moments-with-god-march-20th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:02:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Turning The Tables - March 17th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Turning the tables.
Have you ever been stuck? I have. I am so glad that winter seems to be losing its icy grip on the landscape. Last weekend it seemingly made a last ditch effort to hang on…b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Turning the tables.
Have you ever been stuck? I have. I am so glad that winter seems to be losing its icy grip on the landscape. Last weekend it seemingly made a last ditch effort to hang on…but I think by in large, it’s over, at least for another year. When I was a teenager I was living in the frozen tundra that is otherwise known as the greater Buffalo, NY area. Snow would sweep in sometime around Halloween, definitely by Thanksgiving, and would swirl with consistency until Easter was on the horizon. It made for slick snowy roads and high snowbanks that seemed more like concrete than the white powder that had been piled to construct them. As a teenager, and with all of the foresight teenagers have, my limited driving and thinking skills left me stranded atop more than one snowbank alongside the road I was supposed to be traveling upon. When that happens you are what is commonly known as…stuck. You can’t go forward; you can’t back up. The car’s tires are held up off of the road’s surface by the snow trapped under the vehicle and you are well…stuck. You aren’t going anywhere because you are held captive by the snowbank. Speaking from experience, there isn’t much to do during your captivity except rethink every poor decision that got you there. Until you retrieve the shovel that hopefully is contained in the trunk and start shoveling there is nothing to do but have a good old fashioned pity party.
Sometimes people get stuck without a snowbank within a thousand miles. They get stuck and seemingly can’t get any traction. The poor decisions that got them stuck in the first place are now holding them captive running around and around in their minds pushing away any positive thoughts that dare to try to make an entrance. They fixate on past missteps and ruminate on poor choices. They play over and over the scenarios that got them where they are in that moment…stuck. They are held completely captive by the messaging and can’t seem to get anywhere. We call that particular snowbank…negative self-talk, and it can be very deep!
The Bible gives us the answer to this problem. 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ”. Whenever you realize your thoughts of regret, disappointment, frustration or anything else have been holding you captive, it’s time to turn the tables and take those thoughts captive…and as this scripture instructs…make them obedient to Christ! In other words, you get to be the captor instead of the captive…everything can change. Turning the tables isn’t possible though unless we have the necessary tools to do it. Just like I needed to keep that shovel in the trunk back in my teenage years to free me from the snowbanks, we have to keep the necessary tools handy to free us from negative self-talk.
When you want to battle piled up snow, you need a good shovel. When you need to battle piled up lies, you need to know the truth. Memorizing God’s word and the things it has to say about who we are in Christ can make a huge difference when we are trying to extract ourselves from the embankments of defeatist thoughts piled up and placed in our path by our spiritual enemy. Allow me to recommend a few of my favorite “shovels” tailor made for regaining traction.
•	Shovel full of truth #1 - I am a child of God - John 1:12 - Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of G...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Turning the tables.
Have you ever been stuck? I have. I am so glad that winter seems to be losing its icy grip on the landscape. Last weekend it seemingly made a last ditch effort to hang on…but I think by in large, it’s over, at least for another year. When I was a teenager I was living in the frozen tundra that is otherwise known as the greater Buffalo, NY area. Snow would sweep in sometime around Halloween, definitely by Thanksgiving, and would swirl with consistency until Easter was on the horizon. It made for slick snowy roads and high snowbanks that seemed more like concrete than the white powder that had been piled to construct them. As a teenager, and with all of the foresight teenagers have, my limited driving and thinking skills left me stranded atop more than one snowbank alongside the road I was supposed to be traveling upon. When that happens you are what is commonly known as…stuck. You can’t go forward; you can’t back up. The car’s tires are held up off of the road’s surface by the snow trapped under the vehicle and you are well…stuck. You aren’t going anywhere because you are held captive by the snowbank. Speaking from experience, there isn’t much to do during your captivity except rethink every poor decision that got you there. Until you retrieve the shovel that hopefully is contained in the trunk and start shoveling there is nothing to do but have a good old fashioned pity party.
Sometimes people get stuck without a snowbank within a thousand miles. They get stuck and seemingly can’t get any traction. The poor decisions that got them stuck in the first place are now holding them captive running around and around in their minds pushing away any positive thoughts that dare to try to make an entrance. They fixate on past missteps and ruminate on poor choices. They play over and over the scenarios that got them where they are in that moment…stuck. They are held completely captive by the messaging and can’t seem to get anywhere. We call that particular snowbank…negative self-talk, and it can be very deep!
The Bible gives us the answer to this problem. 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ”. Whenever you realize your thoughts of regret, disappointment, frustration or anything else have been holding you captive, it’s time to turn the tables and take those thoughts captive…and as this scripture instructs…make them obedient to Christ! In other words, you get to be the captor instead of the captive…everything can change. Turning the tables isn’t possible though unless we have the necessary tools to do it. Just like I needed to keep that shovel in the trunk back in my teenage years to free me from the snowbanks, we have to keep the necessary tools handy to free us from negative self-talk.
When you want to battle piled up snow, you need a good shovel. When you need to battle piled up lies, you need to know the truth. Memorizing God’s word and the things it has to say about who we are in Christ can make a huge difference when we are trying to extract ourselves from the embankments of defeatist thoughts piled up and placed in our path by our spiritual enemy. Allow me to recommend a few of my favorite “shovels” tailor made for regaining traction.
•	Shovel full of truth #1 - I am a child of God - John 1:12 - Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
•	Shovel full of truth #2 - I am forgiven - Ephesians 1:7 - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
•	Shovel full of truth #3 - I am one of Jesus’ friends - John 15:1 - I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
•	Shovel full of truth #4 - I am made in the image and likeness of my Heavenly Father - Genesis 1:27 - So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
•	Shovel full of truth #5 - I am created by God and made new in Christ Jesus - Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
•	Shovel full of truth #6 - God made me just the way He did…on purpose! - Psalm 139:14 - I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
•	Shovel full of truth #7 - This world is not my home, I am a citizen of Heaven - Philippians 3:20 - But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
•	Finally, shovel full of truth #8 - I am not a victim…Jesus makes me a victor! - Romans 8:37 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Don’t let those negative deceiving thoughts hold you captive any longer. Turn the tables. Instead, take captive those malicious thoughts impressed upon you by the devil and make them obedient to your loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Allow the truth to give you the traction you need and set you free…and watch that snowbank get smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror.
So now, turning the tables and shoveling out with the truth of God’s word…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4c7e4f8fd515c65167f0010bfe3493d8.mp3" length="8995671" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4c7e4f8fd515c65167f0010bfe3493d8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/turning-the-tables-march-17th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:15</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Loving In All Things]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Loving in all things.
We are nearing the end of our series on the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Today we focus on the qualities of love divulged in verse seven....]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[This is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Loving in all things.
We are nearing the end of our series on the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Today we focus on the qualities of love divulged in verse seven. [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As a marriage counselor I find this verse to be a real stumbling block for many people. Usually, by the time couples have decided their marriage is in need of help they aren’t sure they can bear one more thing, believe much of anything, most of their hope is gone and their endurance has run out or is about to. Because of those perceptions they take this verse to be proof that they are no longer in love and a reason to question if they ever really were. This is an unfortunate reading of this scripture and is based solely on their understanding of the English words on the page and the condition of their hurting hearts. As we have done for the entirety of this series I will also define the English according to Webster’s Dictionary, but as usual we will also look deeper into the original Greek text for a more complete and hope-filled understanding. Additionally, it is important to remember these are the attributes of Agape love (perfected love), not Eros (passionate love) or Phileo (friendship or brotherly) love.  
Allow me to refer now to Webster’s to define the keywords Bear, Believe, Hope and Endure. According to the dictionary, the word bear, as in bears all things, means to support the weight of, or to move while holding up and supporting (something). The word believe as in believes all things, means to accept something as true, genuine, or real, or to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something. Hope, as in hopes all things means, to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true, or to expect with confidence. Finally, the definition of endure as in endures all things is to continue in the same state, or to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding. Using these definitions alone it is easy to see the difficulty those hurting couples have. However, when utilized as the defining characterizations of perfected love, even these words convey a love we all desire to be loved with. We all want a love that will support us in all things. We all need to be loved by someone convinced that we are good and don’t act out of evil motivation. All of us desire to be loved by someone who is perpetually hopeful that we can be better people. Certainly all of us need a love that won’t give up on us when the going gets tough. We all need to be loved with a love like this. So, why then do we become reluctant to offer the same kind of love? Is it that we are unable or simply unwilling to give what we do not feel we are receiving?
What clarification can the original text offer? Some for sure. For instance, I was interested to know that the Greek word we translate to bears [all things] is stegó [sta-go] and according to Strong’s Bible Dictionary it literally means, to place under roof, to cover-over (with a roof); (figuratively) to endure because it is shielded. In other words, love shields or covers from trouble, love protects at all times. In this instance bearing all things really means holding up the roof in all circumstances over the one being protected. Who doesn’t want a love like that? The word we translate into believes [all things] is pist...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[This is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Loving in all things.
We are nearing the end of our series on the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Today we focus on the qualities of love divulged in verse seven. [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As a marriage counselor I find this verse to be a real stumbling block for many people. Usually, by the time couples have decided their marriage is in need of help they aren’t sure they can bear one more thing, believe much of anything, most of their hope is gone and their endurance has run out or is about to. Because of those perceptions they take this verse to be proof that they are no longer in love and a reason to question if they ever really were. This is an unfortunate reading of this scripture and is based solely on their understanding of the English words on the page and the condition of their hurting hearts. As we have done for the entirety of this series I will also define the English according to Webster’s Dictionary, but as usual we will also look deeper into the original Greek text for a more complete and hope-filled understanding. Additionally, it is important to remember these are the attributes of Agape love (perfected love), not Eros (passionate love) or Phileo (friendship or brotherly) love.  
Allow me to refer now to Webster’s to define the keywords Bear, Believe, Hope and Endure. According to the dictionary, the word bear, as in bears all things, means to support the weight of, or to move while holding up and supporting (something). The word believe as in believes all things, means to accept something as true, genuine, or real, or to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something. Hope, as in hopes all things means, to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true, or to expect with confidence. Finally, the definition of endure as in endures all things is to continue in the same state, or to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding. Using these definitions alone it is easy to see the difficulty those hurting couples have. However, when utilized as the defining characterizations of perfected love, even these words convey a love we all desire to be loved with. We all want a love that will support us in all things. We all need to be loved by someone convinced that we are good and don’t act out of evil motivation. All of us desire to be loved by someone who is perpetually hopeful that we can be better people. Certainly all of us need a love that won’t give up on us when the going gets tough. We all need to be loved with a love like this. So, why then do we become reluctant to offer the same kind of love? Is it that we are unable or simply unwilling to give what we do not feel we are receiving?
What clarification can the original text offer? Some for sure. For instance, I was interested to know that the Greek word we translate to bears [all things] is stegó [sta-go] and according to Strong’s Bible Dictionary it literally means, to place under roof, to cover-over (with a roof); (figuratively) to endure because it is shielded. In other words, love shields or covers from trouble, love protects at all times. In this instance bearing all things really means holding up the roof in all circumstances over the one being protected. Who doesn’t want a love like that? The word we translate into believes [all things] is pisteuei [pee-stu-o] in this context it means to assist in faith or belief. Simply put, this means that perfected love maintains the correct belief of how the relationship should behave regardless of the current circumstances and additionally it will help encourage its counterpart to maintain the same belief. The word we translate as hopes [all things] is elpizó [el-peez-oh] and means to expect, or to hope. There is a connotation that it is a hope in-birthed by God. This means that agape love recognizes that its hope is not in themselves or their spouse but rather is founded on the knowledge that God desires the best for them. Finally, the word we interpret endures [all things] is hupomenó [hoop-oh-men-a] and it means to stay behind, to await and to endure and in this context it means specifically to bear bravely and calmly. In other words, perfected love will be brave and steadfastly remain behind the one being loved regardless of what comes along. I don’t know anyone who would not like to know that they are loved with a love with that has that kind of backbone. When you add these qualities to the definitions above the result is the kind of love that truly will last a lifetime. I think one of the misconceptions we have sometimes that actually robs us of the ability to love as we should, is that love is a positive emotion. As I have pointed out throughout our journey through 1 Corinthians 13, love is not an emotion, love is actionable. Likewise, it does not always result in positive feelings. Though perfected love will not cause pain to be heaped upon another, neither will it avoid pain caused by another if that is what it is forced to accept, perfected love is far more concerned with others than itself. 
So how do we begin to operate in our marriages in a perfected love? How do we learn to give the kind of love we have to admit is the brand we would like to receive? 1 Peter 4:8 tells us, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. This statement is an interesting one. How is it that love covers a multitude of sins? Does this mean love will help us ignore that which we find offensive? Not really, what it does mean though as we have noted above, perfected love responds to offenses differently. It chooses in the moment to react in a truly loving manner which often allows the Holy Spirit to bring conviction where necessary so that the offensive behavior is addressed and changed. Forgiveness is integral to love. Ephesians 4:32 tells us, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Jesus said we can’t even experience the forgiveness of God if we don’t forgive one another. Forgiveness is a power move. It gives us the power to move as we ought to and be the person God wants us to be…even in situations we don’t necessarily want to be a part of. Romans 12:10 reminds us that perfected love is outward thinking rather than inward thinking. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Finally, looking to God as our example of perfected love…Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Questions to Answer:
1.	Which of the attributes from today’s study of perfected love is easiest for you to demonstrate?
2.	Which is most difficult?
3.	Why is forgiveness a power move? 
4.	Do you see it that way or do you look at forgiveness as an act of weakness?
Actions to Take:
1.	Talk with your spouse about which of the four qualities of agape love discussed today is counterintuitive in your way of thinking and why you see it that way.
2.	Discuss together why you want to be loved in each of these four ways and yet find it difficult at times to demonstrate your love for each other in these same ways.
3.	Pray that God will begin to make you more aware in the necessary moments of the correct responses to have so that you can be more consistent in illustrating perfected love.
So now, learning to give your spouse the kind of love you would like to receive from them, and in thankfulness that your God always loves you in that way…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4885d4fa736e2812b378d317c530601e.mp3" length="12806532" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4885d4fa736e2812b378d317c530601e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/loving-in-all-things</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Walk with Him - March 13th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 13th,  2022]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 13th,  2022]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 13th,  2022]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/fd3a7924507aa342c84eeb8b2d18a4de.mp3" length="36582202" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/fd3a7924507aa342c84eeb8b2d18a4de.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/walk-with-him-march-13th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What's The Difference? - March 10th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What’s The Difference?
Today I would like to consider two words in the English language. Prefer and Defer. These two words rhyme, and carry much the same meaning…so what’s the difference? Besi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What’s The Difference?
Today I would like to consider two words in the English language. Prefer and Defer. These two words rhyme, and carry much the same meaning…so what’s the difference? Besides spelling, the biggest difference I can come up with, and it’s an important distinction, is…motive.
If you go to the dictionary and look these words up, you will see what I am talking about. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word defer as; to submit to another’s wishes, opinion or governance. On the other hand, the same source defines the word prefer as; to like better, or to give priority to someone or something. So, to defer means to let someone else exercise authority in a situation. It is in fact choosing someone else over self but only because there is reason to offer that level of respect. We defer to someone when we decide they know more about a subject than we do, or they have more experience in a particular field than we might, or perhaps simply because they are bigger or more powerful in some way. I used to defer to my father because He was bigger than I was, and I didn’t desire to have that fact proven in a way I wasn’t going to like. To prefer someone however comes from a different motive altogether. We prefer that which we like more or most. For example, when my wife and I get ice cream I almost always get peanut butter swirl because I prefer it over the other options. I don’t choose that flavor because I am afraid of what will happen if I don’t, I choose it because I like it more than all the others.
We can allow someone else to have their way under either of these two principles. We can allow someone else to make decisions because for some reason we feel we should or must defer, or we can allow them to make choices that affect us because we prefer them over ourselves. Again it all boils down to motive. I have fourteen grandchildren. I could make my point if I only had one…but I like to brag about the fact there are fourteen of them. Over the years, I have played many games with my grandchildren. Some of them enjoy racing with me in the back yard. No matter what the case may be, I generally let them win, or make choices whenever possible. Why? I could just say that is what a good papa does, but there is more to it than that. This particular papa is incredibly competitive. In fact, I like to win at just about anything that can be turned into a competition. But when it comes to those grandkids I like something much more than winning…watching them win! Is it because I am afraid of what will happen if they don’t win? Not at all. I do not defer to them, I prefer them. I like seeing them win or choose more than I like to win or choose. I take my joy in the situation from experiencing their joy. What’s the difference? Motive. We defer out of fear, we prefer out of love.
Romans 12:10 gives us the most clear-cut example of this being scriptural. It says; Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. Paul says here that as a result of love, we should prefer one another. Sometimes I like to look at the reverse truth of a thing. That truth here would translate as follows: when we choose to prefer another person over ourselves that is an act of love. 
Paul also wrote in Philippians 2:1-4 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, i...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What’s The Difference?
Today I would like to consider two words in the English language. Prefer and Defer. These two words rhyme, and carry much the same meaning…so what’s the difference? Besides spelling, the biggest difference I can come up with, and it’s an important distinction, is…motive.
If you go to the dictionary and look these words up, you will see what I am talking about. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word defer as; to submit to another’s wishes, opinion or governance. On the other hand, the same source defines the word prefer as; to like better, or to give priority to someone or something. So, to defer means to let someone else exercise authority in a situation. It is in fact choosing someone else over self but only because there is reason to offer that level of respect. We defer to someone when we decide they know more about a subject than we do, or they have more experience in a particular field than we might, or perhaps simply because they are bigger or more powerful in some way. I used to defer to my father because He was bigger than I was, and I didn’t desire to have that fact proven in a way I wasn’t going to like. To prefer someone however comes from a different motive altogether. We prefer that which we like more or most. For example, when my wife and I get ice cream I almost always get peanut butter swirl because I prefer it over the other options. I don’t choose that flavor because I am afraid of what will happen if I don’t, I choose it because I like it more than all the others.
We can allow someone else to have their way under either of these two principles. We can allow someone else to make decisions because for some reason we feel we should or must defer, or we can allow them to make choices that affect us because we prefer them over ourselves. Again it all boils down to motive. I have fourteen grandchildren. I could make my point if I only had one…but I like to brag about the fact there are fourteen of them. Over the years, I have played many games with my grandchildren. Some of them enjoy racing with me in the back yard. No matter what the case may be, I generally let them win, or make choices whenever possible. Why? I could just say that is what a good papa does, but there is more to it than that. This particular papa is incredibly competitive. In fact, I like to win at just about anything that can be turned into a competition. But when it comes to those grandkids I like something much more than winning…watching them win! Is it because I am afraid of what will happen if they don’t win? Not at all. I do not defer to them, I prefer them. I like seeing them win or choose more than I like to win or choose. I take my joy in the situation from experiencing their joy. What’s the difference? Motive. We defer out of fear, we prefer out of love.
Romans 12:10 gives us the most clear-cut example of this being scriptural. It says; Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. Paul says here that as a result of love, we should prefer one another. Sometimes I like to look at the reverse truth of a thing. That truth here would translate as follows: when we choose to prefer another person over ourselves that is an act of love. 
Paul also wrote in Philippians 2:1-4 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (NIV) In this admonition, Paul is quite clear that preferring one another, or in his words, looking not to your own interests, but to the interests of others, is a result of several important conditions. First, being a Christ follower should make us want to prefer others. Second, the experience of Christ’s love toward us should make us desirous to prefer others. Third if we enjoy the privilege of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit it should motivate us to want to put others above ourselves. He said that if we have any tenderness or compassion it should drive us to prefer. Finally, he says that a heart of humility…which Jesus definitely encourages us to have…will choose to value others above self.
One might ask, if I prefer others, won’t that give them an open opportunity to run me over and make me their doormat? If I spend my time, resources and efforts to put others needs above my own, who is going to make sure I have what I need? I often hear these concerns or some variation of them in my counseling room. They are valid questions, and there are valid answers. Godly wisdom, which is the counsel found in God’s word in places like the scriptures above is governed by spiritual principles. Often they will not make sense to our human intelligence, sometimes they fly directly in the face of conventional worldly wisdom, and so they raise such questions. The spiritual principle that applies here however is that when I prefer my wife or children or grandchildren or anyone else for that matter, they no longer have to look out to see that their needs are being met, because I am busy meeting them. This frees them to be able to look to see what I might need. Are there selfish people who will take advantage of such a situation? Of course, but they are most often in the minority and not the majority. Even in these times however, spiritual principles respond. Jesus said that when we prefer someone over ourselves, and meet some need they have, He considers it as if we did that thing directly for Him, and He will see that we are cared for in the final analysis. Matthew 25:31-40 is a portion of scripture where Jesus is describing what Judgement day will be like. There it is recorded that He said; “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 
This scripture is the guarantee that we cannot prefer someone else over ourselves and have it go unnoticed. Even if we must endure being ‘run over’ in the moment, if we are acting out of love and humility, and choosing to prefer others because we have been preferred by Jesus…in the end, we will be exalted.
So now, choosing to let someone else choose, not out of deference and fear, but out of preference motivated by love…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/07861f1de52baef0f8e7d0e132487b4d.mp3" length="12532828" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/07861f1de52baef0f8e7d0e132487b4d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/whats-the-difference-march-10th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:42</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rejoicing in the Truth]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to my Monday Marriage Message. Thanks for joining me. Today we will be continuing on our quest to understand more fully the attributes of love as given in what is commonly called “The Love Chapter”,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[This is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to my Monday Marriage Message. Thanks for joining me. Today we will be continuing on our quest to understand more fully the attributes of love as given in what is commonly called “The Love Chapter”, or 1 Corinthians 13. So far we have dissected the meanings and application of verses 4 and 5, allow2 me to review those for you very quickly.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 
Today we will look at verse 6 and the two characteristics listed there for us. Just as last week we will look at two because they are complimentary of each other. In fact, they are the two parts of an “if-then” equation. If love does not do the first of these then it does the second. Verse six reads as follows; [Love] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. 
There are three words here that bear definition; rejoice, iniquity and truth. According to Webster’s these words are defined as follows; Rejoice – to give joy, or to feel great joy or delight. Iniquity – a gross injustice or wickedness, or a wicked act or thing. Truth - the body of real things, events, and facts, or a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard. Using these definitions, love does not give to another or find for itself, great joy in an injustice or wicked thing, but does offer another or find for itself great joy in having clear understanding, following after spiritual realities pertaining to the relationship and holding to the standards of that relationship.
The original text offers further definition. The Greek words we are considering are Chairó [khah'-ee-ro] which is translated rejoice but remember this is in the negative, so love does not do this. The meaning of the original word is delights in God’s grace, or to experience God’s favor in.  The next word we are looking at is, Adikia [ad-ee-kee'-ah] which translates to unrighteousness and the meaning of the original is to be in violation of God’s standards or contrary to His righteous judgments. The third word from the original text I want to look at is translated in English as the transitive verb of rejoice (rejoices), simply put this means to be rejoicing. In the Greek however, the word used has an important twist. The original word was Sugchairó [soong-khah'-ee-ro] which actually means to rejoice with another person. Finally, the last original word we need to define is Alétheia [al-ay'-thi-a] this is the word we translate into English, truth and means not merely the spoken truth or the opposite of an untruth, but rather the divine truth revealed to man. Using this further understanding of the original text, we could offer the following explanation of this sixth verse. Love does not experience God’s grace or favor when it is in violation of His standards or contrary to His righteous judgements. Love does however allow for both people to find God’s grace and favor together as they act in accordance with God’s truths revealed to them through His word and their mutual relationship with Him. I know that searching the original text can sometimes be daunting but it almost always brings greater and deeper understanding of what God is saying to us through His written word. Personally, (and yes, I am aware I am a word-nerd), I find the exercise not only val...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[This is Pastor Ken and I want to welcome you once again to my Monday Marriage Message. Thanks for joining me. Today we will be continuing on our quest to understand more fully the attributes of love as given in what is commonly called “The Love Chapter”, or 1 Corinthians 13. So far we have dissected the meanings and application of verses 4 and 5, allow2 me to review those for you very quickly.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 
Today we will look at verse 6 and the two characteristics listed there for us. Just as last week we will look at two because they are complimentary of each other. In fact, they are the two parts of an “if-then” equation. If love does not do the first of these then it does the second. Verse six reads as follows; [Love] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. 
There are three words here that bear definition; rejoice, iniquity and truth. According to Webster’s these words are defined as follows; Rejoice – to give joy, or to feel great joy or delight. Iniquity – a gross injustice or wickedness, or a wicked act or thing. Truth - the body of real things, events, and facts, or a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard. Using these definitions, love does not give to another or find for itself, great joy in an injustice or wicked thing, but does offer another or find for itself great joy in having clear understanding, following after spiritual realities pertaining to the relationship and holding to the standards of that relationship.
The original text offers further definition. The Greek words we are considering are Chairó [khah'-ee-ro] which is translated rejoice but remember this is in the negative, so love does not do this. The meaning of the original word is delights in God’s grace, or to experience God’s favor in.  The next word we are looking at is, Adikia [ad-ee-kee'-ah] which translates to unrighteousness and the meaning of the original is to be in violation of God’s standards or contrary to His righteous judgments. The third word from the original text I want to look at is translated in English as the transitive verb of rejoice (rejoices), simply put this means to be rejoicing. In the Greek however, the word used has an important twist. The original word was Sugchairó [soong-khah'-ee-ro] which actually means to rejoice with another person. Finally, the last original word we need to define is Alétheia [al-ay'-thi-a] this is the word we translate into English, truth and means not merely the spoken truth or the opposite of an untruth, but rather the divine truth revealed to man. Using this further understanding of the original text, we could offer the following explanation of this sixth verse. Love does not experience God’s grace or favor when it is in violation of His standards or contrary to His righteous judgements. Love does however allow for both people to find God’s grace and favor together as they act in accordance with God’s truths revealed to them through His word and their mutual relationship with Him. I know that searching the original text can sometimes be daunting but it almost always brings greater and deeper understanding of what God is saying to us through His written word. Personally, (and yes, I am aware I am a word-nerd), I find the exercise not only valuable but exciting.
Finally, though there are numerous examples from scripture I could direct you to for application of this concept, this week I would like to close with one of my favorites. I find it very fitting when taking into account all that we have discovered this week concerning rejoicing in truth.
Psalm 19:7-11 from the New King James Version reads as follows:
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.  
Questions to answer:
1.	Prior to our study of these terms today, what would you say your understanding of what this verse meant was?
2.	How has your understanding changed as a result of our closer look?
3.	Accepting this new understanding, what things that are currently a part of your marriage might need to change to bring it into line with the scriptural definition of love?
4.	What actions or attributes of your marriage would you use as examples of it being in agreement with the scriptural meaning?
Actions to take:
1.	Consider your answers to the third question above and develop safeguards against violating the biblical definition of love in the future.
2.	Make note of the opportunities you and your spouse have and have had in the past to rejoice together (experience God’s grace and favor) for operating in the truth (His standards for marriage).
So now, experiencing the favor of God as you search His word for His instruction to live and operate in your marriage the way He would want you to…Go Be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f8d6005800bb920ea377965b9bda82c9.mp3" length="9683754" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f8d6005800bb920ea377965b9bda82c9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/rejoicing-in-the-truth</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Throw off your Garment - March 6th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 6th,  2022

Welcome and prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones

Worship:
1:14 - Alive and Breathing
6:19 - House of the Lord
10:24 - Better than life

Message: Pastor...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 6th,  2022

Welcome and prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones

Worship:
1:14 - Alive and Breathing
6:19 - House of the Lord
10:24 - Better than life

Message: Pastor Rick Betts

17:27 - Mark 10: 46 - 52
18:24 - Luke 18: 35
18:42 - Matthew 20: 29-30
21:24 - Matthew 8: 28-9: 1
23:04 - Mark 5: 1-20
35:34 - Mark 5: 25-28
46:12 - John 20: 16
47:55 - John 9: 1-3]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown.
Weekend Service
March 6th,  2022

Welcome and prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones

Worship:
1:14 - Alive and Breathing
6:19 - House of the Lord
10:24 - Better than life

Message: Pastor Rick Betts

17:27 - Mark 10: 46 - 52
18:24 - Luke 18: 35
18:42 - Matthew 20: 29-30
21:24 - Matthew 8: 28-9: 1
23:04 - Mark 5: 1-20
35:34 - Mark 5: 25-28
46:12 - John 20: 16
47:55 - John 9: 1-3]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/29c4078713adae1361e3e515a8863336.mp3" length="43892205" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/29c4078713adae1361e3e515a8863336.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/throw-off-your-garment-march-6th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:10:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Inflation Proof Economy - March 3rd, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The inflation Proof Economy

As an eternal optimist, a trait I learned from both my father and his father before him, I don’t tend to look for the downside of things. I try not to concentrate...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The inflation Proof Economy

As an eternal optimist, a trait I learned from both my father and his father before him, I don’t tend to look for the downside of things. I try not to concentrate on what is wrong, but rather what is right…or at the very least how we can try to make what is wrong…right. As I shared in a past podcast, my grandfather’s response to a difficult time or a piece of bad news was to always follow it by saying, “And the good news is…” To which if there was nothing good to say, he would exclaim with genuine conviction…“Jesus loves us!”

Even though I was born and bred to have that same optimism as a factory installed option…I am not oblivious to some of the difficulties in our immediate surroundings. I understand that war is once again the highlight of the news cycle. I know there is much unrest around the world and in fact right here in our own country. One of the things that right up until the invasion of Ukraine by the Russians was at the forefront of our lists of concerns was our economy. Inflation is at a 40 year high. In fact, the last time that inflation was as bad as it is right now was in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. Back then it was so bad that we had a rubric that was reported on regularly in the news. It was known as the “Misery Index”. That measurement was designed to show the negative economic effect on the everyday person based on high inflation and low jobs numbers. Each week we were told what the Misery Index was for that week, and the measurement alone did much to increase the degree of difficulty of finding something positive to say. Grandpa had it right…sometimes seemingly the best there was to report was that Jesus loves us. That is enough by the way.

When economic difficulty starts to rise, many people try to position themselves as best they can by trying to do something called hedging inflation. Simply put, that term means to invest or put money into places that it will grow at or just above inflation. By doing this one’s worth remains as is or hopefully even grows somewhat in spite of out-of-control inflation. As a rule, things like owning real estate perform over the long haul as a hedge against inflation. In other words, the value of the home rises commensurate with the level of inflation and thereby protects the investment.

There is an economy that we can invest in that has never and will never be affected by inflation. In that economy there has never been nor will there ever be a Misery Index. The economy I am speaking of is the economy of the Kingdom of God. No, I don’t think there will be money in Heaven as we understand it, but Jesus told us there is a currency. Humility is the currency in the economy of the Kingdom of God. If you want to be rich in His Kingdom…learn to have a lot of humility. Skimp on humility and you will be poor in His Kingdom.

Most of us know that Jesus said that the first will be last and the last will be first as is recorded for us in places like; Matthew 20:16, Mark 10:31, and Luke 13:30 among others. Jesus was clear, if we are humble and truly understand humility we will be counted much higher in His kingdom. He went so far as to say that if we didn’t have the faith and humility of a child we couldn’t even find a place in His kingdom (Matt 18:3, Luke 18:17). Speaking of having a place in God’s kingdom, have you ever heard the adage that the three most important things to consider in rea...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The inflation Proof Economy

As an eternal optimist, a trait I learned from both my father and his father before him, I don’t tend to look for the downside of things. I try not to concentrate on what is wrong, but rather what is right…or at the very least how we can try to make what is wrong…right. As I shared in a past podcast, my grandfather’s response to a difficult time or a piece of bad news was to always follow it by saying, “And the good news is…” To which if there was nothing good to say, he would exclaim with genuine conviction…“Jesus loves us!”

Even though I was born and bred to have that same optimism as a factory installed option…I am not oblivious to some of the difficulties in our immediate surroundings. I understand that war is once again the highlight of the news cycle. I know there is much unrest around the world and in fact right here in our own country. One of the things that right up until the invasion of Ukraine by the Russians was at the forefront of our lists of concerns was our economy. Inflation is at a 40 year high. In fact, the last time that inflation was as bad as it is right now was in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. Back then it was so bad that we had a rubric that was reported on regularly in the news. It was known as the “Misery Index”. That measurement was designed to show the negative economic effect on the everyday person based on high inflation and low jobs numbers. Each week we were told what the Misery Index was for that week, and the measurement alone did much to increase the degree of difficulty of finding something positive to say. Grandpa had it right…sometimes seemingly the best there was to report was that Jesus loves us. That is enough by the way.

When economic difficulty starts to rise, many people try to position themselves as best they can by trying to do something called hedging inflation. Simply put, that term means to invest or put money into places that it will grow at or just above inflation. By doing this one’s worth remains as is or hopefully even grows somewhat in spite of out-of-control inflation. As a rule, things like owning real estate perform over the long haul as a hedge against inflation. In other words, the value of the home rises commensurate with the level of inflation and thereby protects the investment.

There is an economy that we can invest in that has never and will never be affected by inflation. In that economy there has never been nor will there ever be a Misery Index. The economy I am speaking of is the economy of the Kingdom of God. No, I don’t think there will be money in Heaven as we understand it, but Jesus told us there is a currency. Humility is the currency in the economy of the Kingdom of God. If you want to be rich in His Kingdom…learn to have a lot of humility. Skimp on humility and you will be poor in His Kingdom.

Most of us know that Jesus said that the first will be last and the last will be first as is recorded for us in places like; Matthew 20:16, Mark 10:31, and Luke 13:30 among others. Jesus was clear, if we are humble and truly understand humility we will be counted much higher in His kingdom. He went so far as to say that if we didn’t have the faith and humility of a child we couldn’t even find a place in His kingdom (Matt 18:3, Luke 18:17). Speaking of having a place in God’s kingdom, have you ever heard the adage that the three most important things to consider in real estate are location, location and location? Seems that is true in the Kingdom of Heaven as well. Psalm 138:6 in the New Living Translation says, Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. Apparently not only are the humble exalted in His Kingdom, they also are afforded more intimate proximity to God. Location, location, location…it is everything!

Jesus said that it is the poor in spirit (in other words the humble) who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt5:3) Humility is everything when it comes to Heaven’s economy. In Mark 10:42-45 we get an insider’s view of a private conversation between Jesus and His 12 closest followers. There in response to their desire to have prominent seats in His kingdom he pulled them aside the bible tells us to explain a critical truth to them. It could be read that Jesus was trying to let them down easy, but I believe He wanted them to be exalted in Heaven, and so He told them the secret to how that might happen. We are told that this is what transpired in that private meeting. So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus let His disciples know that pride, arrogance, and haughtiness are the principles of earthly kingdoms. Humility, enough of it to see one’s self as a servant or a slave is the key to being lifted up in the Kingdom of God. Jesus has the highest standing there of anyone, and yet His example was to serve all of us to the point of His own crucifixion and death.

So if you want to invest in an economy that is inflation proof, invest in humility. Immerse yourself in it. Make sure everything you do is done in humility. Practice it, get good at it, become an expert in its display…it is an investment that cannot be lost and is sure to pay amazing dividends. It is found in Matthew 6:19-21 that Jesus said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves (or inflation) break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be”.

So now, investing heavily in Humility…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7e64f7dacde6d3f0f92ce4882f84337c.mp3" length="10151911" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7e64f7dacde6d3f0f92ce4882f84337c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-inflation-proof-economy-march-3rd-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Is Not Easily Provoked and Thinks No Evil]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to my Monday Marriage message. We continue this week with the valuable endeavor of defining each of the characteristics of Love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Last week we found that Love does not seek its...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to my Monday Marriage message. We continue this week with the valuable endeavor of defining each of the characteristics of Love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Last week we found that Love does not seek its own. This week we will consider the next two attributes listed in verse 5 because they pair together in their meaning and application. Our focus today will be that Love is not easily provoked, and love thinks no evil.  
If we were to look at these two characteristics of Agape love independently, our understanding of what the scripture is trying to tell us could be altered. Instead, if we join them and view them as a cohesive descriptor of love, we will be much closer to the intent of the original text. 
The dictionary defines the word provoked as “to incite anger” or “to stir up a feeling or action.”  The phrase “thinks no evil” means that love does not consider evil to be the motive behind words spoken or action taken by another. Evil is defined by the dictionary as morally reprehensible, sinful, or wicked, and as arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct. 
The original Greek text is helpful as it adds additional connotation to the ideas being expressed. The word we translate into the English term provoke is Paroxuno [par-ox-oo-no] This is an interesting word for this context. Para means to come along side and Oxys means a sharp edge as is on a blade or knife. So, this word that has been translated in English as provoked actually means to come close to someone and cut, stab, or jab them with a knife or other sharpened object. Sometimes having the actual intent of the original text brings about a much fuller understanding than does our English equivalents alone. Some of the words or phrases other bible translations and versions have used to interpret the original Greek are; overly sensitive, irritable, easily angered, quick tempered, prone to anger, easily enraged or stirred to wrath. These are not the actions and thoughts of true love. 
The second of the attributes we are looking at today is love thinks no evil. The term in Greek is Logizomai [log-id-zom-ahee] Kakos [kak-os]. The first of these words is where we get our root word logic from, and means to come to a reasonable or sensible conclusion. The second of these words means someone of morally rotten character with the connotation of a tree stump that is rotten to the core. The connected meaning then is one who sees no other possible conclusion to draw than whatever was said or done...must have come from a bad or deeply corrupt motive. Put in simpler terms, the original text says that love is not easily angered by thinking that whatever negative thing has just been experienced was intended to harm or came from an evil motive. Unfortunately, this is often the result when the “love” that has been experienced in the past has caused pain. 
When we look to other scripture, we find these examples of how to respond in truly loving ways. Ephesians 4:32 tells us that our response to someone who we feel has treated us wrongly should not be to respond in kind but...Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (New Living Translation) It is easy to treat someone who has mistreated you reciprocally, or even to be kind to those who have been kind to you. Jesus said that even pagans do those things. However, in Luke 6:31 it is recorded that Jesus said that w...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and I want to welcome you to my Monday Marriage message. We continue this week with the valuable endeavor of defining each of the characteristics of Love according to 1 Corinthians 13. Last week we found that Love does not seek its own. This week we will consider the next two attributes listed in verse 5 because they pair together in their meaning and application. Our focus today will be that Love is not easily provoked, and love thinks no evil.  
If we were to look at these two characteristics of Agape love independently, our understanding of what the scripture is trying to tell us could be altered. Instead, if we join them and view them as a cohesive descriptor of love, we will be much closer to the intent of the original text. 
The dictionary defines the word provoked as “to incite anger” or “to stir up a feeling or action.”  The phrase “thinks no evil” means that love does not consider evil to be the motive behind words spoken or action taken by another. Evil is defined by the dictionary as morally reprehensible, sinful, or wicked, and as arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct. 
The original Greek text is helpful as it adds additional connotation to the ideas being expressed. The word we translate into the English term provoke is Paroxuno [par-ox-oo-no] This is an interesting word for this context. Para means to come along side and Oxys means a sharp edge as is on a blade or knife. So, this word that has been translated in English as provoked actually means to come close to someone and cut, stab, or jab them with a knife or other sharpened object. Sometimes having the actual intent of the original text brings about a much fuller understanding than does our English equivalents alone. Some of the words or phrases other bible translations and versions have used to interpret the original Greek are; overly sensitive, irritable, easily angered, quick tempered, prone to anger, easily enraged or stirred to wrath. These are not the actions and thoughts of true love. 
The second of the attributes we are looking at today is love thinks no evil. The term in Greek is Logizomai [log-id-zom-ahee] Kakos [kak-os]. The first of these words is where we get our root word logic from, and means to come to a reasonable or sensible conclusion. The second of these words means someone of morally rotten character with the connotation of a tree stump that is rotten to the core. The connected meaning then is one who sees no other possible conclusion to draw than whatever was said or done...must have come from a bad or deeply corrupt motive. Put in simpler terms, the original text says that love is not easily angered by thinking that whatever negative thing has just been experienced was intended to harm or came from an evil motive. Unfortunately, this is often the result when the “love” that has been experienced in the past has caused pain. 
When we look to other scripture, we find these examples of how to respond in truly loving ways. Ephesians 4:32 tells us that our response to someone who we feel has treated us wrongly should not be to respond in kind but...Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (New Living Translation) It is easy to treat someone who has mistreated you reciprocally, or even to be kind to those who have been kind to you. Jesus said that even pagans do those things. However, in Luke 6:31 it is recorded that Jesus said that we should treat others the way we want to be treated, not necessarily the way we have been treated. In Matthew 5:44 He said, “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute you.” Paul writes some further instructions on how to maintain the correct mindset when we feel that we are under the attack of someone who is supposed to love us. In Galatians 5:22-26 he reminds us who we are supposed to be looking to for correct motivation to our responses. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. (New Living Translation) Ultimately, in Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us where to direct our thoughts when we have been mistreated, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things”. (New King James Version)  
Love, real love, true love, agape love, acts correctly regardless of the side of the anger coin that is exposed at any given time. Love does not try to anger another. It does not move alongside to jab or cut; true love moves alongside to heal. Love also is not easily angered; it does not jump to the conclusion that the way it is being treated comes from ill intent or a desire to harm. Rather, real love looks to see what has caused an ill temper in the other and moves to help remediate the difficulty. 
Questions to answer: 
1.	Have you been guilty of saying things or responding in ways that in truth are intended to provoke your spouse? 
2.	Do you feel that intentional provocation is something you and your spouse need to bring under control? 
3.	Are you quick to think that if your spouse treats you or speaks to you unkindly that they have bad motives toward you? 
4.	Do you think that your spouse has good intentions toward you in your interactions with them? To what degree do you believe this to be true? 10% of the time? 25%, 50%, 75%? 
Actions to take: 
1.	Decide what reminders the two of you could put in place to keep your responses to one another what they should be even in those times you may not be sure of each other’s motives. 
2.	Pray together daily asking God to help the two of you respond to each other in only the ways He would desire you to do. 
So now, choosing to be kind and giving your spouse the benefit of the doubt when you aren’t sure of their motives...Go Be Awesome!  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/39405f7ebcb3a0389b7cbae10766ce88.mp3" length="11151463" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/39405f7ebcb3a0389b7cbae10766ce88.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-is-not-easily-provoked-and-thinks-no-evil</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Your Will Be Done - February 27th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/388e7298647e0dcf11ac9f6d7651ccaa.mp3" length="39367574" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/388e7298647e0dcf11ac9f6d7651ccaa.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/your-will-be-done-february-27th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:09:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[You Just Can't Argue With A Mountain - February 24th, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You Just Can’t Argue with A Mountain.
This past weekend my wife Lynn and I availed ourselves of a unique opportunity and took to the hills to interrupt the long winter’s nap that out tiny moun...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You Just Can’t Argue with A Mountain.
This past weekend my wife Lynn and I availed ourselves of a unique opportunity and took to the hills to interrupt the long winter’s nap that out tiny mountain cottage usually enjoys. Normally we close our home there in October and don’t return to reopen it until mid-April. This year however, our schedules permitted, the weather cooperated, and our desire to return overcame us. With all of those particular stars aligned we packed the car, loaded up our two dogs and ran away. By the time we were in mountainous terrain on the way there last Thursday evening darkness had overtaken the landscape and there wasn’t much to see. On the ride home yesterday afternoon however, the situation was much different. The air was warm, the sun was shining, and the mountains…the mountains were glorious.
As we drove, I noticed something interesting and made note of it to my wife. Though the winter trees remained stripped of their leaves, the distant mountain ridges were still blue. One of the things that make the Virginia mountains so beautiful is the blueish color of the ridges for which they are so named. For us they are usually viewed in the spring, summer and fall, all times the trees are sporting their leaves in various stages and colors. So, the fact that they were also blue in the dead of winter was somewhat of a surprise to me. I was curious enough about how that could be to ask Google. There I found that “The forests that cover those rocky protrusions are predominately made up of spruce and fir trees and they emit isoprene into the atmosphere creating the blue hue”. Since spruce and firs are evergreen trees, it stands to reason then that those beautiful ridges are blue during the winter months just as they are the rest of the year. What an amazing God! The wonder of His creation never stops giving me reason to be awestruck! 
Romans 1:20-21 in the New King James Version says: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. God has some attributes that without creation we might not be able to understand. His ability to create with just a word the perpetual forward motion of nature gives us the ability to understand that He is eternal and has eternal power. The very fact that He is the creator of all things great and small makes Him more powerful than any of it. When one ponders that the Creator must be supreme to anything He creates and that we can experience, the only logical conclusion to draw is that He is God. When we add ourselves among the things He created, the fact that He is our God is all too obvious. Giving Him glory and being grateful to Him for all that we are, all that we have, and His loving supply of all that we need, should be automatic. So then why isn’t it? Because foolishly, we want to argue with a mountain!
No matter where you hail from around the globe, God created your surroundings. If you live on a beach…God made that. If you live in the plains…God made that. If you live in the forest or if there isn’t a tree as far as your eyes can see…God made that. I am partial to the mountains; I won’t deny it. I believe the ones that m...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You Just Can’t Argue with A Mountain.
This past weekend my wife Lynn and I availed ourselves of a unique opportunity and took to the hills to interrupt the long winter’s nap that out tiny mountain cottage usually enjoys. Normally we close our home there in October and don’t return to reopen it until mid-April. This year however, our schedules permitted, the weather cooperated, and our desire to return overcame us. With all of those particular stars aligned we packed the car, loaded up our two dogs and ran away. By the time we were in mountainous terrain on the way there last Thursday evening darkness had overtaken the landscape and there wasn’t much to see. On the ride home yesterday afternoon however, the situation was much different. The air was warm, the sun was shining, and the mountains…the mountains were glorious.
As we drove, I noticed something interesting and made note of it to my wife. Though the winter trees remained stripped of their leaves, the distant mountain ridges were still blue. One of the things that make the Virginia mountains so beautiful is the blueish color of the ridges for which they are so named. For us they are usually viewed in the spring, summer and fall, all times the trees are sporting their leaves in various stages and colors. So, the fact that they were also blue in the dead of winter was somewhat of a surprise to me. I was curious enough about how that could be to ask Google. There I found that “The forests that cover those rocky protrusions are predominately made up of spruce and fir trees and they emit isoprene into the atmosphere creating the blue hue”. Since spruce and firs are evergreen trees, it stands to reason then that those beautiful ridges are blue during the winter months just as they are the rest of the year. What an amazing God! The wonder of His creation never stops giving me reason to be awestruck! 
Romans 1:20-21 in the New King James Version says: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. God has some attributes that without creation we might not be able to understand. His ability to create with just a word the perpetual forward motion of nature gives us the ability to understand that He is eternal and has eternal power. The very fact that He is the creator of all things great and small makes Him more powerful than any of it. When one ponders that the Creator must be supreme to anything He creates and that we can experience, the only logical conclusion to draw is that He is God. When we add ourselves among the things He created, the fact that He is our God is all too obvious. Giving Him glory and being grateful to Him for all that we are, all that we have, and His loving supply of all that we need, should be automatic. So then why isn’t it? Because foolishly, we want to argue with a mountain!
No matter where you hail from around the globe, God created your surroundings. If you live on a beach…God made that. If you live in the plains…God made that. If you live in the forest or if there isn’t a tree as far as your eyes can see…God made that. I am partial to the mountains; I won’t deny it. I believe the ones that make up the Appalachian mountain range to be the crème de la crème, and the Blue Ridge the most beautiful of them all. I am hard-pressed in spite of all of my travels to find anything more awe-inspiring or intriguing. I will go to heaven believing those particular hills to be left behind by the very thumbprint of God as He held and shaped the planet. You just can’t argue with a mountain. 
Scientist will tell you that those mountains were formed by anything but God. They will say the hills and valleys were pushed upward by earths tectonic plates smashing together. This supposedly sent the earth piling up into great mounds and as the winds and rain eroded the surface, lightening the gravitational load, the mountains were literally freed to rise even higher. That is what the science says…and we all know we should follow the science. The problem with that is that there was no one present when all this supposedly happened millions or billions of years ago to document the occurrence. When you think about it, it takes a lot of faith to follow the science.
I would rather put my trust in the Lord. He was there when the mountains were formed and documented the occurrence through the inspiration of His Holy Spirit as He guided the thoughts and words being penned by men He Himself had created. Psalm 90:1-2 says of it; Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.  Psalm 65:6 tells us that it was by the might of God that the mountains were formed. 
The point isn’t really how God created the mountains, but that He did, and that if you look at one through the eyes of wonder that God created you with, you will soon see that those mountains, that ocean beach, the woods, or the open plains, the deserts or the rain forests…all of it points to God. According to God’s word whatever nature is in your view is there to help you know more about Him. It is all designed to point to His majesty and cause you to be in awe of Him. It is purposed that you might submit to His authority and be grateful for all He has done. Give Him the glory that only He is deserving of. Don’t be found without an excuse because you were too busy arguing with a mountain.
So now, giving thanks for all He has made and for the fact that He loves you so much that He wants to have an amazing life changing relationship with you forever…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/70486de04cb5ac057823f95483703a5d.mp3" length="9536571" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/70486de04cb5ac057823f95483703a5d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/you-just-cant-argue-with-a-mountain-february-24th-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Does Not Seek Its Own - February 21, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message today. As we continue to identify the attributes and characteristics of love according to 1 Corinthians 13 the next quality of love that we find in verse 5is that…love does not s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message today. As we continue to identify the attributes and characteristics of love according to 1 Corinthians 13 the next quality of love that we find in verse 5is that…love does not seek its own. 
All of these identifiers of love in this chapter are important. It is more than necessary that we learn what each means and strive to excel at each of them if we are to rightly love our spouse, our family and the others around us we are in relationship with. This property though not more important than the others, has an effect on each of the other characteristics of love. I have often said that selflessness is the only atmosphere that supports the life of love. Conversely, selfishness sucks the air out of the room that love is intended to thrive in and will in short order harm and eventually kill love altogether. This is easy to recognize when selfishness abounds most or all of the time. Where the damage becomes more difficult to discern and therefore more dangerous is when selfishness is turned on and off repeatedly. 
According to Webster’s dictionary self-seeking is defined as the act or practice of selfishly advancing one's own ends and seeking only to further one's own interests. Seeking one’s own is clearly selfish ambition. Real love, true love will never allow for personal interest to be placed ahead of the interest of others. Love that seeks its own is in fact self-love, egocentrism or narcissism.  
The original Greek phrase used that we translate in English to seek its own is Zetei ta heautes ([zay-teh-o] [ho] [how-to]) and literally it means to search out the best for self. Again here we definitely see the connotation of selfishness.
Scripture gives us the following admonitions about selfishness. Philippians 2:3-4 says, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. If we are to love others as we are supposed to we must keep a close eye on our motives. Selfish motivation will devalue any words or actions said or done under the guise of love. Conversely if our motivation is humility, those same words and actions will produce a response to love, because they will be seen and accepted as loving words and or deeds. 1 Corinthians 10:24 reiterates this message, Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. 1 John 3:17 says, But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him? The form of selfishness eluded to here is if I have something someone needs and I will not give it to them but rather, keep it for myself even if I don’t need it, the love of God isn’t in me. This raises an interesting question. If my spouse needs love and in selfishness I withhold it from them, am I choosing to act in opposition to God’s love? Hebrews 13:16 says But do not forget (overlook the need to) do good and share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Galatians 6:2 says Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Selflessness identifies our desire to be good followers of Christ and good conduits of His love.
Real love, true love, agape love does not seek its own. You might remember that a few weeks ago in my podcast entitled Love Does, Love Does Not I made the statement that Agape is the fo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message today. As we continue to identify the attributes and characteristics of love according to 1 Corinthians 13 the next quality of love that we find in verse 5is that…love does not seek its own. 
All of these identifiers of love in this chapter are important. It is more than necessary that we learn what each means and strive to excel at each of them if we are to rightly love our spouse, our family and the others around us we are in relationship with. This property though not more important than the others, has an effect on each of the other characteristics of love. I have often said that selflessness is the only atmosphere that supports the life of love. Conversely, selfishness sucks the air out of the room that love is intended to thrive in and will in short order harm and eventually kill love altogether. This is easy to recognize when selfishness abounds most or all of the time. Where the damage becomes more difficult to discern and therefore more dangerous is when selfishness is turned on and off repeatedly. 
According to Webster’s dictionary self-seeking is defined as the act or practice of selfishly advancing one's own ends and seeking only to further one's own interests. Seeking one’s own is clearly selfish ambition. Real love, true love will never allow for personal interest to be placed ahead of the interest of others. Love that seeks its own is in fact self-love, egocentrism or narcissism.  
The original Greek phrase used that we translate in English to seek its own is Zetei ta heautes ([zay-teh-o] [ho] [how-to]) and literally it means to search out the best for self. Again here we definitely see the connotation of selfishness.
Scripture gives us the following admonitions about selfishness. Philippians 2:3-4 says, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. If we are to love others as we are supposed to we must keep a close eye on our motives. Selfish motivation will devalue any words or actions said or done under the guise of love. Conversely if our motivation is humility, those same words and actions will produce a response to love, because they will be seen and accepted as loving words and or deeds. 1 Corinthians 10:24 reiterates this message, Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. 1 John 3:17 says, But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him? The form of selfishness eluded to here is if I have something someone needs and I will not give it to them but rather, keep it for myself even if I don’t need it, the love of God isn’t in me. This raises an interesting question. If my spouse needs love and in selfishness I withhold it from them, am I choosing to act in opposition to God’s love? Hebrews 13:16 says But do not forget (overlook the need to) do good and share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Galatians 6:2 says Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Selflessness identifies our desire to be good followers of Christ and good conduits of His love.
Real love, true love, agape love does not seek its own. You might remember that a few weeks ago in my podcast entitled Love Does, Love Does Not I made the statement that Agape is the form of love that keeps the others acting as they should. You’ll also remember that Agape love is godly love whereas Phileo is brotherly or familial love and Eros is passionate or erotic love. It is easy to see that Phileo love could be self-serving if it were the only love but Agape keeps it in check. It does not take hardly any imagination at all to see that Eros could easily be misused to meet selfish desire without the presence of Agape love. Agape is the form of love that keeps the others acting as they should.
Questions to answer:
Have you ever experienced being the recipient of love that was seeking its own?
What did that experience feel like from your perspective?
What checks and balances can you put in place to make sure selfish ambition is not a part of the love you show toward others?
Actions to take:
Have a judgment-free conversation with your spouse and identify any areas the two of you see “love” that is self-seeking either between yourselves or toward the two of you from some outside source.
Pray and ask God to help the two of you deal with that situation in a healthy and godly way. 
So now, making sure there is no selfish ambition sabotaging the love you are attempting to show others…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/023886a542904819c7221802c94e07b1.mp3" length="8107403" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/023886a542904819c7221802c94e07b1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-does-not-seek-its-own-february-21-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Jumping Without a Parachute! - February 17, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brow Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Jumping Without a Parachute!
I have heard that jumping out of a plane without a parachute is a once in a lifetime experience. It isn’t one I think I need on my bucket list though I would some...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Jumping Without a Parachute!
I have heard that jumping out of a plane without a parachute is a once in a lifetime experience. It isn’t one I think I need on my bucket list though I would someday like to jump out of a perfectly good airplane with the correct equipment securely strapped to my person. Could anything be more disconcerting than jumping through the open door of an airplane high in the sky without a parachute? Perhaps not, but I would also hate to go through life without grace too. In the overall scheme of things, if you have to choose…jump without the chute!
Grace is amazing! In regards to the chute…grace saves us from an even longer fall. It has been argued, that it isn’t the fall that gets you but rather the sudden stop at the end. Grace makes all the difference there too, it determines where you will land for eternity! Ephesians 2:8-9 in the New Living Translation says: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Grace is what saves us. yes, it’s true, we are saved by the blood of Christ. His death was the action needed to pay the price for our sins, but the grace of God and His mercy toward us is what motivated such action on His part. Our belief in God’s grace does not make it so, nor does it activate it, our faith is simply a declaration that we believe that our Gracious God desires to give us eternal life through the sacrificial action of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Beyond being our saving grace…literally, grace instructs us in the way that God wants to see us live in this world. Titus 2:11-14 tells us; For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. The grace we are blessed to have access to teaches and empowers us to live in a world that is contrary to God. But wait there’s more… That same grace enables us to live victorious lives in spite of the world around us or the difficulties it so willingly heaps on our heads. Without that grace, we would not even be able to survive…with that grace, in Christ, we are able to thrive!  
Grace is also the gift from God that sustains us through life’s difficulties. The Apostle Paul had a malady that made his life very difficult. It was such a distraction for him that he likened it to having a thorn in his side. The bible tells us that Paul asked God to remove that difficulty on three occasions and God’s answer was that He would not, but that He would give Paul the grace he needed to keep calm and carry on. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul relays God’s answer to his prayer for release from the annoying affliction; Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. God is always being so very good to us. Sometimes we might think that if we didn’t have to struggle under some hardship we would be better able to...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Jumping Without a Parachute!
I have heard that jumping out of a plane without a parachute is a once in a lifetime experience. It isn’t one I think I need on my bucket list though I would someday like to jump out of a perfectly good airplane with the correct equipment securely strapped to my person. Could anything be more disconcerting than jumping through the open door of an airplane high in the sky without a parachute? Perhaps not, but I would also hate to go through life without grace too. In the overall scheme of things, if you have to choose…jump without the chute!
Grace is amazing! In regards to the chute…grace saves us from an even longer fall. It has been argued, that it isn’t the fall that gets you but rather the sudden stop at the end. Grace makes all the difference there too, it determines where you will land for eternity! Ephesians 2:8-9 in the New Living Translation says: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Grace is what saves us. yes, it’s true, we are saved by the blood of Christ. His death was the action needed to pay the price for our sins, but the grace of God and His mercy toward us is what motivated such action on His part. Our belief in God’s grace does not make it so, nor does it activate it, our faith is simply a declaration that we believe that our Gracious God desires to give us eternal life through the sacrificial action of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Beyond being our saving grace…literally, grace instructs us in the way that God wants to see us live in this world. Titus 2:11-14 tells us; For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. The grace we are blessed to have access to teaches and empowers us to live in a world that is contrary to God. But wait there’s more… That same grace enables us to live victorious lives in spite of the world around us or the difficulties it so willingly heaps on our heads. Without that grace, we would not even be able to survive…with that grace, in Christ, we are able to thrive!  
Grace is also the gift from God that sustains us through life’s difficulties. The Apostle Paul had a malady that made his life very difficult. It was such a distraction for him that he likened it to having a thorn in his side. The bible tells us that Paul asked God to remove that difficulty on three occasions and God’s answer was that He would not, but that He would give Paul the grace he needed to keep calm and carry on. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul relays God’s answer to his prayer for release from the annoying affliction; Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. God is always being so very good to us. Sometimes we might think that if we didn’t have to struggle under some hardship we would be better able to serve Him, I think that was likely Paul’s mindset. However, it is often the way that grace enables us to stand up under the weight of life’s adversities that speaks the loudest of our faith in Christ. Often times there is no greater teaching tool for us and no greater message for others than to witness grace in action in our lives. I have seen this very development played out in my own mother’s life. She has battled a debilitating disease for decades now. Though it has limited her other abilities in an increasing fashion over the years, it has not decreased her ability to praise her God with her very life. Enduring daily pain has become routine for her, but so has giving love and encouragement to others as they deal with their own adversity often minor in comparison to hers though she would never say so. She has for many years now illustrated that God’s power shows best in weakness, but her weak body has been able to strongly encourage others to use their strengths for God’s purposes. Her disease has stolen from and humbled her, but her Lord has increased her and upheld her! James 4:6 says and He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
When you recognize all that grace means to our lives it is pretty awesome! Grace saves us, and we know nothing else can. Grace brings righteousness into our lives in an incredibly unrighteous world. Grace sustains us in our difficulties. It truly is Amazing Grace! Remember though, grace isn’t intended to stop there. 2 Corinthian 9:8 reminds us, And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
So now, saved by that grace, instructed by that grace, made sufficient by that grace, and supplied abundantly by that grace…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/380258a4a19cc8f59da8c95e3349980e.mp3" length="9028869" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/380258a4a19cc8f59da8c95e3349980e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/jumping-without-a-parachute-february-17-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Does Not Behave Rudely]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message. Today we continue defining love, agape love, according to 1 Corinthians 13. Today’s love characteristic is found in the beginning of verse 5…Love Does Not Behave Rudely.
This m...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message. Today we continue defining love, agape love, according to 1 Corinthians 13. Today’s love characteristic is found in the beginning of verse 5…Love Does Not Behave Rudely.
This may seem like a no brainer but just look around a little more closely and you are sure to notice those who profess to love someone or should, acting rudely toward that person. It begs the question, should we also be considering the converse truth of this scripture? If we are acting rudely toward someone we cannot also say that we love that person, or at least we cannot say we are lov-ing that person. As humans we like to think that if we get something right most of the time we should get credit for getting it right all the time. What I mean by that is that if I treat my wife in loving ways most of the time, I want to be able to say that I love her and have her accept that as truth…even in those times I don’t get it right. The problem with that approach is twofold. The first problem is that I am likely not going to give her the same latitude in my mind if the tables are turned. In that situation I am probably going to hold her to the correct standard…you know, the one I did not hold myself to. That standard is this, love is an absolute…not an average. In truth, we don’t get to say that if I am loving most of the time, I am loving all of the time. As I have mentioned in past podcasts, love is action…not emotion. My actions at any given moment are either loving or they are not loving. If I am acting rudely toward my wife or anyone else, in that moment…I am not loving, because according to 1 Corinthians 13:5 love does not behave rudely.
The dictionary defines rudely as lacking refinement or delicacy. It goes on to say that someone who acts rudely acts in ways that seem ignorant or unlearned, inelegant or uncouth. Acting rudely is further defined as being discourteous or uncivilized, and coarse or vulgar. 
As we have done in the previous weeks, allow me to make note of the original language and the definitions of the Greek term. In the original manuscripts the word we are translating to rudely in the New King James Version is aschemoneo (as-kay-mon-eh-o). This word means to act improperly or dishonorably. Additional words used to describe this Greek term are unseemly, indecent or unbecoming.
For scriptural reference let’s consider the following. Ephesians 4:29 in the New Living Translation says: Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. If love does not behave rudely then how we speak about those we claim to love…in or outside their presence matters. Romans 12:10 admonishes us to consider others as more important than ourselves. It makes the point that this is a loving mindset and will result in loving action. When we add that to the scripture above we must recognize that the things we say about and to others should be better than what we would want them to say in regards to us. Luke 6:31 clearly points out that at the least we should; Do unto others what we would want them to do unto us. Finally, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: So encourage each other and build each other up…
Loving action that is not rude will always consider others first and be very careful not to say or do things that would damage the other person’s reputation or standing. It will build others up and never tear them do...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message. Today we continue defining love, agape love, according to 1 Corinthians 13. Today’s love characteristic is found in the beginning of verse 5…Love Does Not Behave Rudely.
This may seem like a no brainer but just look around a little more closely and you are sure to notice those who profess to love someone or should, acting rudely toward that person. It begs the question, should we also be considering the converse truth of this scripture? If we are acting rudely toward someone we cannot also say that we love that person, or at least we cannot say we are lov-ing that person. As humans we like to think that if we get something right most of the time we should get credit for getting it right all the time. What I mean by that is that if I treat my wife in loving ways most of the time, I want to be able to say that I love her and have her accept that as truth…even in those times I don’t get it right. The problem with that approach is twofold. The first problem is that I am likely not going to give her the same latitude in my mind if the tables are turned. In that situation I am probably going to hold her to the correct standard…you know, the one I did not hold myself to. That standard is this, love is an absolute…not an average. In truth, we don’t get to say that if I am loving most of the time, I am loving all of the time. As I have mentioned in past podcasts, love is action…not emotion. My actions at any given moment are either loving or they are not loving. If I am acting rudely toward my wife or anyone else, in that moment…I am not loving, because according to 1 Corinthians 13:5 love does not behave rudely.
The dictionary defines rudely as lacking refinement or delicacy. It goes on to say that someone who acts rudely acts in ways that seem ignorant or unlearned, inelegant or uncouth. Acting rudely is further defined as being discourteous or uncivilized, and coarse or vulgar. 
As we have done in the previous weeks, allow me to make note of the original language and the definitions of the Greek term. In the original manuscripts the word we are translating to rudely in the New King James Version is aschemoneo (as-kay-mon-eh-o). This word means to act improperly or dishonorably. Additional words used to describe this Greek term are unseemly, indecent or unbecoming.
For scriptural reference let’s consider the following. Ephesians 4:29 in the New Living Translation says: Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. If love does not behave rudely then how we speak about those we claim to love…in or outside their presence matters. Romans 12:10 admonishes us to consider others as more important than ourselves. It makes the point that this is a loving mindset and will result in loving action. When we add that to the scripture above we must recognize that the things we say about and to others should be better than what we would want them to say in regards to us. Luke 6:31 clearly points out that at the least we should; Do unto others what we would want them to do unto us. Finally, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: So encourage each other and build each other up…
Loving action that is not rude will always consider others first and be very careful not to say or do things that would damage the other person’s reputation or standing. It will build others up and never tear them down. It is always looking for opportunities to increase others opinions about the one we say we love, and never to bring shame or humiliation. Love, real love does not speak words or act in ways that are at another’s expense…even in jest.
Questions to answer:
1.	What do you think about the statement “Love is an absolute, not an average”?
2.	Is it easy or difficult for you to maintain loving (according to this scripture) action toward others when they are not present if others are openly acting rudely toward them?
3.	When do you think it is acceptable to joke about someone you love at their expense? 
4.	When is it appropriate for them to have fun at yours?
Actions to take:
1.	Have an honest discussion with your spouse concerning what your mutual expectations should be when it comes to speaking with someone else about each other.
2.	If necessary, seek your spouse’s forgiveness for times you may not have been careful enough and you acted rudely.
So now, loving your spouse in the ways Christ wants you to…all the time…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/54090f0a704e8edf832c98f4e94951a3.mp3" length="7851222" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/54090f0a704e8edf832c98f4e94951a3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-does-not-behave-rudely</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Why Do You Believe What You Believe Pt 2 - February 13, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of Genesis asking the question Why Do You Believe What You Believe Part 2 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, eve...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of Genesis asking the question Why Do You Believe What You Believe Part 2 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of Genesis asking the question Why Do You Believe What You Believe Part 2 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/43e854bfba0c3891c4456a853bc4990d.mp3" length="38632434" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/43e854bfba0c3891c4456a853bc4990d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/why-do-you-believe-what-you-believe-pt-2-february-13-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Waking Thoughts]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Waking Thoughts
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and realized that all of the sudden you had the solution to a problem you were working on the day before? This has happened to...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Waking Thoughts
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and realized that all of the sudden you had the solution to a problem you were working on the day before? This has happened to me a few times over the years. When it does I am reminded just how amazing God created the human brain to be. The fact that I can be completely asleep and still be considering some unresolved issue and come up with a solution is incredible in and of itself. When you add to that the fact that my brain knows I will not remember said solution without it being conscious thought, it wills me from slumber so that I can consider the solution from a state of consciousness and commit it to memory. Amazing!  
Just two days ago I had a similar experience. This time it involved no unresolved puzzle, this time I simply recognized I was waking up with an amazing thought on my mind. The older I get however, the less I recall on command so I commenced to grabbing my ever present smartphone and committed it instead to its internal memory. I can assure you it is much safer there. This is my ‘waking thought’ that I have been pondering for the past two days. “We are always in error to attempt to make the ways of God fit into our experiences, when we do that, we severely limit the ways of God. If instead we make our experiences fit into the ways of God, we unlock the vastness of our potential experiences”. Even as Christians we are prone to do the former rather than the latter. the reason for this is simple really. As human beings we try to attach a known to an unknown for understanding of the unknown. In other words, if there is something I don’t understand, I quite naturally seek some frame of reference from my experiences to give context, so that I can try to understand. This is fine except for the fact that I have a limited number and scope of experiences. 
When we consider the ways of God, we have very little if any experience that can give an accurate frame of reference. So then, if I try to fit the ways of God into my limited experiences to understand them, I limit the ways of God. If I have never experienced healing and don’t personally know someone who has…I might have difficulty understanding God’s limitless ability to heal. If I have little experience with prayer, I might have difficulty thinking prayer will change much. The place I really see this principle bearing itself out is in my office. There I spend a great deal of time attempting to help people with their marriages. Because I have the benefit of always being the inhabitant in the room, I get to experience every couple’s marriage. That being the case, I get to see the amazing things God does in the marriages there. I get to see forgiveness and healing take place in the most horrific of marital hurts. I get to see God heal broken hearts, trust and marriages. I get to see it all…and have yet to see a case too difficult for God. Because of that, there isn’t much I don’t think God can fix anymore. But for the other participants in the room, when they first come in, they don’t have the benefit of my experience. If they limit the ways of God, forgiveness, healing, restoration, reconciliation, based on their past experience…they may never believe that healing is possible because they are allowing those experiences to severely limit the ways of God. 
So what is the solution? How do we solve this dilemma? We have to come to an understanding. O...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Waking Thoughts
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and realized that all of the sudden you had the solution to a problem you were working on the day before? This has happened to me a few times over the years. When it does I am reminded just how amazing God created the human brain to be. The fact that I can be completely asleep and still be considering some unresolved issue and come up with a solution is incredible in and of itself. When you add to that the fact that my brain knows I will not remember said solution without it being conscious thought, it wills me from slumber so that I can consider the solution from a state of consciousness and commit it to memory. Amazing!  
Just two days ago I had a similar experience. This time it involved no unresolved puzzle, this time I simply recognized I was waking up with an amazing thought on my mind. The older I get however, the less I recall on command so I commenced to grabbing my ever present smartphone and committed it instead to its internal memory. I can assure you it is much safer there. This is my ‘waking thought’ that I have been pondering for the past two days. “We are always in error to attempt to make the ways of God fit into our experiences, when we do that, we severely limit the ways of God. If instead we make our experiences fit into the ways of God, we unlock the vastness of our potential experiences”. Even as Christians we are prone to do the former rather than the latter. the reason for this is simple really. As human beings we try to attach a known to an unknown for understanding of the unknown. In other words, if there is something I don’t understand, I quite naturally seek some frame of reference from my experiences to give context, so that I can try to understand. This is fine except for the fact that I have a limited number and scope of experiences. 
When we consider the ways of God, we have very little if any experience that can give an accurate frame of reference. So then, if I try to fit the ways of God into my limited experiences to understand them, I limit the ways of God. If I have never experienced healing and don’t personally know someone who has…I might have difficulty understanding God’s limitless ability to heal. If I have little experience with prayer, I might have difficulty thinking prayer will change much. The place I really see this principle bearing itself out is in my office. There I spend a great deal of time attempting to help people with their marriages. Because I have the benefit of always being the inhabitant in the room, I get to experience every couple’s marriage. That being the case, I get to see the amazing things God does in the marriages there. I get to see forgiveness and healing take place in the most horrific of marital hurts. I get to see God heal broken hearts, trust and marriages. I get to see it all…and have yet to see a case too difficult for God. Because of that, there isn’t much I don’t think God can fix anymore. But for the other participants in the room, when they first come in, they don’t have the benefit of my experience. If they limit the ways of God, forgiveness, healing, restoration, reconciliation, based on their past experience…they may never believe that healing is possible because they are allowing those experiences to severely limit the ways of God. 
So what is the solution? How do we solve this dilemma? We have to come to an understanding. Our experiences are not truth. They truly happened, but they are not truth. There is but one source of truth…God. We can trust that our experiences did in fact occur, but we can only trust God to be true. With that understanding, scriptures like 2 Corinthians 5:7; We walk by faith and not by sight, begin to have new meaning.  
Romans 12:2 (NLT) tells us to call our experiences into question and instead look to God to guide us into real truth. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. If we want to unlock the vastness of our potential experiences, if we want to begin to have those incredible experiences that are the result of incredible faith, then we must begin to seek to have our experiences fit into the ways of God. How? The first step is to agree with God that He knows best. If He prescribes forgiveness, then forgive and don’t allow past experiences to steal from you the incredible. If He says to love, then love and don’t allow your past experience convince you to do otherwise. If He promotes reconciliation, then reconcile, don’t trust your past experience, it may be ready to rob you of a powerful life changing experience.
What should we do when we aren’t sure what He would tell us to do? Read His Word, search the scriptures, but don’t argue with what you find there…that’s your experience talking! 
2 Timothy 3:16-17 in the New Living Translation says; All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 
So now, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God on your life in Christ Jesus…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dbb106a9b6152d6ac15af3f2994752f4.mp3" length="9782786" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dbb106a9b6152d6ac15af3f2994752f4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/waking-thoughts</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Does Not Parade Itself & Is Not Puffed Up]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me again for my Monday Marriage Message…Love Does Not Parade Itself; it is not puffed up
We are continuing this week with the defining characteristics of Agape Love according to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Again...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me again for my Monday Marriage Message…Love Does Not Parade Itself; it is not puffed up
We are continuing this week with the defining characteristics of Agape Love according to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Again we discover something that love does not do. Love does not parade itself and is not puffed up. What images arise in your mind when you think of the phrase “parade itself”? When I think about a parade there are several things I think of. A parade is a production. Parades are usually long, and parades definitely are intended to showcase the participants. They are often noisy and boisterous events and by the time they have passed me by in their entirety I often wonder why I stopped to watch in the first place. According to the dictionary a parade is a public event usually to mark an occasion, a long series of people or things, and finally a pompous show. According to these definitions love that paraded itself would make a long drawn out show of the things it did for others to mark the occasions and it would be pompous or self-important. in other words, it would be the opposite of humility. One who is “puffed up” would most probably find themselves deserving of a parade.
As we have in the past weeks we will look at the meaning of the original text for additional clarity. The Greek word we translate here to the phrase does not parade itself. also means to brag or boast about what it has done. The second word that we translate to puffed up has a connotation of over-inflating or blowing something up bigger than it really is, like inflating a balloon to the point of nearly bursting it. So according to these translations, agape love will not point out what it has done for someone and expect to be recognized for it, nor will it over inflate or make its actions to be more than they really are. That behavior would actually be more consistent with someone who is in love with themselves. A love that parades itself or is puffed up is indicative of incredible selfishness. 
Scripturally we have these examples of how humility and agape love go hand in hand. John 15:13 says: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. Jesus said that this selfless act is the highest evidence of love, and then reinforced that message by doing just that for us, the world He loves so desperately. Philippians 2:3-8 documented His love for us while giving further example of how we also can express agape love. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Agape love, genuine love, is far more concerned with the condition of others than it is of itself.   
With this mindset it becomes possible for us to love in marriage as we are commanded to in Ephesians chapter 5. There we are instructed as husbands and wives to do the following. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, We are to be willing to lay down our lives for her (Eph. 5:25). As such we are to find her...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me again for my Monday Marriage Message…Love Does Not Parade Itself; it is not puffed up
We are continuing this week with the defining characteristics of Agape Love according to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Again we discover something that love does not do. Love does not parade itself and is not puffed up. What images arise in your mind when you think of the phrase “parade itself”? When I think about a parade there are several things I think of. A parade is a production. Parades are usually long, and parades definitely are intended to showcase the participants. They are often noisy and boisterous events and by the time they have passed me by in their entirety I often wonder why I stopped to watch in the first place. According to the dictionary a parade is a public event usually to mark an occasion, a long series of people or things, and finally a pompous show. According to these definitions love that paraded itself would make a long drawn out show of the things it did for others to mark the occasions and it would be pompous or self-important. in other words, it would be the opposite of humility. One who is “puffed up” would most probably find themselves deserving of a parade.
As we have in the past weeks we will look at the meaning of the original text for additional clarity. The Greek word we translate here to the phrase does not parade itself. also means to brag or boast about what it has done. The second word that we translate to puffed up has a connotation of over-inflating or blowing something up bigger than it really is, like inflating a balloon to the point of nearly bursting it. So according to these translations, agape love will not point out what it has done for someone and expect to be recognized for it, nor will it over inflate or make its actions to be more than they really are. That behavior would actually be more consistent with someone who is in love with themselves. A love that parades itself or is puffed up is indicative of incredible selfishness. 
Scripturally we have these examples of how humility and agape love go hand in hand. John 15:13 says: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. Jesus said that this selfless act is the highest evidence of love, and then reinforced that message by doing just that for us, the world He loves so desperately. Philippians 2:3-8 documented His love for us while giving further example of how we also can express agape love. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Agape love, genuine love, is far more concerned with the condition of others than it is of itself.   
With this mindset it becomes possible for us to love in marriage as we are commanded to in Ephesians chapter 5. There we are instructed as husbands and wives to do the following. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, We are to be willing to lay down our lives for her (Eph. 5:25). As such we are to find her needs greater than our own. We are to find opportunities to demote ourself to promote our wives. Wives have much the same responsibility. They are commanded to submit to the leadership of their husbands (Eph. 5:22). This means that they are to support their husbands in all things. This selfless respect given freely is an act of agape love. The Apostle Paul reinforces this call for selflessness in our marriages and in fact in all of our relationships. Romans 12:10: Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
Real love, true love, agape love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up. It doesn’t need to call attention to itself, it lets its loving words and actions do the speaking for it. There are times we may find this difficult. We may want to point out to someone that we are doing all the right things, especially when we may not feel we are getting credit for it. Resist that temptation. Agape love will speak for itself, but even when we may think that our love is going unnoticed, God says it isn’t true. Matthew 25:40 says that God’s response to those who put the good of others above self and do not seek credit for it will be this…Then the King will answer, “I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.”
Questions to Answer:
1.	Is it easy or difficult for you to show love to someone if that love is not reciprocated or at least recognized?
2.	Do you consider those selfless loving actions to be something you are doing for the one they are directed toward, or do you look at it as though you are doing them for God?
3.	What difference does it make or would it make if you look at those loving actions or words as something you were doing directly for Christ?
Actions to Take:
1.	If you have been disappointed because you often don’t “get credit” for loving actions toward someone, choose now to continue to act in loving ways but from now on recognize you are doing those things for God.
2.	Pray and ask God to point out even greater opportunities to love your spouse for Christ.
So now, in agape love, selfless love, a love that needs no parade thrown in its honor…go be awesome]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dec4a5a68fe27cae6642aec4b8f4a28f.mp3" length="9595405" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dec4a5a68fe27cae6642aec4b8f4a28f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-does-not-parade-itself-is-not-puffed-up</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:40</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Why Do You Believe What You Believe - February 6, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of Genesis asking the question Why Do You Believe What You Believe For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of Genesis asking the question Why Do You Believe What You Believe For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Andrew Betts teaches out of Genesis asking the question Why Do You Believe What You Believe For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/aa17b373edba45b80a66b797cb065eb7.mp3" length="33082499" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/aa17b373edba45b80a66b797cb065eb7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/why-do-you-believe-what-you-believe-february-6-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:10</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Exam Days And Pop-Quizzes - February 3rd, 2022 ]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Exam Days and Pop-Quizzes

Throughout the years I was a student in school there was one day I disliked more than any other…exam day. Whether it was the regular Friday weekly exams designed to...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Exam Days and Pop-Quizzes

Throughout the years I was a student in school there was one day I disliked more than any other…exam day. Whether it was the regular Friday weekly exams designed to see if we had been paying attention on the short term, or the larger unit tests or midterms or even final exams meant to determine our comprehension of overall knowledge, I didn’t like exam days. it wasn’t because I was overly anxious about taking tests, I never really had a problem with that, I just didn’t like them, the studying they required got in the way of the fun I wanted to have. As much as I didn’t care for exams…I hated pop-quizzes! You remember, you would go to school thinking it was like any other…and then it would happen. You walk into class having a good time with friends, laughing or catching up. The bell would ring indicating free time was over and it was time to crack the books, and then right out of the clear blue sky, the words that could strike fear into the most stoic of students. “Books under your chairs, today we are having a pop-quiz”. No one liked hearing it, it wasn’t fair, we didn’t know we should have studied. In fact, pop-quizzes aren’t fair, but they are right. A weekly test didn’t prove what you knew, it proved you knew what you had rehearsed. Pop quizzes proved what you knew without rehearsing.

Have you ever wondered why God who loved us so much that He allowed His own Son to be murdered to make a way for us to spend eternity with Him doesn’t clear away all of our problems before we even know they exist? A friend of mine and I were discussing the possible answers to that question this week. After all, if God loves us that much, and we know He does, why does He allow us to experience so much trouble in our lives? When we love someone we try to make sure they don’t experience difficulties? Right? So why does He allow us to go through the daily frustrations, problems, trials?........Pop-quizzes!

As much as I hated pop quizzes in school, King David from the Old Testament seemingly invited God to surprise him with them. Psalm 139:23,24 in the International Standard Version says: Examine me, God, and know my mind, test me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive tendency in me, and lead me in the eternal way. David was inviting God to test him. David understood that having a relationship with God (and we know that he did because God called David a man after His own heart) didn’t make him perfect in all of his ways as God is. David knew there were still offensive tendencies in him. He knew that he still reacted at times in ways that didn’t reflect God’s righteousness. Genesis had been written by Moses roughly 400 years before David’s reign over Israel so he knew that God had created mankind in His image and His likeness, but David also knew the things he thought, did and said didn’t always look like the thoughts actions and words of his righteous Creator. So, David invited God to give him pop-quizzes.

According to the Bible, David’s son Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He also understood the value of being tested by God. Proverbs 17:3 records that he wrote: The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts. Solomon understood that just like precious metals have to be subjected to high temperatures to burn off the impurities and leave only the highly valuable product behind, God has to allow our heart...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Exam Days and Pop-Quizzes

Throughout the years I was a student in school there was one day I disliked more than any other…exam day. Whether it was the regular Friday weekly exams designed to see if we had been paying attention on the short term, or the larger unit tests or midterms or even final exams meant to determine our comprehension of overall knowledge, I didn’t like exam days. it wasn’t because I was overly anxious about taking tests, I never really had a problem with that, I just didn’t like them, the studying they required got in the way of the fun I wanted to have. As much as I didn’t care for exams…I hated pop-quizzes! You remember, you would go to school thinking it was like any other…and then it would happen. You walk into class having a good time with friends, laughing or catching up. The bell would ring indicating free time was over and it was time to crack the books, and then right out of the clear blue sky, the words that could strike fear into the most stoic of students. “Books under your chairs, today we are having a pop-quiz”. No one liked hearing it, it wasn’t fair, we didn’t know we should have studied. In fact, pop-quizzes aren’t fair, but they are right. A weekly test didn’t prove what you knew, it proved you knew what you had rehearsed. Pop quizzes proved what you knew without rehearsing.

Have you ever wondered why God who loved us so much that He allowed His own Son to be murdered to make a way for us to spend eternity with Him doesn’t clear away all of our problems before we even know they exist? A friend of mine and I were discussing the possible answers to that question this week. After all, if God loves us that much, and we know He does, why does He allow us to experience so much trouble in our lives? When we love someone we try to make sure they don’t experience difficulties? Right? So why does He allow us to go through the daily frustrations, problems, trials?........Pop-quizzes!

As much as I hated pop quizzes in school, King David from the Old Testament seemingly invited God to surprise him with them. Psalm 139:23,24 in the International Standard Version says: Examine me, God, and know my mind, test me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive tendency in me, and lead me in the eternal way. David was inviting God to test him. David understood that having a relationship with God (and we know that he did because God called David a man after His own heart) didn’t make him perfect in all of his ways as God is. David knew there were still offensive tendencies in him. He knew that he still reacted at times in ways that didn’t reflect God’s righteousness. Genesis had been written by Moses roughly 400 years before David’s reign over Israel so he knew that God had created mankind in His image and His likeness, but David also knew the things he thought, did and said didn’t always look like the thoughts actions and words of his righteous Creator. So, David invited God to give him pop-quizzes.

According to the Bible, David’s son Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He also understood the value of being tested by God. Proverbs 17:3 records that he wrote: The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts. Solomon understood that just like precious metals have to be subjected to high temperatures to burn off the impurities and leave only the highly valuable product behind, God has to allow our hearts to be tested to eliminate what is unrighteous.

  There will be exams and pop-quizzes for us as well. The Apostle Peter and James the brother of Jesus had some things to say about it. They wrote the following to encourage us as we endure tests, exams, and pop-quizzes. In James 1:2-4 we read that he wrote: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James felt we should not only invite the pop-quizzes; we should be find them an opportunity for great joy! I have to admit; I still need some work on my response to the pop-quizzes! He went on to tell us why joy ought to be our response to those occasions. Tested faith he said results in endurance or spiritual stamina. He then pointed out when that spiritual stamina has fully developed, we will be perfect and complete. In other words at that point, no test, trial or pop-quiz will be able to produce a wrong answer. When our spiritual stamina is perfected, we will no longer fail…we will always be able to withstand the test and give the right response! That will be great! We will always be able to…go be awesome then! James was right to encourage us, we may not be there yet, but every pop-quiz taken brings us closer to acing every one! That is a reason for great joy!

The Apostle Peter also had some words to cheer us on in our testing. He wrote in 1 Peter 1:6-9: So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. Peter wanted to make sure that in the tests and pop-quizzes that are sure to come our way, we remained encouraged that those tests and trials would show us that our faith is genuine. That the relationship we say we have with Christ is having a profound effect on us. He wanted us to be aware of just how precious our faith is to God, He finds it more valuable than gold. That faith also gives us an opportunity not only recognize it as the catalyst for the changes in us but to share it with the world around us that also needs it so desperately. When we pass a pop-quiz…Jesus gets the credit! When we give Him all the credit for our ability to pass, we get to spend eternity with Him!

So next time you are enduring some difficulty, frustration or problem that you wish you weren’t, if you are wondering why there have to be tests, exams and pop-quizzes in life, remember James1:12: Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

So now, learning to invite the exams and pop-quizzes like King David, and to take great joy in them when they come along like James and Peter encouraged you to, sharpen your pencil and sit up straight, take the pop-quiz…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c7ad1b26accf1b19ab8d213d20b640d3.mp3" length="11750711" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c7ad1b26accf1b19ab8d213d20b640d3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/exam-days-and-pop-quizzes-february-3rd-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Does Not Envy]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love does not envy
As we continue on this journey together defining all of the attributes of love from 1 Corinthians 13 we find ourselves at the first descriptor...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love does not envy
As we continue on this journey together defining all of the attributes of love from 1 Corinthians 13 we find ourselves at the first descriptor in the negative. In other words, until now they have been framed in a positive direction…love is patient, love is kind. Those are things love does in its display toward others, today we will focus on something God’s word tells us love doesn’t do. Love does not envy.
According to Webster’s dictionary envy is: the feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. it is also defined as: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. Using these definitions then we find that love does not want what others have, and it is not resentful because another enjoys privileges or advantages it does not. Love does not begrudge another to enjoy what it sees lacking for itself. 
In our society this definition is incriminating of much we call love. Certainly within marriages and other relationships considered to be loving, envy at least according to this definition absolutely exists. There is no shortage of people who come to my office for counsel who feel that it isn’t fair for them to extend love toward their spouse if the same form of it is not reciprocated. A more outlying example is the envy social media induces when it comes to marriages. I could not count the times those in my office make their spouses acutely aware that so-and-so’s husband or wife does this or that for them. The obvious attempt is to shame their spouse into acting accordingly. The motive for that attempt derives directly from their envy over what love is supposedly providing someone else that they are not enjoying. Newsflash…people lie on social media. Even if they were all telling nothing but the truth…and they are not…godly love, real love, true love, does not envy.
If we look at the original text, the Greek word in this scripture that has been translated to envy is Zelos, it is the origin of our word jealous. It has a connotation of boiling over with envy or jealousy to the point of anger. When we think of times we have seen this attribute displayed in a relationship that is supposed to be loving, or in a marriage, anger is often the result.
 Jealousy in and of itself is not problematic when it is the result of broken or threatened faithfulness. God Himself said in Exodus 34:14 that not only is He a jealous God, but that He identifies so closely with it that it is one of His names. In that scripture and others, He gives the command that as a result of His jealousy, we are to have no other Gods above Him. He is a faithful God and requires our faithfulness to have a relationship in good standing with Him. Likewise, jealousy as it pertains to faithfulness in our marriages is not a negative attribute. What the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is warning against is envy or jealousy of the loving actions another receives…and the anger that often results.
Elsewhere in scripture we see these other warnings about envy. James 3:16 says: For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. In this example jealousy is akin to envy. It is desirous of what it does not have or feels that it deserves (because of its selfish ambition) and that results in a disorderly, or what we might call a dysfunctional relationshi...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love does not envy
As we continue on this journey together defining all of the attributes of love from 1 Corinthians 13 we find ourselves at the first descriptor in the negative. In other words, until now they have been framed in a positive direction…love is patient, love is kind. Those are things love does in its display toward others, today we will focus on something God’s word tells us love doesn’t do. Love does not envy.
According to Webster’s dictionary envy is: the feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. it is also defined as: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. Using these definitions then we find that love does not want what others have, and it is not resentful because another enjoys privileges or advantages it does not. Love does not begrudge another to enjoy what it sees lacking for itself. 
In our society this definition is incriminating of much we call love. Certainly within marriages and other relationships considered to be loving, envy at least according to this definition absolutely exists. There is no shortage of people who come to my office for counsel who feel that it isn’t fair for them to extend love toward their spouse if the same form of it is not reciprocated. A more outlying example is the envy social media induces when it comes to marriages. I could not count the times those in my office make their spouses acutely aware that so-and-so’s husband or wife does this or that for them. The obvious attempt is to shame their spouse into acting accordingly. The motive for that attempt derives directly from their envy over what love is supposedly providing someone else that they are not enjoying. Newsflash…people lie on social media. Even if they were all telling nothing but the truth…and they are not…godly love, real love, true love, does not envy.
If we look at the original text, the Greek word in this scripture that has been translated to envy is Zelos, it is the origin of our word jealous. It has a connotation of boiling over with envy or jealousy to the point of anger. When we think of times we have seen this attribute displayed in a relationship that is supposed to be loving, or in a marriage, anger is often the result.
 Jealousy in and of itself is not problematic when it is the result of broken or threatened faithfulness. God Himself said in Exodus 34:14 that not only is He a jealous God, but that He identifies so closely with it that it is one of His names. In that scripture and others, He gives the command that as a result of His jealousy, we are to have no other Gods above Him. He is a faithful God and requires our faithfulness to have a relationship in good standing with Him. Likewise, jealousy as it pertains to faithfulness in our marriages is not a negative attribute. What the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is warning against is envy or jealousy of the loving actions another receives…and the anger that often results.
Elsewhere in scripture we see these other warnings about envy. James 3:16 says: For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. In this example jealousy is akin to envy. It is desirous of what it does not have or feels that it deserves (because of its selfish ambition) and that results in a disorderly, or what we might call a dysfunctional relationship. Proverbs 14:29-30 goes on to reinforce this truth. In the New Contemporary Version, it says: It’s smart to be patient, but it’s stupid to lose your temper. It’s healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up. Wanting what someone else has or even what we perceive them to have, sows discontent in our hearts. A discontented disposition makes us someone others want to avoid, not draw nearer to. In Exodus chapter 20 the ten commandments as given to Moses by God are recorded. Verse 17 gives the 10th of those commandments. Thou shalt not covet (or be envious). God’s warning is not so much about the action as it is concern about what the action does to us as people. An envious person is not an attractive person. A marriage that must endure an envious attitude about love will soon tire and respond negatively.  
Admittedly this is a difficult attribute of Agape love to master. It is easy, some might even argue, natural for us to want what we do not have especially when it seems others are enjoying that very thing. Love, real love however, as we have learned in the past two weeks will be patient and kind even in the face of disappointment.
Questions to answer:
1.	Is envy about the way others are treated by their spouses easy or difficult for you to avoid?
2.	What situations make envy most difficult for you avoid succumbing to?
3.	What can you do to avoid this pitfall in the future?
Actions to take:
1.	Take an inventory of the attributes of love that we have been outlining in this series and note which are easiest for you to display and which are most difficult.
2.	List specific examples of times you have done well and times you wish you had done better.
3.	Ask God help you focus on responding to disappointments in your marriage in ways that will be pleasing to him.
So now, learning to recognize envious thought and choosing contentedness instead…go be awesome ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a39b8f15a7b94075b318c2b22228820f.mp3" length="9272474" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a39b8f15a7b94075b318c2b22228820f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-does-not-envy</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Raise The Roof]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Raise The Roof!

There have been several sitcoms over the years that have made light of a man’s desire to fix what is broken. I remember several different episodes of various shows where the...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Raise The Roof!

There have been several sitcoms over the years that have made light of a man’s desire to fix what is broken. I remember several different episodes of various shows where the wife does all she can to stop her husband from trying to fix some broken appliance or fixture in their home. The scenes always went something like this…Appliance breaks…husband gets out his toolbox…wife immediately goes and calls repairman before her husband has had time to set his toolbox down and implores him to wait for someone who “knows what they are doing”. 
Around our home there haven’t been many things that needed to be fixed that I haven’t made some attempt (usually with a fair degree of success) to repair. I have a philosophy when it comes to such things. Whoever made it, or installed it, or built it originally probably wasn’t any smarter than I am so I can probably figure it out. After all, God gave me a brain…and I own lots of tools, soooo…
In all seriousness, I have been more successful than not. My wife and children have all made the statement at one time or another that I can fix just about anything. That is mostly true. The real truth is that I can fix or rig most anything to make it work. My wife will tell you that there are a few things around our house that you have to know the right trick to use them. As I have aged and my skills have improved, there are less and less tricks she needs to know to make things operate as they should, and I am getting less resistant to admitting I may not be the best person for every job…though I still and probably always will believe I can fix almost anything. Even for people with my mindset however, there are limitations to what we can do. I can try to fix anything but I will not with my limited ability succeed at repairing everything. 
What do you believe you are capable of?
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT)  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in 
the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!

According to this scripture, it’s time to raise the roof! What I am capable of in my own power is predetermined by my brains, skill or might, though I may not like to admit it, there is a mark above which I will never surpass, and to some degree that mark is determined by my ability to perceive and my determination to pursue it. 

Spiritually speaking however, the mark has been determined by One who knows no boundaries. The One who created us. What we can do...or better said...what Christ can do through us is limitless! He says we don’t even know how to imagine what He can accomplish through His working in us. Furthermore, Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that these things unimaginable to me, I was actually created especially for. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Christ has designed me...and you...for incredible tasks well beyond our wildest dreams! Millennia ago Jesus looked across time and fashioned your spirit to be placed in you upon birth, and for that spirit to be made new upon your spiritual rebirth. He did so with a knowledge of who you were, specifically so that you could accomplish the incredible, unimaginable, fantastic good works he needed done in your lifetime, by just a person such as you, to affect the w...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Raise The Roof!

There have been several sitcoms over the years that have made light of a man’s desire to fix what is broken. I remember several different episodes of various shows where the wife does all she can to stop her husband from trying to fix some broken appliance or fixture in their home. The scenes always went something like this…Appliance breaks…husband gets out his toolbox…wife immediately goes and calls repairman before her husband has had time to set his toolbox down and implores him to wait for someone who “knows what they are doing”. 
Around our home there haven’t been many things that needed to be fixed that I haven’t made some attempt (usually with a fair degree of success) to repair. I have a philosophy when it comes to such things. Whoever made it, or installed it, or built it originally probably wasn’t any smarter than I am so I can probably figure it out. After all, God gave me a brain…and I own lots of tools, soooo…
In all seriousness, I have been more successful than not. My wife and children have all made the statement at one time or another that I can fix just about anything. That is mostly true. The real truth is that I can fix or rig most anything to make it work. My wife will tell you that there are a few things around our house that you have to know the right trick to use them. As I have aged and my skills have improved, there are less and less tricks she needs to know to make things operate as they should, and I am getting less resistant to admitting I may not be the best person for every job…though I still and probably always will believe I can fix almost anything. Even for people with my mindset however, there are limitations to what we can do. I can try to fix anything but I will not with my limited ability succeed at repairing everything. 
What do you believe you are capable of?
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT)  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in 
the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!

According to this scripture, it’s time to raise the roof! What I am capable of in my own power is predetermined by my brains, skill or might, though I may not like to admit it, there is a mark above which I will never surpass, and to some degree that mark is determined by my ability to perceive and my determination to pursue it. 

Spiritually speaking however, the mark has been determined by One who knows no boundaries. The One who created us. What we can do...or better said...what Christ can do through us is limitless! He says we don’t even know how to imagine what He can accomplish through His working in us. Furthermore, Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that these things unimaginable to me, I was actually created especially for. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Christ has designed me...and you...for incredible tasks well beyond our wildest dreams! Millennia ago Jesus looked across time and fashioned your spirit to be placed in you upon birth, and for that spirit to be made new upon your spiritual rebirth. He did so with a knowledge of who you were, specifically so that you could accomplish the incredible, unimaginable, fantastic good works he needed done in your lifetime, by just a person such as you, to affect the world in which you live. Ephesians 1:4 & 5 says: Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 

So...what are your dreams? What inklings of greatness would you like to accomplish for Jesus? What desires for ministry (love for others) has He made a part of who you are when He fearfully and wonderfully created you? Not so that you will be recognized as someone great...but so that He would be glorified. I believe those dreams and desires are like matches. They are indicative of what they capable of, but no one looks at a match and sees a forest fire. Your spiritual dreams are only waiting to be struck against your willingness...Christ provides the fuel for the forest fire. He has purposed our lives for so much more than we could ever possibly imagine or attain on our own, and He intends and desires for us to accomplish it all. No Christ follower is created or intended for mediocrity or spiritual boredom. Christ’s plan for all of us is the incredible! He wants to illustrate His boundless power through lives of weakness and imperfection for His glory. Paul wrote that it is in our weaknesses, our imperfections, our inabilities that He loves to show Himself strong, perfect and completely and totally able. So don’t let your perceived inabilities or shortcomings scare you or worry you that you won’t be successful at what God wants to do through you. Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 11:30 for that very reason, he chose to tell everyone about his own weaknesses. Like I said a moment ago, God only needs our willingness. After we say yes to Him, the results of the ministry are on Him, our only responsibility is our obedience. Our greatest ability…is our availability.

So now, raise the roof! Open the doors of possibility by inviting the all-powerful work of Christ to be accomplished in and through your life…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8da706947fbf3860b31d727d27df966f.mp3" length="9282487" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8da706947fbf3860b31d727d27df966f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/raise-the-roof</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Is Kind]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love is kind
Last week I began to define the characteristics of agape love as stated in ‘The Love Chapter’ otherwise known as 1 Corinthians chapter 13. In the past two editions of...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love is kind
Last week I began to define the characteristics of agape love as stated in ‘The Love Chapter’ otherwise known as 1 Corinthians chapter 13. In the past two editions of my podcast I laid much of the groundwork for this journey of understanding about love that we will be on for the first quarter of this year. If you have not listened to those two podcasts; Love Does…Love Does Not and Love Is Patient, I would suggest listening to those prior to this one to gain a fuller understanding. If you tuned in for those then I am glad you have chosen to move forward along with me.
The next attribute of agape love listed in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is this…Love is kind. As I did last week I will look to the dictionary to define the word kind. I know we all have a pretty good handle on the meaning but this is what Webster’s has to say. 
Kind as an adverb; 1: of a sympathetic or helpful nature, 2: of a forbearing nature, 3: arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance, 4: of a kind to give pleasure or relief.
Utilizing this definition, love is sympathetic to someone else’s situation and desires to be helpful if at all possible. Love has a forbearing nature…it is patient with others (we covered that last week). Love according to the dictionary arises from or is characterized by sympathy or forbearance. This is one that the Webster’s actually got more right than I think they know…more about that in a few moments. Love desires to give pleasure or relief, love wants to make whatever is adverse in someone’s life right again.
As I did last week, I also want to look at the original text to define the descriptor ‘kind’. It isn’t because I think we all need to be scholars of the Greek or Hebrew languages, but often the original words or phrase used matters, and as we saw last week it may take more than one English word to accurately translate the original concept. The Greek word used by the Apostle Paul that has been translated to the word ‘kind’ is Chrestos from which we get our word charity. It means to show oneself benevolently useful, or to be helpful by meeting a need. So according to the original term, love attempts to meet a need that exists.
As you full well know, when you look up a word in the dictionary each definition for that particular word offers an example of that meaning. When I looked up the word kind to use for this podcast the first definition: of a sympathetic or helpful nature was followed by the examples; was helped by a kind neighbor and They were very kind to us. So what examples of biblical definition does God’s word offer? 
Psalm 119:76 Let, I pray, your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant. Isaiah 54:8 goes on to reinforce this connection between mercy and kindness. But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer. In these scriptures among many others we see that mercy is attached to kindness. If according to the word of God love is kind, and mercy is a result of kindness then love too will result in mercy. Loving actions will be merciful actions, loving words will be merciful words. 
Joel 2:13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. In this example we see three more descriptors associated with God’s brand of kindness. Along wi...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love is kind
Last week I began to define the characteristics of agape love as stated in ‘The Love Chapter’ otherwise known as 1 Corinthians chapter 13. In the past two editions of my podcast I laid much of the groundwork for this journey of understanding about love that we will be on for the first quarter of this year. If you have not listened to those two podcasts; Love Does…Love Does Not and Love Is Patient, I would suggest listening to those prior to this one to gain a fuller understanding. If you tuned in for those then I am glad you have chosen to move forward along with me.
The next attribute of agape love listed in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is this…Love is kind. As I did last week I will look to the dictionary to define the word kind. I know we all have a pretty good handle on the meaning but this is what Webster’s has to say. 
Kind as an adverb; 1: of a sympathetic or helpful nature, 2: of a forbearing nature, 3: arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance, 4: of a kind to give pleasure or relief.
Utilizing this definition, love is sympathetic to someone else’s situation and desires to be helpful if at all possible. Love has a forbearing nature…it is patient with others (we covered that last week). Love according to the dictionary arises from or is characterized by sympathy or forbearance. This is one that the Webster’s actually got more right than I think they know…more about that in a few moments. Love desires to give pleasure or relief, love wants to make whatever is adverse in someone’s life right again.
As I did last week, I also want to look at the original text to define the descriptor ‘kind’. It isn’t because I think we all need to be scholars of the Greek or Hebrew languages, but often the original words or phrase used matters, and as we saw last week it may take more than one English word to accurately translate the original concept. The Greek word used by the Apostle Paul that has been translated to the word ‘kind’ is Chrestos from which we get our word charity. It means to show oneself benevolently useful, or to be helpful by meeting a need. So according to the original term, love attempts to meet a need that exists.
As you full well know, when you look up a word in the dictionary each definition for that particular word offers an example of that meaning. When I looked up the word kind to use for this podcast the first definition: of a sympathetic or helpful nature was followed by the examples; was helped by a kind neighbor and They were very kind to us. So what examples of biblical definition does God’s word offer? 
Psalm 119:76 Let, I pray, your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant. Isaiah 54:8 goes on to reinforce this connection between mercy and kindness. But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer. In these scriptures among many others we see that mercy is attached to kindness. If according to the word of God love is kind, and mercy is a result of kindness then love too will result in mercy. Loving actions will be merciful actions, loving words will be merciful words. 
Joel 2:13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. In this example we see three more descriptors associated with God’s brand of kindness. Along with mercy we also see graciousness, being slow to anger and relenting from doing harm. Again if love is kind as described in 1 Corinthians 13 then love is; merciful, gracious, slow to anger and does not cause harm.
In Luke 6:35 Jesus said, But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. From this biblical example we see that God shows kindness to those who are ungrateful and evil. We can take from this that kindness (love) should be extended to those that people might look at and say are undeserving of that loving kindness. If we are to let our love be Agape love or godly love, it must be extended to the deserving and the undeserving alike.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; in this example we see that loving kindness will prefer another over self. Preference is not deference. Deference simply means to give in to another. Giving preference to someone over yourself is to desire them to have their way so that you can take joy in their joy. It is what we get to experience when we allow a child to win a game or a race or some other competition that we could have easily won. 
There are many other examples from God’s word that describe kindness as it pertains to love but I will conclude with these two. Ephesians 4:32 says: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Additionally, Colossians 3:12-14 reads as follows, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. The first scripture adds to the list of what kindness looks like. It is tender hearted and causes one to desire to forgive. The second of these two reiterates the above and adds to it several other characteristics of love that are almost verbatim found in 1 Corinthians 13.
Love is kind, kindness is merciful, slow to anger and chooses to do no harm. Kindness is gracious and affectionate and prefers others above self. Kindness is tenderhearted and forgives freely. Kindness extends to the worthy and the unworthy. Kindness is all of these things and more…and love is kind.
Remember I said we would get back to that third definition of love from Webster’s Dictionary? I said they were actually probably more correct with this definition than they realized. Their definition says: arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance. Love is action, not emotion. Each of the characteristics we look at from 1 Corinthians 13 will be actionable. Culturally however, we tend to think of love as an emotion. We have also been conditioned by novels, poetry, songs and movies to think that the emotion we call love will bring about action we would identify as loving. However, Webster’s actually got it right…kindness (an attribute of love) arises from or is characterized by loving action. In truth, and as God’s word validates…the emotion we identify as love is the result of loving action…not the other way around.
Questions to answer:
1.	Is kindness as described above something you find easy or difficult for you in your marriage?
2.	What attributes of loving kindness are easiest for you, what things are more difficult for you to display?
3.	Which characteristics of kindness do you wish were more prevalent in your marriage?
Actions to take:
1.	Identify ways discussed above that you find your spouse to be kind in their interactions with you.
2.	Thank them for the ways that they treat you that you find to be especially kind.
3.	Pray that God would help you to each recognize opportunities to express your love for one another through kindness.
So now, making the most of every opportunity to reflect the loving kindness your Heavenly Father has shown you, in your spouse’s direction…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/75573b6121f214160872d70a32a965a3.mp3" length="13784540" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/75573b6121f214160872d70a32a965a3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-is-kind</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The God of Impossible - January 23, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Ed Gross]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today from Mark 10 : 23-27 followed by Ed Gross who teaches on Mark 10 : 28. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today from Mark 10 : 23-27 followed by Ed Gross who teaches on Mark 10 : 28. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today from Mark 10 : 23-27 followed by Ed Gross who teaches on Mark 10 : 28. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ff09fe43e69eaaf01b301b17a89506a2.mp3" length="24068304" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ff09fe43e69eaaf01b301b17a89506a2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-god-of-impossible-january-23-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Just Look For The Christians]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Look For The Christians!
About 15 years ago my wife and my daughter Jill went on an overseas missions’ trip. During the trip they were in both France and Germany. They were going to be g...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Look For The Christians!
About 15 years ago my wife and my daughter Jill went on an overseas missions’ trip. During the trip they were in both France and Germany. They were going to be gone for two weeks and I recall vividly driving them to the airport to drop them off. After sending them off I returned home to care for our other four children alone until their return. Throughout our marriage we had been to the airport several times to pick a family member up or drop them off, even a few times for one or both of us to fly somewhere. The difference this time was that we were using an airport neither of us had ever been to before. I don’t know about you, but I am always a bit more anxious about things like that. When it comes to things like airports I like to have some familiarity. Because this trip was taking place just a few years after 9/11 all of the restrictions we now take for granted were relatively new. It was a bit unsettling to not be free to see them to their gate but instead have to say our goodbyes before they joined the line for the security checks.
After the two weeks had passed I happily got into the car for the two hour ride to the airport to retrieve them. As I parked and walked toward the airport I remembered I would not be able to go to their gate and watch them get off the plane. In fact, as I entered the only part of the airport I could, the baggage claim, I realized there was no way to know which one their luggage would arrive on. More than that there was no way to know which of the many doors people were streaming from, they would emerge. I began to get anxious. I wondered would I be able to see them…would they be able to see me. I looked around for some way to determine where I should be looking but I could find no indication as to which flights would be the entering baggage claim from where. I knew where I was…but no idea where to look for my wife and daughter. In that moment I was actually more concerned than I had been at any time in the two weeks before. 
It was at that moment that the Holy Spirit calmed me. I felt impressed with this thought “Just look for the Christians” I understand that Christians don’t look any different than anyone else…or do they? I began scanning all of the doors where people were filing into the seeming abyss I was standing in. Most looked tired and many seemed irritated in one way or another. I knew though that wasn’t what I was looking for. 
Philippians 2:14-15 in the New Living Translation says: Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Colossians 3:12-14 goes on to say this about how Christians should look different than those around them. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. If I knew one thing standing there it was that I was not seeing a lot of harmony. People were looking for the carousels their luggage should be coming down and heading toward them with little regard for anyone else. Some looked as if they were walking across an empty roo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Look For The Christians!
About 15 years ago my wife and my daughter Jill went on an overseas missions’ trip. During the trip they were in both France and Germany. They were going to be gone for two weeks and I recall vividly driving them to the airport to drop them off. After sending them off I returned home to care for our other four children alone until their return. Throughout our marriage we had been to the airport several times to pick a family member up or drop them off, even a few times for one or both of us to fly somewhere. The difference this time was that we were using an airport neither of us had ever been to before. I don’t know about you, but I am always a bit more anxious about things like that. When it comes to things like airports I like to have some familiarity. Because this trip was taking place just a few years after 9/11 all of the restrictions we now take for granted were relatively new. It was a bit unsettling to not be free to see them to their gate but instead have to say our goodbyes before they joined the line for the security checks.
After the two weeks had passed I happily got into the car for the two hour ride to the airport to retrieve them. As I parked and walked toward the airport I remembered I would not be able to go to their gate and watch them get off the plane. In fact, as I entered the only part of the airport I could, the baggage claim, I realized there was no way to know which one their luggage would arrive on. More than that there was no way to know which of the many doors people were streaming from, they would emerge. I began to get anxious. I wondered would I be able to see them…would they be able to see me. I looked around for some way to determine where I should be looking but I could find no indication as to which flights would be the entering baggage claim from where. I knew where I was…but no idea where to look for my wife and daughter. In that moment I was actually more concerned than I had been at any time in the two weeks before. 
It was at that moment that the Holy Spirit calmed me. I felt impressed with this thought “Just look for the Christians” I understand that Christians don’t look any different than anyone else…or do they? I began scanning all of the doors where people were filing into the seeming abyss I was standing in. Most looked tired and many seemed irritated in one way or another. I knew though that wasn’t what I was looking for. 
Philippians 2:14-15 in the New Living Translation says: Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Colossians 3:12-14 goes on to say this about how Christians should look different than those around them. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. If I knew one thing standing there it was that I was not seeing a lot of harmony. People were looking for the carousels their luggage should be coming down and heading toward them with little regard for anyone else. Some looked as if they were walking across an empty room rather than using the care necessary for one filled with people. There were people literally bumping into others to reach in and grab their bags as if it was their only chance to retrieve them and they would not be back around a few seconds later. I knew these were not the people I was looking for…and then what Jesus said in John 13:35 came to my mind, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 
I just leaned back against the wall and a new peace came over me. I had been standing for about 45 minutes watching the scramble in front of me only occasionally seeing people who were calm and kind looking. Then it happened. As I stood there scanning, I saw them. Not my wife or daughter, but many people coming out of one particular door to the baggage claim. For the most part they were smiling, helping each other get their carry-on bags moving in the right direction. They too looked tired, but some were laughing, some were helping those around them, some were hugging and saying heartfelt goodbyes to those they had been with. There they were…the Christians! I watched the door they had emerged from intently and then my wife and daughter came into view! They too looked tired…but happy and kind and gentle. I headed toward them and they seemed as glad to see me as I was to see them.
As Christians we should look different. We are blessed to know the love of our Heavenly Father. Could there be any greater knowledge than that Jesus gave His life just so that we could be with Him for eternity? That fact alone should have us in a perpetual state of gratitude and awesome wonder! As our hearts and minds are renewed the natural response to the redeeming transformative power of the Holy Spirit living in us should be compassionate hearts toward others, kindness to those around us, humility, meekness, patience with everyone. As God puts us through the perfecting process we ought to be bearing with one another, forgiving those who hurt us, if for no other reason than that we have been forgiven. Additionally, if we allow all of these things to happen, love…God’s love flowing through us will bind it all together in perfect harmony. And it is by that great love that people around us will know we are His disciples. Do you know what disciples do? They don’t keep the love of God to themselves, they help other people come to know that great love too. 
So do Christians look different than others? They absolutely should. As a fellow Christ follower you should be able to be picked out of any crowd. If we can’t be identified from among the world at large then something is incredibly amiss, the proverbial candle has been placed under the basket. Matthew 5:16 says: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
So now, let others see you looking different, and when you are in a crowd, go ahead give it a try…just look for the Christians…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/892dba030ccad6897055ed28af2f2338.mp3" length="10451744" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/892dba030ccad6897055ed28af2f2338.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/just-look-for-the-christians</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2022 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:15</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[This Man Loves Me - January 16, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/46da6ac72f14e9e75ba722f711d1b5ea.mp3" length="38801000" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/46da6ac72f14e9e75ba722f711d1b5ea.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/this-man-loves-me-january-16-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:08:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:07:22</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Is Patient]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor Ken, thank you for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…love is Patient
In last week’s podcast I highlighted the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. This short chapter from the first letter written to the Corinthian...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor Ken, thank you for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…love is Patient
In last week’s podcast I highlighted the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. This short chapter from the first letter written to the Corinthian church by the Apostle Paul is commonly known as the “love chapter”. It is often looked to as the biblical reference point to define love. As such, I used it last week as the basis for my podcast…Love Does…Love Does Not. 
In that podcast I spoke about the fact that there are three different words in the Greek language that are all translated to the English word love. I mentioned that Eros is romantic or passionate love. I told you that Phileo is what we call friendship or brotherly love. In fact, the name of the city Philadelphia (The City of brotherly love) comes from this Greek word for love. And finally I shared with you that Agape is perfect love or godly love. It is the form of love that keeps the other two forms behaving as they should within the marriage. 
I pointed out that the first three verses of this chapter make the point that if Agape love is not being displayed everything else we do becomes irrelevant. The things we say will not be received correctly if they are not said in Agape. The ministries we have will be ineffective if they are not carried out in Agape. Our faith will be useless if it is not driven by Agape. Even the gifts we give to others will be viewed as coming from some ulterior motive if they are not given with Agape. Finally, these three short verses conclude that even if we give up our very life for someone or some cause, if we don’t do it in Agape love…even that incredible act will be void of purpose. The point then is that with agape all is done as it should be when it comes to love, but without agape even those things we would describe as loving acts become useless or irrelevant.
When I said a moment ago that last week I highlighted the attributes of Agape love, I did just that, I highlighted them. I mentioned then, in the weeks ahead I would define those characteristics in greater detail. That is what I plan to do and this week we will look at the first of those qualities. 
Most English Versions of the Bible translate 1 Corinthians 13:4a as, Love is patient, a few others use the descriptor long suffering. So, what do those words mean? Patient is defined by the dictionary as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. I find that at least in our western society we consider ourselves to be patient if we do not display our displeasure with someone if they cause us trouble in some capacity. However, the actual definition of patience according to the dictionary says that true patience does not become angry or upset when displeased…even on the inside. This means that even for those of us who would consider themselves to be patient people…we may still have some work to do in this area. I know that I do. Longsuffering according to the dictionary means: having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. So if we define the two English words used in the translation of this scripture from its original text we find that Agape love accepts trouble or suffering especially when caused by another person without reacting with anger or becoming upset. That sounds like something difficult to do in the treatment of others, but exactly how I want to be treated, hmmm…
When we look...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor Ken, thank you for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…love is Patient
In last week’s podcast I highlighted the attributes of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. This short chapter from the first letter written to the Corinthian church by the Apostle Paul is commonly known as the “love chapter”. It is often looked to as the biblical reference point to define love. As such, I used it last week as the basis for my podcast…Love Does…Love Does Not. 
In that podcast I spoke about the fact that there are three different words in the Greek language that are all translated to the English word love. I mentioned that Eros is romantic or passionate love. I told you that Phileo is what we call friendship or brotherly love. In fact, the name of the city Philadelphia (The City of brotherly love) comes from this Greek word for love. And finally I shared with you that Agape is perfect love or godly love. It is the form of love that keeps the other two forms behaving as they should within the marriage. 
I pointed out that the first three verses of this chapter make the point that if Agape love is not being displayed everything else we do becomes irrelevant. The things we say will not be received correctly if they are not said in Agape. The ministries we have will be ineffective if they are not carried out in Agape. Our faith will be useless if it is not driven by Agape. Even the gifts we give to others will be viewed as coming from some ulterior motive if they are not given with Agape. Finally, these three short verses conclude that even if we give up our very life for someone or some cause, if we don’t do it in Agape love…even that incredible act will be void of purpose. The point then is that with agape all is done as it should be when it comes to love, but without agape even those things we would describe as loving acts become useless or irrelevant.
When I said a moment ago that last week I highlighted the attributes of Agape love, I did just that, I highlighted them. I mentioned then, in the weeks ahead I would define those characteristics in greater detail. That is what I plan to do and this week we will look at the first of those qualities. 
Most English Versions of the Bible translate 1 Corinthians 13:4a as, Love is patient, a few others use the descriptor long suffering. So, what do those words mean? Patient is defined by the dictionary as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. I find that at least in our western society we consider ourselves to be patient if we do not display our displeasure with someone if they cause us trouble in some capacity. However, the actual definition of patience according to the dictionary says that true patience does not become angry or upset when displeased…even on the inside. This means that even for those of us who would consider themselves to be patient people…we may still have some work to do in this area. I know that I do. Longsuffering according to the dictionary means: having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. So if we define the two English words used in the translation of this scripture from its original text we find that Agape love accepts trouble or suffering especially when caused by another person without reacting with anger or becoming upset. That sounds like something difficult to do in the treatment of others, but exactly how I want to be treated, hmmm…
When we look at the original Greek text even more information of this descriptor of Agape becomes apparent. The original word from the Greek (Mack-roth-oo-meh’-o) means much more than one English word alone could convey. In the context of this scripture it means, refusing to retaliate with anger because of human reasoning. In other words, if the expression of anger toward a person would be the natural response, and others looking on would agree that it seemed appropriate…love will withhold that anger. It also means divinely directed patience. This means that love will only display anger as the Lord directs. Remember WWJD? The word we translate to patience here literally means love will only lose its cool if Jesus would lose His cool over the offence. The literal sense of the term is extending a long time or way without response. 
Scripturally there are ten other instances of this term used in the New Testament. One of them comes from the parable Jesus told of the king who forgave the great debt.(Matthew 18:23-35) The debtor who deserved to be sold into slavery along with his family to repay what was owed asked the king to have (mack-roth-oo-meh’-o) or patience with him and to allow him to try to repay what he owed. In the parable, the debtor owed more than could be repaid, but was asking the king to forego treating him as he deserved. The inference here is that love does not respond to others in a harsh or angry way even if it is what conventional wisdom would say is deserved. Sometimes anger or its other forms within marriage is deserved. Sometimes the ‘cold shoulder’ or ‘slamming cupboard doors’, or ‘muttering angry words under the breath’ would be the appropriate response to some injustice committed…but love won’t do it. 
In 2 Peter 3:9 Peter used this same word. That verse is speaking about God’s patience with humankind. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise (that worldwide judgment is coming), as some count slackness (that He isn’t ever really going to do it), but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. His love causes him to withhold his wrath or anger. I like this instance because it gives a practical example of how we are the recipients of the exact brand of love that we are instructed in 1 Corinthians 13:4 to show to others.  
Love is patient. Sometimes I think if this were the only characteristic given to us in this scripture we would have enough to work on for a lifetime, but the fact is there are still 14 more qualities of Agape left to discover. God does not give us instruction that we cannot learn to follow. We may never become perfect at doing it all the time, but we can move in that direction. I find that the first steps in meeting with success are to agree with God that the thing He is seeking from us is, He is right to ask for. Second, we have to admit that if He asks us to do a certain thing toward others…we owe it to them. Not necessarily because they deserve it in our eyes, but because our Lord says they deserve it…and that makes it so. Finally, and maybe most importantly, things like the patience and longsuffering I have been speaking of today, by worldly standards are nonsensical, so we have to decide who we are doing it for. If I am patient with my wife when I feel she has wronged me, and I decide I am doing that for her, at some point it will be too much and I will lose patience. If I am doing it for my Lord, my Savior, my King…no wrong she can do, even if each one were added up, would begin to come close to what I owe Him. In that light, because of His patience toward me, I can choose patience toward her…for Him.
Questions to answer:
1.	What makes patience toward your spouse difficult for you?
2.	How might that change if you chose to show your spouse patience in response to the patience shown toward you by God?
3.	Is this an area you feel you need to improve in?
Actions to take:
1.	If you feel that you have been lacking in patience toward your spouse, tell God you recognize this to be a difficulty for you and seek His forgiveness.
2.	If you feel that your spouse often treats you with a love that is patient…thank them for that now.
3.	Pray together that God would help both of you recognize when your patience with each other is being tested and ask Him to help you to learn to be more reflective of Him in this way as you interact with one another.
So now, learning to implement a love that is patient, allow your marriage to reflect God’s love toward the two of you and…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4913f2c89f756f7d85e72604859028f4.mp3" length="13889245" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4913f2c89f756f7d85e72604859028f4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-is-patient</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Cliff Hangers - January 13, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Cliff Hangers
Years ago television was a primary form of family entertainment. One might say that it still is but I would challenge that notion. With the advent of the internet and the sheer n...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Cliff Hangers
Years ago television was a primary form of family entertainment. One might say that it still is but I would challenge that notion. With the advent of the internet and the sheer number of devices in the average home that can access it, families may spend a lot of time in front of a screen, but not often together. Back in the dark ages, when I was a kid there was usually only one screen in the average home and it belonged to the television. Families would gather around it in the evening and sift through the TV Guide to agree on a program to watch together. I’m not sure coming to that kind of consensus would be possible for many families today. Prior to cable, and I know I am dating myself here, there were likely less than five or ten programs to choose from depending on how many stations your particular antenna could gather signals from. Because there were so few choices, the networks worked hard to have the best programming so they could get the highest viewership according to the almighty Nielsen Ratings. 
One of the ways programmers would attempt to keep and gain viewer’s interest in a particular program was the use of the cliff hanger. A cliff hanger was the final scene of a show where you were given just enough information about what was going to take place during the next week’s episode that you would be sure to ‘tune in’ and find out, instead of choosing another network. On the one hand cliff hangers were great because they maintained interest. Sometimes there would be entire ‘water cooler conversations’ in workplaces around the country discussing what might be getting ready to happen in the upcoming week on a show. On the other hand, they could leave a person almost feeling a sense of anxiety about what might be getting ready to happen to a favorite character.
These days the use of cliff hangers has diminished. With the ability to binge watch a series on video services like Hulu or Netflix our wait to find out what happened next has been dramatically reduced from a full seven days to mere minutes. Now it takes no more than the amount of time required to get a cold drink and ‘click’ next episode. The interesting thing is, cliff hangers were never really in question…the scripts had been written before the new season even began. We were just finding out week by week what the writers, directors and producers had known all along.
Life can be like that too. Things happen that we aren’t sure about and we tend to become anxious. We experience things regularly that induce us to try and foresee the results of ahead of time so we can position ourselves to mitigate the difficulty we are certain lurks just around the corner. We think that it is all happening in real time and our future is dependent completely on the decisions we make today. To some degree that is true. On some levels we can make adjustments in what happens tomorrow by what we do today. My wife and I save money today so that we can have a comfortable retirement in the future. That’s wise, but it does not guarantee that we will live out a comfortable retirement. It makes it possible, and it is what we should do, but it does not make any other outcome impossible. We should do things like purchase insurance today to mitigate a risk of exposure later. We should plan for possibilities in the future so we don’t find that in failing to plan we have planned to fail. What we should not do is think that our a...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Cliff Hangers
Years ago television was a primary form of family entertainment. One might say that it still is but I would challenge that notion. With the advent of the internet and the sheer number of devices in the average home that can access it, families may spend a lot of time in front of a screen, but not often together. Back in the dark ages, when I was a kid there was usually only one screen in the average home and it belonged to the television. Families would gather around it in the evening and sift through the TV Guide to agree on a program to watch together. I’m not sure coming to that kind of consensus would be possible for many families today. Prior to cable, and I know I am dating myself here, there were likely less than five or ten programs to choose from depending on how many stations your particular antenna could gather signals from. Because there were so few choices, the networks worked hard to have the best programming so they could get the highest viewership according to the almighty Nielsen Ratings. 
One of the ways programmers would attempt to keep and gain viewer’s interest in a particular program was the use of the cliff hanger. A cliff hanger was the final scene of a show where you were given just enough information about what was going to take place during the next week’s episode that you would be sure to ‘tune in’ and find out, instead of choosing another network. On the one hand cliff hangers were great because they maintained interest. Sometimes there would be entire ‘water cooler conversations’ in workplaces around the country discussing what might be getting ready to happen in the upcoming week on a show. On the other hand, they could leave a person almost feeling a sense of anxiety about what might be getting ready to happen to a favorite character.
These days the use of cliff hangers has diminished. With the ability to binge watch a series on video services like Hulu or Netflix our wait to find out what happened next has been dramatically reduced from a full seven days to mere minutes. Now it takes no more than the amount of time required to get a cold drink and ‘click’ next episode. The interesting thing is, cliff hangers were never really in question…the scripts had been written before the new season even began. We were just finding out week by week what the writers, directors and producers had known all along.
Life can be like that too. Things happen that we aren’t sure about and we tend to become anxious. We experience things regularly that induce us to try and foresee the results of ahead of time so we can position ourselves to mitigate the difficulty we are certain lurks just around the corner. We think that it is all happening in real time and our future is dependent completely on the decisions we make today. To some degree that is true. On some levels we can make adjustments in what happens tomorrow by what we do today. My wife and I save money today so that we can have a comfortable retirement in the future. That’s wise, but it does not guarantee that we will live out a comfortable retirement. It makes it possible, and it is what we should do, but it does not make any other outcome impossible. We should do things like purchase insurance today to mitigate a risk of exposure later. We should plan for possibilities in the future so we don’t find that in failing to plan we have planned to fail. What we should not do is think that our actions today are ensuring a particular result tomorrow. There is One who is in ultimate control but is isn’t me…and it isn’t you.
I am not trying to lay out an entirety of theology here but as I have pondered these things several scriptures that speak to God’s overarching control have stood out to me. Proverbs 19:21 says: Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. If we were totally in control of what takes place in this old world, it would be out of control. As innately selfish beings we would never be able to choose cohesively enough to see one master plan evolve from all of our choices strung together. Rather as this scripture says, it is the purpose of the Lord that will remain when all is said and done. Proverbs 16:9 one of my favorites says that We make our plans but the Lord orders our steps. Make no mistake, free will is ours as God has ordained. In His Sovereignty He chose it to be that way. Our choices matter, the consequences of them bear that out, but isn’t it good to know that our loving God absolutely has a will for our lives and is in control of so many more things than we are. We can use ours to reject Him, but aside from that, we can never make choices that are able to dislodge His overall will from its eternal position. Isaiah 14:24 says: The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. Farther on in chapter 45:7 Isaiah writes: I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. 
In Revelation 22:13 it is recorded that Jesus told the Apostle John, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. I could speak about this verse far too long for this podcast, but there is an important understanding I think we need to see. What we would call adjectives in this verse are capitalized. In this context then they are not adjectives, but are proper names of Christ. In other words, Jesus is not stating He was in the beginning, He is saying the Beginning is in Him. He is not saying He will be in the end; He is saying the End is in Him. He is the Eternal God. What I am trying to point out is that there has never been anything that has ever happened in our lives, and nothing will ever take place that Jesus has not already considered…literally from an eternal vantage point. We may be finding out the course of our lives in a day by day fashion but God says that He knew about all of our days, and everything that would take place in them, before even one of them had begun (Psalm 139:16) 
Cliff hangers always made television programs more exciting. Because we always knew in the back of our minds that it would all turn out the way it should in the end, they had us on the edge of our seats but not at the end of our rope. Unknowns in life have the same potential. We can see them as being fodder for worry and concern…or we can allow them to make life exciting. With God in charge of all of the things outside our control and us making wise godly choices about the things we do have sway over…in the end it will all turn out the way it should. Like the writers, directors and producers, God has always known how it was going to turn out. He has promised it will be for our good if we love Him and allow His purposes to reign supreme in our lives. (Rom 8:28) Each new day is an opportunity for us to ‘tune in’ and see what happens next. 
So now, knowing nothing can take place in your life that is a cliff hanger in God’s eyes, trust Him because He is the Beginning and the End and He loves you more than you could imagine…and Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9028c5b7dcc9c4cbf8b3cb66357d842e.mp3" length="11601699" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9028c5b7dcc9c4cbf8b3cb66357d842e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/cliff-hangers-january-13-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:03</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Does...Love Does Not - January 10th, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love Does…Love Does Not…  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, &13 reads as follows:  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love Does…Love Does Not…  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, &13 reads as follows:  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

As an elementary school boy, I remember watching one of my cousins at a summer camp we attended each year with my grandparents. As we stood there in the yard of my grandparents’ lake house, she pulled the petals from a flower she had picked moments before. “He loves me…He loves me not…He loves me…He loves me not.” She was certain that flower would be able to reveal if his love for her existed…or not, whoever he was.

This scripture gives us a much better chance of deciphering if true love exists than that flower ever had the ability to do. I doubt that flower ever revealed anything, and I imagine the love it was supposed to affirm was extinguished before the end of the week. In contrast, the scripture above will endure forever, and will be capable of determining true love throughout eternity. Go ahead…put it to the test.

Love suffers long – Love doesn’t quit when the going gets tough. Real love will stand by even when it must do so for prolonged periods of time with little or no reciprocity. It is an act of selflessness and therefore isn’t in it for what it can get, but rather for what it can give.

Love is kind – Love is considerate of others. Love chooses kindness as its carrier. Love flows easily in words and acts of kindness, especially when they are unexpected or unwarranted. If true love exists…it will always be kind. 

Love does not envy – Real love will allow another to be honored or exalted and be happy for them and not reserve joy because they may have been overlooked.

Love does not parade itself; it is not puffed up – Love is selfless, true love is interested in others being affirmed. It does not seek to make a name for itself. True love does not desire to be the center of attention but rather relishes the chance to place another above self. 

Love does not behave rudely – When one acts out of genuine love they will be courteous and considerate of the needs of those around them. 

Love does not seek its own – Again, love is outward focused. It causes one to think of others’ well-being long before its own. 

Love is not easily provoked – Not only will love hold its tongue and temper when irritated, it is willing to accept provocation, returning only gentleness and kindness, even if wronged. 

Love does not think evil – Love does not assume poor intentions on the part of another. Even when harmed, real love looks for an explanation of extenuating circumstances rather than jumping to a conclusion of evil intent.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth – Human nature is by default sinful. Love overrides the sinful desire to seek self-gratification at the cost of another. Love rejoices when truth prevails over the enemy’s lies designed to ensnare it.

Love bears all things – Love tries to stamp out the missteps of others rather than pointing them out. In so doing, it is forced to bear the wrongdoings of others in silence. While thi...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, thanks for joining me for my Monday Marriage Message…Love Does…Love Does Not…  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, &13 reads as follows:  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

As an elementary school boy, I remember watching one of my cousins at a summer camp we attended each year with my grandparents. As we stood there in the yard of my grandparents’ lake house, she pulled the petals from a flower she had picked moments before. “He loves me…He loves me not…He loves me…He loves me not.” She was certain that flower would be able to reveal if his love for her existed…or not, whoever he was.

This scripture gives us a much better chance of deciphering if true love exists than that flower ever had the ability to do. I doubt that flower ever revealed anything, and I imagine the love it was supposed to affirm was extinguished before the end of the week. In contrast, the scripture above will endure forever, and will be capable of determining true love throughout eternity. Go ahead…put it to the test.

Love suffers long – Love doesn’t quit when the going gets tough. Real love will stand by even when it must do so for prolonged periods of time with little or no reciprocity. It is an act of selflessness and therefore isn’t in it for what it can get, but rather for what it can give.

Love is kind – Love is considerate of others. Love chooses kindness as its carrier. Love flows easily in words and acts of kindness, especially when they are unexpected or unwarranted. If true love exists…it will always be kind. 

Love does not envy – Real love will allow another to be honored or exalted and be happy for them and not reserve joy because they may have been overlooked.

Love does not parade itself; it is not puffed up – Love is selfless, true love is interested in others being affirmed. It does not seek to make a name for itself. True love does not desire to be the center of attention but rather relishes the chance to place another above self. 

Love does not behave rudely – When one acts out of genuine love they will be courteous and considerate of the needs of those around them. 

Love does not seek its own – Again, love is outward focused. It causes one to think of others’ well-being long before its own. 

Love is not easily provoked – Not only will love hold its tongue and temper when irritated, it is willing to accept provocation, returning only gentleness and kindness, even if wronged. 

Love does not think evil – Love does not assume poor intentions on the part of another. Even when harmed, real love looks for an explanation of extenuating circumstances rather than jumping to a conclusion of evil intent.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth – Human nature is by default sinful. Love overrides the sinful desire to seek self-gratification at the cost of another. Love rejoices when truth prevails over the enemy’s lies designed to ensnare it.

Love bears all things – Love tries to stamp out the missteps of others rather than pointing them out. In so doing, it is forced to bear the wrongdoings of others in silence. While this can be difficult, it is one of the most powerful tools of conviction the Holy Spirit can use.

Love believes all things – Love makes every effort to give the benefit of the doubt when wronged. It chooses to believe when hurt, that the source of the hurt was not intentional. 

Love hopes all things – Love always hopes that every offense between itself and another can be worked out. Love always tries to reconcile a broken relationship. 

Love endures all things – Love understands that there are times when it will be ill-treated and it doesn’t look for a way to escape the relationship. True love knows that the only way for it to be proven is through remaining consistent.

Love never fails – God is eternal, God is love, ergo love is eternal. Love knows no bounds and has no end. Everything else in the world is someday going to pass away, some things much sooner than others, but true love, real love, has no expiration date.

The Greek language has three words for love. Eros – which is physical or erotic love. Phileo – which is fondness, affection, friendship love. Agape – the kind of love God has for us, and that we are to allow Him to show to others through us. All three are often present inside of the marital relationship. A marriage would not be much if it were only based on Eros. It would lack intimacy if it were only interested in displaying Phileo. If it does not contain Agape the other two forms of love will soon become selfish and inward thinking and inflict pain and damage onto the marriage. The only form of love that keeps the other two forms acting as they should is Agape love. 

And now abide faith, hope and Agape, and the greatest of these, meaning the one that keeps everything else as it should be in healthy relationships whether they be between family, spouses or even us and God…is Agape.

In the weeks ahead we will look more closely at each of these characteristics of Agape love. I will attempt to define them better and give practical ways to see them instituted in marriage. I will also illustrate how they can increase the healthy display and acceptance of Eros and Phileo leading to a fuller marital love experience. 

Questions to Answer:

1.	Which of love’s characteristics listed above do you both think are being displayed well in your marriage?
2.	Which do you think the two of you need to work to improve?
3.	How can you hold yourselves and each other accountable to love as you should in ways that won’t breach these principles?

Actions to Take:

1.	Ask God to help you love others in ways that are reflective of Him, beginning with your interactions with your spouse. 
2.	Tell your spouse of any areas God has made you aware of and commit to taking real steps toward remedying those attributes. 

So now, holding the love you share with your spouse up to the standard of Agape love and learning to love your spouse in the ways God intends…Go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d4ebcf2dfcba075d70cf73b57b8f5cc2.mp3" length="10936297" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d4ebcf2dfcba075d70cf73b57b8f5cc2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-doeslove-does-not-january-10th-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Choose Them - January 9, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Choose Them - January 9, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark 10:13-16.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of service...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Choose Them - January 9, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark 10:13-16.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us


0:00 - Pastor Marvin opening prayer

2:30 - Give Him praise
8:28 - Psalm 23
16:03 - New name written down in Glory

22:16 - Pastor Rick Message
23:05 - Mark 10 : 13
25:53 - Psalms 127 : 3-5
29:24 - Psalms 128 : 1-4
37:58 - Mark 10 : 14
53:04 - Mark 10 : 15-16

1:27:40 - Closing prayer]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Choose Them - January 9, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches out of Mark 10:13-16.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us


0:00 - Pastor Marvin opening prayer

2:30 - Give Him praise
8:28 - Psalm 23
16:03 - New name written down in Glory

22:16 - Pastor Rick Message
23:05 - Mark 10 : 13
25:53 - Psalms 127 : 3-5
29:24 - Psalms 128 : 1-4
37:58 - Mark 10 : 14
53:04 - Mark 10 : 15-16

1:27:40 - Closing prayer]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bd688130cc6c64b99fc7620613b94774.mp3" length="54204183" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bd688130cc6c64b99fc7620613b94774.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/choose-them-january-9-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jan 2022 11:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:28:14</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Truths Considered In A Snowbank - January 6, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on the first Thursday of the new year…Truths Considered In A Snowbank. 
No matter what part of the country you live in, mixed in among all the other Christmas Carols is the familiar line “I’m Dreaming of a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on the first Thursday of the new year…Truths Considered In A Snowbank. 
No matter what part of the country you live in, mixed in among all the other Christmas Carols is the familiar line “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”. This year that dream only missed us here in the State of Delaware by about a week. As the snow fell heavily this past Monday piling up at more than an inch an hour it quickly became evident it would not simply be the aesthetic wintry ground covering we have grown accustom to here in the Mid-Atlantic region. It was soon all-too-apparent that what we had on our hands was a beautiful mess that was soon going to need to be cleaned up. Having grown up in the snow-belt of Western New York State I am familiar with snow shoveling. There it is often a chore completed multiple times a week for several months of the year. As the snow fell and blew around, I knew I was soon to engage once again in that undesirable activity I had moved here to avoid. 
As I shoveled I found myself having to take many breaks. Some were to spend a moment standing up strait and relieve the pain of my stooped position repeatedly lifting shovel full after shovel full of the snow only to move it 1 or 2 feet to the right or left of where it had been deposited. Sometimes I was finding that the breaks were to catch my breath that my labor seemed to be robing me of. There were times I simply stopped because I was tired and I was awaiting that ‘second wind’ my grandfather Brown used to speak of so often. I’m not sure where he always seemed to get his from, but there in the snow, mine didn’t seem to be appearing all that readily. As I stood there in that snowbank during one of those rest sessions, I began to consider some things.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 from the New Century Version reads as follows: So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.  We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.
As I shoveled snow, both Monday and Tuesday I became acutely aware that my physical body is in fact becoming older and weaker. There was a time it seems, not so long ago when a few hours spent shoveling snow would have been no big deal. Why then was it that as I did so this week it caused every muscle in my back and shoulders to scream out in protest? Why do they revolt and act as if on a sit down strike when I try to walk even yet today? Why? Because this body is made of flesh and bones and it has a definite shelf life. The good news? This old body is not what defines me! It is only the vehicle by which I move through this life. It has a limited usefulness, but what it contains is designed for eternal purposes!
The spirit inside becomes renewed every day. Each day there are new reasons to praise God. Each day is a new day to fulfill our eternal purpose by giving glory to the One who created us. Each day we get to live for the One who died for us. Each new day is a new set of opportunities to become more and more like Jesus. As we walk through this life, troubles abound...snow piles up, but though we need to give the troubles of this world our attention, our focus should be much farther down the road. The difficulties can have our...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on the first Thursday of the new year…Truths Considered In A Snowbank. 
No matter what part of the country you live in, mixed in among all the other Christmas Carols is the familiar line “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”. This year that dream only missed us here in the State of Delaware by about a week. As the snow fell heavily this past Monday piling up at more than an inch an hour it quickly became evident it would not simply be the aesthetic wintry ground covering we have grown accustom to here in the Mid-Atlantic region. It was soon all-too-apparent that what we had on our hands was a beautiful mess that was soon going to need to be cleaned up. Having grown up in the snow-belt of Western New York State I am familiar with snow shoveling. There it is often a chore completed multiple times a week for several months of the year. As the snow fell and blew around, I knew I was soon to engage once again in that undesirable activity I had moved here to avoid. 
As I shoveled I found myself having to take many breaks. Some were to spend a moment standing up strait and relieve the pain of my stooped position repeatedly lifting shovel full after shovel full of the snow only to move it 1 or 2 feet to the right or left of where it had been deposited. Sometimes I was finding that the breaks were to catch my breath that my labor seemed to be robing me of. There were times I simply stopped because I was tired and I was awaiting that ‘second wind’ my grandfather Brown used to speak of so often. I’m not sure where he always seemed to get his from, but there in the snow, mine didn’t seem to be appearing all that readily. As I stood there in that snowbank during one of those rest sessions, I began to consider some things.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 from the New Century Version reads as follows: So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.  We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.
As I shoveled snow, both Monday and Tuesday I became acutely aware that my physical body is in fact becoming older and weaker. There was a time it seems, not so long ago when a few hours spent shoveling snow would have been no big deal. Why then was it that as I did so this week it caused every muscle in my back and shoulders to scream out in protest? Why do they revolt and act as if on a sit down strike when I try to walk even yet today? Why? Because this body is made of flesh and bones and it has a definite shelf life. The good news? This old body is not what defines me! It is only the vehicle by which I move through this life. It has a limited usefulness, but what it contains is designed for eternal purposes!
The spirit inside becomes renewed every day. Each day there are new reasons to praise God. Each day is a new day to fulfill our eternal purpose by giving glory to the One who created us. Each day we get to live for the One who died for us. Each new day is a new set of opportunities to become more and more like Jesus. As we walk through this life, troubles abound...snow piles up, but though we need to give the troubles of this world our attention, our focus should be much farther down the road. The difficulties can have our attention in so much that we learn from them what our Heavenly Father desires for us to learn, but our focus is to be on the eternal, where the lessons are preparing us to reside. Heaven is our home, life here on earth is just the path we must travel that readies us to abide there.
I must admit it is easy to forget this truth, and get all caught up in the troubles and trials this life brings. It can be easy to take our focus off what it should be fixed on, and allow it to be swayed to a much shorter, temporal view. We can stare so intently at the problems that they begin to loom large and we lose our spiritually corrected vision. Paul is right to remind us that what we can see with our eyes, this life, and its difficulties, are only short term. What we can’t see with our physical eyes, but only with our eyes of faith, the view there goes on forever! That’s where our home is. 
There is another song that I remember hearing and singing many times that restates this truth I was considering in that snowbank…I’ve got a mansion, just over the hilltop. In that bright land where we’ll never grow old. And someday yonder, we will never more wander, but walk on streets that are purest gold!
So now, recognizing and learning from the troubles of today, but keeping your focus firmly on your Heavenly Father’s promises for the future, allow your spirit to be made new each day and…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/66dd7a5605117d301bf03a34a9d5408b.mp3" length="7838801" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/66dd7a5605117d301bf03a34a9d5408b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/truths-considered-in-a-snowbank-january-6-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What's Love Got To Do With It? - January 3, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message. I have been humbled by the response to this podcast on Marriage. The response to it has been even greater than to my other weekly podcast, Thoughts On A Thursday. Because so many of you seem to find i...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message. I have been humbled by the response to this podcast on Marriage. The response to it has been even greater than to my other weekly podcast, Thoughts On A Thursday. Because so many of you seem to find it valuable I am going to continue this endeavor throughout 2022. I thought I might begin the year speaking about love. So here goes, let’s kick off 2022 with the question… What’s Love Got To Do With It?


Made famous by Tina Turner, this song released in 1984 spent three weeks atop the Billboard Top 100 and was her first top ten single since the early 1970’s. The song’s title, What’s Love Got to Do with It? asked an interesting question. Essentially, the song says that the attraction between the characters in the song is just that…an attraction, and the singer asks, “What’s love got to do with it?” making the point that there is no need in their relationship for love. Love then, at least in terms of the meaning of this song, is irrelevant. 

The scripture I have chosen for today says just the opposite. It states that if love is not present, everything else becomes irrelevant.    1 Corinthians chapter 13:1-3 in the NKJV reads:  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 

This passage clearly has one message. Love matters. Love is relevant to everything. Paul states here that even if he could speak in any language, earthly or heavenly, if he did so without the intent of the words expressing love for the hearer, it would be no more valuable than a highly irritating noise. How many times has this been proven down through the ages? When we hear advice being showered on us by a know-it-all who just likes to hear themselves speak, it’s simply an irritation. When we hear a politician pandering for our votes without a trace of our furtherance in their actual intent, it is no more pleasing than the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. If our spouse speaks to us harshly or with contempt, a clanging noise would be a marked improvement.

Paul goes on to say that even if one has incredible spiritual gifts, being able to preach great messages, or discernment, or can give a needed word of knowledge, or even produce a needed podcast, if it is done without love, it is irrelevant. Our ability to minister to others is powerless without love. It doesn’t matter how talented we may be, it doesn’t matter how great the idea behind the ministry, if it is done without love it is utterly useless. Paul continues by making the point that our level of faith, too, has no value without love. If we lack love, even faith great enough to move mountains changes nothing except maybe the mountain’s address. Finally, he writes that acts of service to others or to God, if done without love, are of no value.

So what does this have to do with our marriages? Allow me the latitude to utilize the awesome work of Dr. Gary Chapman and His Five Love Languages in conjunction with the spirit of what Paul writes here in ‘The Love Chapter.’ 

If I speak words of affirmation to my spouse but do not have a godly love that guides my ot...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message. I have been humbled by the response to this podcast on Marriage. The response to it has been even greater than to my other weekly podcast, Thoughts On A Thursday. Because so many of you seem to find it valuable I am going to continue this endeavor throughout 2022. I thought I might begin the year speaking about love. So here goes, let’s kick off 2022 with the question… What’s Love Got To Do With It?


Made famous by Tina Turner, this song released in 1984 spent three weeks atop the Billboard Top 100 and was her first top ten single since the early 1970’s. The song’s title, What’s Love Got to Do with It? asked an interesting question. Essentially, the song says that the attraction between the characters in the song is just that…an attraction, and the singer asks, “What’s love got to do with it?” making the point that there is no need in their relationship for love. Love then, at least in terms of the meaning of this song, is irrelevant. 

The scripture I have chosen for today says just the opposite. It states that if love is not present, everything else becomes irrelevant.    1 Corinthians chapter 13:1-3 in the NKJV reads:  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 

This passage clearly has one message. Love matters. Love is relevant to everything. Paul states here that even if he could speak in any language, earthly or heavenly, if he did so without the intent of the words expressing love for the hearer, it would be no more valuable than a highly irritating noise. How many times has this been proven down through the ages? When we hear advice being showered on us by a know-it-all who just likes to hear themselves speak, it’s simply an irritation. When we hear a politician pandering for our votes without a trace of our furtherance in their actual intent, it is no more pleasing than the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. If our spouse speaks to us harshly or with contempt, a clanging noise would be a marked improvement.

Paul goes on to say that even if one has incredible spiritual gifts, being able to preach great messages, or discernment, or can give a needed word of knowledge, or even produce a needed podcast, if it is done without love, it is irrelevant. Our ability to minister to others is powerless without love. It doesn’t matter how talented we may be, it doesn’t matter how great the idea behind the ministry, if it is done without love it is utterly useless. Paul continues by making the point that our level of faith, too, has no value without love. If we lack love, even faith great enough to move mountains changes nothing except maybe the mountain’s address. Finally, he writes that acts of service to others or to God, if done without love, are of no value.

So what does this have to do with our marriages? Allow me the latitude to utilize the awesome work of Dr. Gary Chapman and His Five Love Languages in conjunction with the spirit of what Paul writes here in ‘The Love Chapter.’ 

If I speak words of affirmation to my spouse but do not have a godly love that guides my other interactions with them, the words quickly become meaningless and eventually they irritate rather than bring comfort and express love. 

If I spend quality time with my spouse only to do the things I find important and am otherwise deeply engaged in personal hobbies or scrolling through my social media accounts, the time spent with my spouse will begin to stink of selfishness and will not convey love.

If I engage in physical touch only when it pleases me to do so, I am loving without love and the irony of that will soon become apparent, causing my spouse’s love language to become a meaningless message.

If I perform acts of service for my spouse simply so that I can be recognized or to get my spouse off my back, then they will cease asking for them and I will have shut down their appreciation of love with the lack of my own.

If I only give gifts to my spouse on the obligitory occasions and find the need to tell them how expensive they were or how much of a bother it was to get them, they will feel guilty for desiring my love, and my lack of love will make them feel unwanted.

What’s love got to do with it? Everything! When love is in the air, we breathe easy, we are able to rest in the knowledge that our spouse is acting selflessly toward us which causes us to want to do the same for them. When love is lacking, and selfishness prevails, we might try to placate ourselves by asking “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, but what we will be left feeling is …Love Hurts.

Questions to Answer:

1.	How do you think you are doing when it comes to expressing selfless love toward one another?
2.	What areas of your life do you feel you need to improve on when it comes to doing those things out of ambition to love better?

Actions to Take:

1.	If you have never done so, find out what your primary and secondary love languages are as well as those of your spouse. You can take an assessment at https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/

So now, recognizing that love is relevant to all things, and making sure that it is your motive for all that you do…especially in your marriage…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e75b7640ced915137e718f20cfe4110c.mp3" length="8623187" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e75b7640ced915137e718f20cfe4110c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it-january-3-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Top 10 New Beginnings - January 2, 2022]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Top 10 New Beginnings - January 2, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today speaking on the song Do You Hear What I Hear.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Top 10 New Beginnings - January 2, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today speaking on the song Do You Hear What I Hear.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Welcome and Prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones
2:05 - Worship:
2:10 - Open Up The Heavens
6:15 - My Jesus
10:11 - Go Tell It
13:49 - Message: Pastor Rick Betts on his top 10 New beginnings with 5 extra honorable mentions

35:26 - #10 The Burning Bush - Exodus 3 : 2-3
39:59 - #9 The Passover - Exodus 12 : 13-14
41:12 - #8 Peter Restored - John 21 : 17-18
44:12 - #7 Sauls Conversion - Acts 9 : 3-5
52:10 - #6 Abram Called Out - Genesis 12 : 1-3
54:54 - #5 Noah and the Ark - Genesis 6 : 13-14
1:00:17 - #4 Jesus’ Birth - Luke 2 : 10-11
1:03:00 - #3 The Resurrection of Jesus - Matthew 28 : 5-7
1:05:58 - #2 The Out-Pouring of the Holy Spirit - Acts 1 : 4-5
1:13:02 - #1 Being Born Again - II Corinthians 5 : 17-20]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Top 10 New Beginnings - January 2, 2022

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today speaking on the song Do You Hear What I Hear.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

0:00 - Welcome and Prayer: Pastor Marvin Jones
2:05 - Worship:
2:10 - Open Up The Heavens
6:15 - My Jesus
10:11 - Go Tell It
13:49 - Message: Pastor Rick Betts on his top 10 New beginnings with 5 extra honorable mentions

35:26 - #10 The Burning Bush - Exodus 3 : 2-3
39:59 - #9 The Passover - Exodus 12 : 13-14
41:12 - #8 Peter Restored - John 21 : 17-18
44:12 - #7 Sauls Conversion - Acts 9 : 3-5
52:10 - #6 Abram Called Out - Genesis 12 : 1-3
54:54 - #5 Noah and the Ark - Genesis 6 : 13-14
1:00:17 - #4 Jesus’ Birth - Luke 2 : 10-11
1:03:00 - #3 The Resurrection of Jesus - Matthew 28 : 5-7
1:05:58 - #2 The Out-Pouring of the Holy Spirit - Acts 1 : 4-5
1:13:02 - #1 Being Born Again - II Corinthians 5 : 17-20]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/413dc312604e6156d6c3356fae97c8e1.mp3" length="49917723" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/413dc312604e6156d6c3356fae97c8e1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/top-10-new-beginnings-january-2-2022</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jan 2022 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:23:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Year's Resolutions - December 30th, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
Each year people around the globe spend the week between Christmas and New Years developing a list. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Prior to Christmas we w...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
Each year people around the globe spend the week between Christmas and New Years developing a list. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Prior to Christmas we were making lists of things we wanted to have. Those lists used to circulate in the form of handwritten letters to Santa Clause but everyone knows that is no longer necessary, you simply have to change the settings to ‘public’ on your wish list on Amazon. After Christmas is over and the gifts have all been opened however, we revert back to list making. This time it is not for things we want, but rather improvement we want to see in our lives. We consider the perceived failures of the year or years before and we make a list of changes we intend to accomplish. Sometimes they are new changes we want to see, sometimes they are the same ones from years past that never seemed to persist beyond a week or two…but this time we assure ourselves…will see it through. We promise ourselves this year will be different; after all we are resolute! Sometimes people who have difficulty seeing those changes take real hold in their lives make jokes about New Year’s resolutions like; “This year I resolve to stop finding fault with myself.” or “I resolve to stop making lists” or I resolve to not make any resolutions this year”. The fact of the matter is though that it is biblical to desire to see a continuation of the process of being perfected. John the Baptist said as much when speaking of Jesus. He said, “He (Jesus) must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30) John was speaking of their ministries, but the principle is yet true for our lives as well. We should be seeing less and less of us in our actions, words and thoughts and more and more of Jesus. I’m not sure that there is anything special about considering these things on January 1st each year, but certainly new beginnings are easy to consider as the past year advances into the new one. Perhaps though we should give it special consideration in this season because we have just celebrated the birth of the One who empowers us through His Holy Spirit to see the desired good increase in our lives. After all, Jesus told us Himself; “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
So as we each consider what improvements we would like to see in our lives allow me to offer some thoughts from scripture about the characteristics God likes to see in us. Since Jesus already made a list I thought it might be a good place to draw from as we each form our own and try to see it through.

Matthew 5:3-11 (Amplified Version)

“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

“Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed [joyful, nourished...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
Each year people around the globe spend the week between Christmas and New Years developing a list. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Prior to Christmas we were making lists of things we wanted to have. Those lists used to circulate in the form of handwritten letters to Santa Clause but everyone knows that is no longer necessary, you simply have to change the settings to ‘public’ on your wish list on Amazon. After Christmas is over and the gifts have all been opened however, we revert back to list making. This time it is not for things we want, but rather improvement we want to see in our lives. We consider the perceived failures of the year or years before and we make a list of changes we intend to accomplish. Sometimes they are new changes we want to see, sometimes they are the same ones from years past that never seemed to persist beyond a week or two…but this time we assure ourselves…will see it through. We promise ourselves this year will be different; after all we are resolute! Sometimes people who have difficulty seeing those changes take real hold in their lives make jokes about New Year’s resolutions like; “This year I resolve to stop finding fault with myself.” or “I resolve to stop making lists” or I resolve to not make any resolutions this year”. The fact of the matter is though that it is biblical to desire to see a continuation of the process of being perfected. John the Baptist said as much when speaking of Jesus. He said, “He (Jesus) must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30) John was speaking of their ministries, but the principle is yet true for our lives as well. We should be seeing less and less of us in our actions, words and thoughts and more and more of Jesus. I’m not sure that there is anything special about considering these things on January 1st each year, but certainly new beginnings are easy to consider as the past year advances into the new one. Perhaps though we should give it special consideration in this season because we have just celebrated the birth of the One who empowers us through His Holy Spirit to see the desired good increase in our lives. After all, Jesus told us Himself; “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
So as we each consider what improvements we would like to see in our lives allow me to offer some thoughts from scripture about the characteristics God likes to see in us. Since Jesus already made a list I thought it might be a good place to draw from as we each form our own and try to see it through.

Matthew 5:3-11 (Amplified Version)

“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

“Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.

“Blessed [content, sheltered by God’s promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

“Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

“Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

“Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly got some ideas from the list Jesus put together that need to be added to my list of New Year’s resolutions. 

So now, searching His word to consistently learn new ways to see yourself decreasing and Jesus increasing in your life in 2022…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/98d18010d9c6376035bfb9a5c9038bbe.mp3" length="8075411" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/98d18010d9c6376035bfb9a5c9038bbe.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-years-resolutions-december-30th-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[It Is Not Good - December 27th, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
Each year people around the globe spend the week between Christmas and New Years developing a list. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Prior to Christmas we w...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
Each year people around the globe spend the week between Christmas and New Years developing a list. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Prior to Christmas we were making lists of things we wanted to have. Those lists used to circulate in the form of handwritten letters to Santa Clause but everyone knows that is no longer necessary, you simply have to change the settings to ‘public’ on your wish list on Amazon. After Christmas is over and the gifts have all been opened however, we revert back to list making. This time it is not for things we want, but rather improvement we want to see in our lives. We consider the perceived failures of the year or years before and we make a list of changes we intend to accomplish. Sometimes they are new changes we want to see, sometimes they are the same ones from years past that never seemed to persist beyond a week or two…but this time we assure ourselves…will see it through. We promise ourselves this year will be different; after all we are resolute! Sometimes people who have difficulty seeing those changes take real hold in their lives make jokes about New Year’s resolutions like; “This year I resolve to stop finding fault with myself.” or “I resolve to stop making lists” or I resolve to not make any resolutions this year”. The fact of the matter is though that it is biblical to desire to see a continuation of the process of being perfected. John the Baptist said as much when speaking of Jesus. He said, “He (Jesus) must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30) John was speaking of their ministries, but the principle is yet true for our lives as well. We should be seeing less and less of us in our actions, words and thoughts and more and more of Jesus. I’m not sure that there is anything special about considering these things on January 1st each year, but certainly new beginnings are easy to consider as the past year advances into the new one. Perhaps though we should give it special consideration in this season because we have just celebrated the birth of the One who empowers us through His Holy Spirit to see the desired good increase in our lives. After all, Jesus told us Himself; “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
So as we each consider what improvements we would like to see in our lives allow me to offer some thoughts from scripture about the characteristics God likes to see in us. Since Jesus already made a list I thought it might be a good place to draw from as we each form our own and try to see it through.

Matthew 5:3-11 (Amplified Version)

“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

“Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed [joyful, nourished...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Year’s Resolutions
Each year people around the globe spend the week between Christmas and New Years developing a list. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Prior to Christmas we were making lists of things we wanted to have. Those lists used to circulate in the form of handwritten letters to Santa Clause but everyone knows that is no longer necessary, you simply have to change the settings to ‘public’ on your wish list on Amazon. After Christmas is over and the gifts have all been opened however, we revert back to list making. This time it is not for things we want, but rather improvement we want to see in our lives. We consider the perceived failures of the year or years before and we make a list of changes we intend to accomplish. Sometimes they are new changes we want to see, sometimes they are the same ones from years past that never seemed to persist beyond a week or two…but this time we assure ourselves…will see it through. We promise ourselves this year will be different; after all we are resolute! Sometimes people who have difficulty seeing those changes take real hold in their lives make jokes about New Year’s resolutions like; “This year I resolve to stop finding fault with myself.” or “I resolve to stop making lists” or I resolve to not make any resolutions this year”. The fact of the matter is though that it is biblical to desire to see a continuation of the process of being perfected. John the Baptist said as much when speaking of Jesus. He said, “He (Jesus) must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30) John was speaking of their ministries, but the principle is yet true for our lives as well. We should be seeing less and less of us in our actions, words and thoughts and more and more of Jesus. I’m not sure that there is anything special about considering these things on January 1st each year, but certainly new beginnings are easy to consider as the past year advances into the new one. Perhaps though we should give it special consideration in this season because we have just celebrated the birth of the One who empowers us through His Holy Spirit to see the desired good increase in our lives. After all, Jesus told us Himself; “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
So as we each consider what improvements we would like to see in our lives allow me to offer some thoughts from scripture about the characteristics God likes to see in us. Since Jesus already made a list I thought it might be a good place to draw from as we each form our own and try to see it through.

Matthew 5:3-11 (Amplified Version)

“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

“Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.

“Blessed [content, sheltered by God’s promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

“Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

“Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

“Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly got some ideas from the list Jesus put together that need to be added to my list of New Year’s resolutions. 

So now, searching His word to consistently learn new ways to see yourself decreasing and Jesus increasing in your life in 2022…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5ba4a095972f39210b960cf53efbadb3.mp3" length="10180643" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5ba4a095972f39210b960cf53efbadb3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/it-is-not-good-december-27th-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do You Hear What I Hear - December 26, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today speaking on the song Do You Hear What I Hear.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services v...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today speaking on the song Do You Hear What I Hear.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
0:00 - Joy to the World
3:44 - Welcome and Prayer - Pastor Marvin Jones
Worship:
5:58 - King of Kings
14:31 - God So Loved
14:31 - Christmas Offering
18:02 - Do You Hear What I Hear
23:16 - Message: Pastor Rick Betts
34:05 - Matthew 1:18-21
37:39 - Matthew 2:1-2
49:57 - Daniel 9:24
54:59 - Genesis 3:14-15
58:34 - II Corinthians 5:17-21
1:11:51 - I Wish You Jesus]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts Teaches today speaking on the song Do You Hear What I Hear.  For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
0:00 - Joy to the World
3:44 - Welcome and Prayer - Pastor Marvin Jones
Worship:
5:58 - King of Kings
14:31 - God So Loved
14:31 - Christmas Offering
18:02 - Do You Hear What I Hear
23:16 - Message: Pastor Rick Betts
34:05 - Matthew 1:18-21
37:39 - Matthew 2:1-2
49:57 - Daniel 9:24
54:59 - Genesis 3:14-15
58:34 - II Corinthians 5:17-21
1:11:51 - I Wish You Jesus]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/55dd61dc7d4a5aec4eb279e128d8c1e9.mp3" length="46353692" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/55dd61dc7d4a5aec4eb279e128d8c1e9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-you-hear-what-i-hear-december-26-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:15:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Christmas Alphabet Poem - December 23, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. As of today there are just two more days until Christmas. As I did last year I want to use my podcast to read to you a Christmas poem that conveys the true meaning of the celebration. As a pod...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. As of today there are just two more days until Christmas. As I did last year I want to use my podcast to read to you a Christmas poem that conveys the true meaning of the celebration. As a podcaster, words are important to me, they are the basis of my craft. My wife is finishing her long and storied career as an educator this year. Her final years in that profession have been spent teaching kindergarteners to read. The basis for their ability to read words is the alphabet which she lovingly spends time teaching all of her student’s mastery of. So I thought it fitting then this year to use a poem about Christmas that highlights the alphabet that allows them to read and me to write each week’s podcast.  Without further ado, I offer A Christmas Alphabet Poem, the author is unknown.
A is for Angels, appearing so bright, telling of Jesus that first Christmas night.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host.” Luke 2:13

B is for Bethlehem, crowded and old, birthplace of Jesus by prophet foretold.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, out of thee shall he come 
forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” Micah 5:2

C is for Cattle, their manger His bed, there in the trough where He laid His head.
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in 
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.” Luke 2:7

D is for David and his ancient throne promised forever to Jesus alone.
“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” Luke 1:32

E is for East, where shone the bright star which Magi on camels followed afar.
“Behold, there came wise men from the east asking 
‘Where is the king of the Jews?’” Matthew 2:1,2

F is for Frankincense, with myrrh and gold, brought by the Wise Men as Matthew has told.
“And when they had opened their treasurers, they presented unto 
Him gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

G is for God, who from heaven above sent down to mankind the Son of His love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

H is for Herod, whose murderous scheme was told to Joseph in a nocturnal dream.
“The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child 
and his mother and flee into Egypt… for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
Matthew 2:13

I is for Immanuel, “God with us,” for Christ brought man back to the Father’s house.
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

J is for Joseph so noble and just, obeying God’s word with absolute trust.
“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had 
bidden him, and took unto him his wife.” Matthew 1:24

K is for King. A true king He would be, coming in power and authority.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the 
King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation.” Zechariah 9:9

L is for Love that He brought down to earth God enfleshed in lowly birth.
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9

M is for Mary, His mother so brave, counting God faithful and mighty to save.
“And Mary...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. As of today there are just two more days until Christmas. As I did last year I want to use my podcast to read to you a Christmas poem that conveys the true meaning of the celebration. As a podcaster, words are important to me, they are the basis of my craft. My wife is finishing her long and storied career as an educator this year. Her final years in that profession have been spent teaching kindergarteners to read. The basis for their ability to read words is the alphabet which she lovingly spends time teaching all of her student’s mastery of. So I thought it fitting then this year to use a poem about Christmas that highlights the alphabet that allows them to read and me to write each week’s podcast.  Without further ado, I offer A Christmas Alphabet Poem, the author is unknown.
A is for Angels, appearing so bright, telling of Jesus that first Christmas night.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host.” Luke 2:13

B is for Bethlehem, crowded and old, birthplace of Jesus by prophet foretold.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, out of thee shall he come 
forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” Micah 5:2

C is for Cattle, their manger His bed, there in the trough where He laid His head.
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in 
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.” Luke 2:7

D is for David and his ancient throne promised forever to Jesus alone.
“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” Luke 1:32

E is for East, where shone the bright star which Magi on camels followed afar.
“Behold, there came wise men from the east asking 
‘Where is the king of the Jews?’” Matthew 2:1,2

F is for Frankincense, with myrrh and gold, brought by the Wise Men as Matthew has told.
“And when they had opened their treasurers, they presented unto 
Him gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

G is for God, who from heaven above sent down to mankind the Son of His love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

H is for Herod, whose murderous scheme was told to Joseph in a nocturnal dream.
“The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child 
and his mother and flee into Egypt… for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
Matthew 2:13

I is for Immanuel, “God with us,” for Christ brought man back to the Father’s house.
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

J is for Joseph so noble and just, obeying God’s word with absolute trust.
“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had 
bidden him, and took unto him his wife.” Matthew 1:24

K is for King. A true king He would be, coming in power and authority.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the 
King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation.” Zechariah 9:9

L is for Love that He brought down to earth God enfleshed in lowly birth.
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9

M is for Mary, His mother so brave, counting God faithful and mighty to save.
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; 
be it unto me according to thy word.” Luke 1:38

N is for Night, when the Savior was born for nations of earth and people forlorn.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, 
keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8

O is for Omega, meaning “the last;” He’s eternal present, future and past.
“I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, 
the first and the last.” Revelation 22:13

P is for Prophets, when living on earth foretold His redemption and blessed birth.
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; 
a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17

Q is for Quickly, as shepherds who heard hastened to act on that heavenly word.
“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, 
and the babe lying in a manger.” Luke 2:16

R is for Rejoice.  The sorrow of sin is banished forever when Jesus comes in.
“And you will have joy and gladness; 
and many will rejoice at his birth.” Luke 1:14

S is for Savior.  To be this He came; the angel of God assigned Him His name.
“She will bring forth a son, and you will call his name JESUS, 
for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

T is for Tidings of joy, not of danger, telling of Him who was laid in a manger.
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not for, behold, I bring you good tidings 
of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Luke 2:10

U is for Us, to whom Jesus was given to show us the way and take us to heaven.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, 
which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

V is for Virgin, foretold by the sage, God’s revelation on prophecy’s page.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23

W is for Wonderful, His works and His words, the King of all Kings, the Lord of all Lords.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

X is for Christ. It’s X in the Greek, Anointed, Messiah, mighty, yet meek.
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with 
the Holy Spirit and with power.” Acts 10:38

Y is for Yes, called God’s Yes in His Word; God’s answer to all is Jesus the Lord.
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, 
and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

Z is for Zeal as it burned in Christ’s heart. Lord, by thy Spirit to us zeal impart.
“And his disciples remembered that it was written, 
the zeal of your house has eaten me up.” John 2:17

So now, celebrating the foretold birth of your loving Savior, and the gift He has given you for your spiritual rebirth…Go be awesome for Jesus! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ac180d68238d3895d6960dee7c76a75e.mp3" length="11746617" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ac180d68238d3895d6960dee7c76a75e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/christmas-alphabet-poem-december-23-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Don't Go It Alone]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken, thank you for joining me for this week’s Monday Marriage Message….Don’t Go It Alone

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. B...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken, thank you for joining me for this week’s Monday Marriage Message….Don’t Go It Alone

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

As a pastor, I have officiated at many weddings. In many of those ceremonies and countless others around the world, this scripture has been quoted. What does it mean? As with so many scriptures the fullness of its meaning will never be known this side of heaven, and though we may not ever gain a total understanding, neither should we stop at the literal interpretations of the English words on the page. So what truths are here that can at least be gleaned from the lower branches?

First - Two are better than one. If it wasn’t evident from other scriptures we have looked at in the previous podcasts, it should be abundantly clear here…we are created for relationship. We were not made to ‘go it alone.’ We certainly can walk through life alone. It is fully possible, just not fully profitable. Some of us, and I include myself in this category, like being alone from time to time, but that does not mean we are created for that purpose. Months ago I began this podcast illustrating for you that God created men and women, as equals yet different, for the purpose of being joined together, to complete the creation of an entity that is reflective of His image and likeness. Genesis 2:18 says: and the Lord God said “It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable to him.”  I will dissect this scripture in much greater detail in next week’s episode, but the scripture clearly says that God said it is not good that mankind should be alone. We were created for relationship - relationship with other human beings and relationship with God. Genesis chapter three begins by telling us that in the cool of the day God came and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Literally thousands of scriptures indicate His desire for continued relationship with his creation, mankind.  In fact, the entirety of the New Testament points to the truth…that particular desire of His has not diminished.

Second - They have a good reward for their labor - It has long been noted that two are more efficient than one. A team of two can move more than twice what one can move alone. Two people determined to accomplish a goal are exponentially more likely to succeed, not only because of greater physical strength, but also greater determination. When one who is alone becomes discouraged, he or she is finished, when two take on a task they are able to encourage one another when necessary, and keep the goal in mind until it is reached. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. While this phrase can be looked at in a physical light, it also has great emotional implications. When one is alone, even if it is by choice, he or she is at much greater risk of discouragement, despondency, and dismay. All of these lead to a loss of momentum toward a goal, which often results in further downcast emotions. This cycle is only able to be broken easily if one has a compan...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken, thank you for joining me for this week’s Monday Marriage Message….Don’t Go It Alone

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

As a pastor, I have officiated at many weddings. In many of those ceremonies and countless others around the world, this scripture has been quoted. What does it mean? As with so many scriptures the fullness of its meaning will never be known this side of heaven, and though we may not ever gain a total understanding, neither should we stop at the literal interpretations of the English words on the page. So what truths are here that can at least be gleaned from the lower branches?

First - Two are better than one. If it wasn’t evident from other scriptures we have looked at in the previous podcasts, it should be abundantly clear here…we are created for relationship. We were not made to ‘go it alone.’ We certainly can walk through life alone. It is fully possible, just not fully profitable. Some of us, and I include myself in this category, like being alone from time to time, but that does not mean we are created for that purpose. Months ago I began this podcast illustrating for you that God created men and women, as equals yet different, for the purpose of being joined together, to complete the creation of an entity that is reflective of His image and likeness. Genesis 2:18 says: and the Lord God said “It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable to him.”  I will dissect this scripture in much greater detail in next week’s episode, but the scripture clearly says that God said it is not good that mankind should be alone. We were created for relationship - relationship with other human beings and relationship with God. Genesis chapter three begins by telling us that in the cool of the day God came and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Literally thousands of scriptures indicate His desire for continued relationship with his creation, mankind.  In fact, the entirety of the New Testament points to the truth…that particular desire of His has not diminished.

Second - They have a good reward for their labor - It has long been noted that two are more efficient than one. A team of two can move more than twice what one can move alone. Two people determined to accomplish a goal are exponentially more likely to succeed, not only because of greater physical strength, but also greater determination. When one who is alone becomes discouraged, he or she is finished, when two take on a task they are able to encourage one another when necessary, and keep the goal in mind until it is reached. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. While this phrase can be looked at in a physical light, it also has great emotional implications. When one is alone, even if it is by choice, he or she is at much greater risk of discouragement, despondency, and dismay. All of these lead to a loss of momentum toward a goal, which often results in further downcast emotions. This cycle is only able to be broken easily if one has a companion to help. Added to this, is the truth that if we have no one to help we are likely to experience the negative side effects of feelings of uselessness and drudgery.

Third - Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? The obvious interpretation here is that where two are together they are physically warmer than one who sleeps alone. No doubt this is true. In his commentary, Matthew Henry takes it a step further and points out that: “If two lie together, they have heat. So virtuous and gracious affections are excited by good society, and Christians warm one another by provoking one another to love and to good works.” It is certainly true that a Christ-following husband or wife motivates their spouse to act in godly ways. One who loves Christ also chooses to meet the needs of their spouse in response to their own relationship with God. Additionally, He motivates us to perform acts of service for our spouse out of the abundance of love He has for us.

Fourth - Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. While the analogy here is also of a physical nature, there is a deeper spiritual truth present. There can be no question that all kinds of temptations come against marriages every day. As individuals we are much more susceptible than when joined with another. You rarely see a nature show featuring predators where the aggressor runs into the middle of a herd to take the stronger, healthier prey. Instead the predator circles the herd looking for the weak, the injured, the young or the one alone, and then after carefully choosing the easiest target, begins the advance against it. Our enemy is no different. The bible tells us he seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. If we will not try to ‘go it alone’ when it comes to temptations, but rather share our battle with a spouse or a trusted friend, they can stand with us in the fight. Inviting accountability, though humbling, is incredibly powerful at frustrating the enemy’s plans. James 5:16 (The Message) Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

Fifth - And a three-fold cord is not quickly broken. Here again God makes his desire to be a part of our marriages evident. That is ultimately why we use these verses in so many wedding ceremonies. How do we know God means that He desires to be a part of our marriages? How do we know He is not simply indicating that three friends are even better than the two He has been speaking of to this point? God has just given four reasons two are better than one, but after making this statement of three being very strong He moves on to another subject altogether. Matthew Henry makes the point that Where two dwell in love, God, who is love, dwells with them. Henry makes no distinction between a Christian and a non- Christian couple. I believe he does not do so because God joins a man and a woman with a portion of His Spirit, as we have discovered, (Malachi 2:15) regardless of their allegiance to Him. As a result, marriage, made of a man, a woman, and a portion of the Holy Spirit, is a superior bond found in no other human relationship. Therefore, marriage has the potential to offer the greatest resistance against Satan, more so than any other relationship. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reads: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. For those who are married and are willing to be vulnerable with one another about their personal struggles, the way of escape is built right into their marriage…it’s their spouse!

Questions to Answer:

1.	In what ways do you see God as an integral part of your marriage?
2.	What ways do you think He would like to see His role increased in your marriage?

Actions to Take:

1.	Discuss the steps the two of you could put into place to help you make sure God has a larger role in your marriage.
2.	Talk about the times you have invited Him to be a larger part of your marriage and the results you experienced. 
3.	Talk about some times you think you could have done a better job of being more hospitable to God in your marriage. Discuss the results of holding God at arm’s length from your marriage.

So now, recognizing that you were designed for oneness with your spouse, use your marriage as an opportunity to give and experience encouragement and help second to none and…Go Be Awesome!  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2e9f4fc3a83c6b4a22fa3e6d28cfd349.mp3" length="12867291" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2e9f4fc3a83c6b4a22fa3e6d28cfd349.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dont-go-it-alone</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Roller Coasters!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Rollercoasters!
Ever since I was about 12 years old I have loved riding rollercoasters. When I began enjoying them in the late 1970’s and early 80’s the “new” ones were made of steel, but the...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Rollercoasters!
Ever since I was about 12 years old I have loved riding rollercoasters. When I began enjoying them in the late 1970’s and early 80’s the “new” ones were made of steel, but the ones that had been around a while were framed in wood. In fact, the first one I remember riding; The Hurricane, was of the wooden variety. It was at an amusement park, Circus World that was owned by Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus and was located in Haines City, Florida. In my memory I am sure that particular coaster looms larger than it ever did in reality, but to my 12-year-old mind it was humongous! Because we were visiting the park in the off season, I was literally able to get off the ride’s exit and walk back around to the entrance and only had to wait about five minutes before I was once again seated on that train of terror and excitement ready to blast out of the station once again. In my mind, I can still hear the clack-clack-clack as the cars ascended the initial incline to begin our invigorating decent into the awaiting curves and smaller rises and falls that would continue to propel us forward and seemingly all too soon back into the station where we would come to an abrupt halt. I can also remember the sea sickness that 15 plus circuits on The Hurricane produced that evening. Later as a teenager I would ride the steel coasters located at Darien Lake Fun Park in the southern tier of New York State. The fun experience those provided for was different. They could do things the wooden ones would never accomplish. Steel roller coasters like The Viper could fly upside down as they did loop-to-loops and corkscrews. They were infinitely more daring but their smooth operation lacked an element of excitement the older wooden ones possessed. One was more defying of the laws of physics, while the other made up for it in a lack of security. In order to accomplish all of the upside down stunts, the passengers on steel coasters have to be locked tightly in place. Their tamer wooden counterparts however, simply held its passengers onto its benches with the assistance of a loosely fitting steel pipe that allowed them to be slung from side to side from the G-forces created by abrupt directional changes. 
As I look back on all of the roller coasters I have been on, too many to recall all of them, a few stand out for various reasons. Space Mountain at Disney because it is housed inside a building. Superman, at Darien Lake that my daughter Jill and I rode 8 times successively one evening. The initial drop on that one was seemingly strait down. My daughter Missy and I rode Batman at Six Flags where the riders were strapped in laying down for the duration of the ride while being flipped repeatedly face up, then face down. The most recent one I was on was the kind you hang under. My wife Lynn and I rode the Great Bear at Hershey Park late at night just before the park closed. I wasn’t sure Lynn would ever stop looking at me and repeating “That was crazy!” after we got back onto solid ground. It was crazy. Crazy fun! As I share these thoughts with you I can’t wait for my next experience on a roller coaster…I am convinced that I will never be too old to appreciate them.
Last week I asked myself and someone I was talking with why we enjoy roller coasters. We decided that it was because while the element of danger existed, you always really understand when you get on one that you will sa...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Rollercoasters!
Ever since I was about 12 years old I have loved riding rollercoasters. When I began enjoying them in the late 1970’s and early 80’s the “new” ones were made of steel, but the ones that had been around a while were framed in wood. In fact, the first one I remember riding; The Hurricane, was of the wooden variety. It was at an amusement park, Circus World that was owned by Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus and was located in Haines City, Florida. In my memory I am sure that particular coaster looms larger than it ever did in reality, but to my 12-year-old mind it was humongous! Because we were visiting the park in the off season, I was literally able to get off the ride’s exit and walk back around to the entrance and only had to wait about five minutes before I was once again seated on that train of terror and excitement ready to blast out of the station once again. In my mind, I can still hear the clack-clack-clack as the cars ascended the initial incline to begin our invigorating decent into the awaiting curves and smaller rises and falls that would continue to propel us forward and seemingly all too soon back into the station where we would come to an abrupt halt. I can also remember the sea sickness that 15 plus circuits on The Hurricane produced that evening. Later as a teenager I would ride the steel coasters located at Darien Lake Fun Park in the southern tier of New York State. The fun experience those provided for was different. They could do things the wooden ones would never accomplish. Steel roller coasters like The Viper could fly upside down as they did loop-to-loops and corkscrews. They were infinitely more daring but their smooth operation lacked an element of excitement the older wooden ones possessed. One was more defying of the laws of physics, while the other made up for it in a lack of security. In order to accomplish all of the upside down stunts, the passengers on steel coasters have to be locked tightly in place. Their tamer wooden counterparts however, simply held its passengers onto its benches with the assistance of a loosely fitting steel pipe that allowed them to be slung from side to side from the G-forces created by abrupt directional changes. 
As I look back on all of the roller coasters I have been on, too many to recall all of them, a few stand out for various reasons. Space Mountain at Disney because it is housed inside a building. Superman, at Darien Lake that my daughter Jill and I rode 8 times successively one evening. The initial drop on that one was seemingly strait down. My daughter Missy and I rode Batman at Six Flags where the riders were strapped in laying down for the duration of the ride while being flipped repeatedly face up, then face down. The most recent one I was on was the kind you hang under. My wife Lynn and I rode the Great Bear at Hershey Park late at night just before the park closed. I wasn’t sure Lynn would ever stop looking at me and repeating “That was crazy!” after we got back onto solid ground. It was crazy. Crazy fun! As I share these thoughts with you I can’t wait for my next experience on a roller coaster…I am convinced that I will never be too old to appreciate them.
Last week I asked myself and someone I was talking with why we enjoy roller coasters. We decided that it was because while the element of danger existed, you always really understand when you get on one that you will safely get back off of it just a few minutes later. In other words, with a few infinitesimally small exceptions…no matter what the coaster looks like…you know in the end it will be all right. That level of security allows a person to actually enjoy the presence of dangers one would normally do any and everything possible to avoid.
So why don’t we look at the roller coaster of life the same way? Why is it that the things that we encounter cause us so much angst? Why is it that when we are made aware of the things going on around us in this old world we allow our hearts to be so troubled? Is it that we are not as firmly rooted in the belief that it will all be ok in the end as we would like to be? Those roller coasters I was speaking so fondly of a few minutes ago sometimes don’t seem so dangerous as do the hills and valleys, the twists and turns of our very lives. We get on a roller coaster trusting that the engineers that designed it did all of the stress calculations correctly. We believe that the steel was tested at the factories as it should have been. We place our faith in maintenance crews we never see, who we don’t know and who don’t know us, to care enough for our safety that they perform all of the preventive maintenance necessary to keep the ride safe. And yet life seems scary for us at times. Why is that?
Philippians 4:6-7 in the New Living Translation reads: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. This scripture tells us that taking our concerns about life to God is the first part of a two-part formula that allows for us to be at peace in a tumultuous time. Why? Because He is the only one more powerful than any difficulty we face. He provides the strength beyond the stresses of this life no matter what the ups and downs and twists and turns may be. The second part of the formula is equally important…thank Him for all He has done. Gratefulness does something spectacular to our minds. We are not capable of thinking in opposite directions at the same time. What I mean by that is that we cannot be scared out of our minds and at total peace in the same instant. Gratefulness is the bridge that takes us from scared to serene. When we are expressing our gratitude to God as we are instructed to in these verses we invoke an incredible power that can give rise to a super lift in our peace. Because God is omnipresent and eternal He is everywhere all the time, past, present, and future. We can therefore be grateful for what He has done, for what he is now doing, and for what He has already done in the future that we are not yet aware of, but that has always been settled for Him. We can sit back and enjoy the ride because though it still must traverse track we have not yet seen, it is track that he has already laid, tested and approved. Romans 8:28 and 29 says this: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6 tells us to Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Joshua 1:9 goes on to say, This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Finally, we can rest in the words of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is recorded in John 16:33 that He said; I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 
We can trust Him to know what is ahead, to have decided it will all be used for our good, and to empower us because He has already overcome it all. Life is a roller coaster. Trusting in the keeper of that life is what affords us the peace to make it a blessing to be a part of.
So now, trusting in the One who holds your life in His capable and loving hands…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e667dbf12d4b3884021956fc811dbbba.mp3" length="11957588" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e667dbf12d4b3884021956fc811dbbba.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/roller-coasters</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:18</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[You're Not The Boss Of Me!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message…“You’re Not The Boss Of Me!”

As the parents of five children, my wife and I heard the title of today’s edition proclaimed loudly between siblings more than a few times. If you have children or remem...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message…“You’re Not The Boss Of Me!”

As the parents of five children, my wife and I heard the title of today’s edition proclaimed loudly between siblings more than a few times. If you have children or remember being one, you have undoubtedly heard the same forceful declaration broadcast a time or two yourself. Perhaps it has escaped your own lips. In most marriages this, or some variation, has been uttered from one spouse toward the other, even if only on the inside. There are countless times when we have all resisted being told what to do.

The problem begins when we resist obeying a command because of a case of mistaken identity concerning where the command originated. If we think the command has come from our spouse, we revolt, almost as a default reaction. No one likes being told what to do, how to act, how to respond, especially if we know the one requiring such action from us has failed to do so appropriately in the past themselves. The very natural (though unwise) reaction is to become defensive and dig our heels in…no matter how wrong we may be. One great way to avoid such self-righteous, self-induced failure is to correctly identify the one giving the command so we might respond as we should.

Ephesians 5:22-33 in the New King James Version reads, Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

First, let’s identify the commands found in this passage of scripture:
•	Wives - submit to your own husband as to the Lord.
•	Wives - be subject to your own husband in everything like the church is subject to Christ.
•	Husbands - love your wife just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.
•	Husbands - love your wife as you care for your own body. Meet her needs and give her what she needs.
•	Husbands and Wives – treat your spouse like you would treat Jesus because they are members of His body.
•	Husbands – Love your wife unconditionally.
•	Wives – Respect your husband unconditionally.

Many women do not like the verbiage at the beginning of this passage. They find it to be degrading or demeaning and derogatory. I really wish more people had a fuller understanding of the true meaning of this scripture. I think if it were not misunderstood by both wives and their husbands, there would be a much greater acceptance of it. First let me point out that it...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message…“You’re Not The Boss Of Me!”

As the parents of five children, my wife and I heard the title of today’s edition proclaimed loudly between siblings more than a few times. If you have children or remember being one, you have undoubtedly heard the same forceful declaration broadcast a time or two yourself. Perhaps it has escaped your own lips. In most marriages this, or some variation, has been uttered from one spouse toward the other, even if only on the inside. There are countless times when we have all resisted being told what to do.

The problem begins when we resist obeying a command because of a case of mistaken identity concerning where the command originated. If we think the command has come from our spouse, we revolt, almost as a default reaction. No one likes being told what to do, how to act, how to respond, especially if we know the one requiring such action from us has failed to do so appropriately in the past themselves. The very natural (though unwise) reaction is to become defensive and dig our heels in…no matter how wrong we may be. One great way to avoid such self-righteous, self-induced failure is to correctly identify the one giving the command so we might respond as we should.

Ephesians 5:22-33 in the New King James Version reads, Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

First, let’s identify the commands found in this passage of scripture:
•	Wives - submit to your own husband as to the Lord.
•	Wives - be subject to your own husband in everything like the church is subject to Christ.
•	Husbands - love your wife just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.
•	Husbands - love your wife as you care for your own body. Meet her needs and give her what she needs.
•	Husbands and Wives – treat your spouse like you would treat Jesus because they are members of His body.
•	Husbands – Love your wife unconditionally.
•	Wives – Respect your husband unconditionally.

Many women do not like the verbiage at the beginning of this passage. They find it to be degrading or demeaning and derogatory. I really wish more people had a fuller understanding of the true meaning of this scripture. I think if it were not misunderstood by both wives and their husbands, there would be a much greater acceptance of it. First let me point out that it speaks of a voluntary position the wife chooses to take. It should not be misunderstood as being an optional position, but it is taken voluntarily. In other words, power and authority are not being extracted from her, rather, she is entering into a submissive role of her own volition. Her submissiveness is not something the husband owns it is something the wife loans. It is actually a reflection of great strength that a wife is able to give her submissiveness to her husband. Likewise choosing to be subject to her own husband is a decision on the part of the wife to support her husband in the decisions he makes (hopefully after consulting her as I mentioned he should several weeks ago).  

Husbands often get the meaning of verse 25 all wrong because they interpret ‘Laying down their life’ through the lens of their own bravado. They view this as being willing to ‘take a bullet’ for their wife if it came down to it (which they are certain they will likely never have to do), just so long as she gets the whole submissive and subjective thing right. Wrong. What we are called to do as a husband is lay down our needs, our desires, our comfort, for our wife…just as Christ did for us. Allow me to repeat myself from an earlier episode, Jesus didn’t leave the comfort of heaven because He had need to…He did so because we had need of Him to do so. He gave up everything so we could have what we needed. He lowered himself that we might be exalted. Husbands, we are each instructed to do the same for our wife. 

Furthermore, the scripture goes on to point out in verse 30, that as husbands and wives, we must recognize that our spouse is a part of Christ’s body. If we mistreat our spouse, if we do not give them the consideration this scripture prescribes, we are mistreating Christ. If as a husband I am not loving my wife, I am not loving Christ. If my wife does not respect me, she is disrespecting Christ. To take this concept one step further, is your spouse a child of God? If so, who is your father-in-law? Perhaps we all need to take note of that one.

Final thought: Who commands husbands to love? Who commands wives to respect? Who commands husbands to lay down their lives? Who commands wives to submit? God does; it is from His word that we get these commands. Is God the boss of you? I hope so. So ladies, when you are submitting, respecting and bringing yourselves under your husband’s authority, you are doing it for God, not for your husband. Husbands, when you are loving, meeting her needs all while laying down your own needs, your desires and your comfort, you aren’t doing it for her, you are doing it for God, who already did it for you.

Colossians 3:18-19, 23-25 says:  Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them… And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Don’t get caught shaking your fist at God screaming “You’re not the boss of me” …not even on the inside!

Questions to Answer:

1.	What misconceptions have the two of you had about this scripture from Ephesians 5 pertaining to the roles of a husband and wife?
2.	How do you view them now and what changes can you envision happening in your marriage as you move into your new understanding?

Actions to take:

1.	Talk about some of the reasons (misunderstanding, ignorance, past personal experiences, families of origin, etc.) that have caused you to look at scriptures like this in a negative light. 
2.	Discuss some of the things the two of you can do to help ease those concerns as you both align with what God is asking of each of you.
3.	Discuss how learning to be obedient to what God is requiring of each of you could cause your oneness to increase.
4.	When you are each finding it difficult to comply because of a case of ‘mistaken identity,’ ask God to remind you that He alone is the one who gave you these commands.

So now, choosing to do all the Lord has asked of you especially when it comes to your marriage because He is the boss of you…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4a2159b723e8b645cfbd9213c9b60c9f.mp3" length="12653523" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4a2159b723e8b645cfbd9213c9b60c9f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/youre-not-the-boss-of-me</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lay the Track - December 12, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts Teaches From Luke with a Christmas Message For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts Teaches From Luke with a Christmas Message For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts Teaches From Luke with a Christmas Message For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a027a6ea8ad744d0cf2450355840308d.mp3" length="44456215" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a027a6ea8ad744d0cf2450355840308d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/lay-the-track-december-12-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:16:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Where Are We Going?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Where are we going?
When I was a kid we were in the car a lot. Gas was 40 cents a gallon and so there wasn’t much thought given to jumping in the car to go across town or across the county. I...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Where are we going?
When I was a kid we were in the car a lot. Gas was 40 cents a gallon and so there wasn’t much thought given to jumping in the car to go across town or across the county. In fact, gas was so inexpensive I remember riding all over town with mom going from one store to the next so that she could use coupons and get the most from the sales the various stores were having. At that time, you could actually get a week’s groceries from three or even four different markets and save enough money to more than justify the expense in gasoline. Those days are long gone. There were many afternoons, Sundays usually (hence the stereotype Sunday drivers) when the whole family would pile in just to take a ride. Some of my favorite memories were of dad letting us each take turns at intersections deciding which direction to go next, just to see if we could get ‘too’ lost for him to find our way back home…we had so much fun and yet dad always knew how to get home. At the time I am thinking about we lived in Columbia, South Carolina while dad was in Bible College, so there were the annual car trips back home to Western New York State at Christmas time and during summer breaks as well. As I said we were in the car a lot. One of the things I recall happening often was after we were all aboard my brother Gary or I would ask mom, “Where are we going?” to which she many times offered, “Crazy, want to come along?” This response always resulted in her laughing or at least smirking at us while we pleaded her to tell us where we were really going. She always knew, but she didn’t always tell us. Neither her nor dad were ever taking us anyplace that was bad for us, though a few times we may have ended up at a doctor’s or dentist’s office and didn’t like where we ended up. The truth is however; they never took us someplace that wasn’t for our good or blessing in the long run.
Sometimes I ask God, “Where are we going?” What about you? He never gives me the tongue-in-cheek answer mom used to, but He doesn’t always tell me right away either. Sometimes it isn’t to a place I would choose on my own to go. Sometimes I don’t like the ride, but ultimately it is always for my good and eventual blessing.
Proverbs 16:9 in the New Living Translation says We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Those Sunday drives in the country as a kid seem to me to illustrate this scripture fairly well. My brother and I and sometimes I think mom may have even been on ‘our team’…made plans and did our best to make choices at the various intersections that would keep dad from being able to find a way to get us back home. Silly I know, but that was the game. The thing was he was always able to get us back where we belonged. Dad could always under any circumstances get us back where he intended us to be…home. I know this to be true because I am here now sharing this with you and not lost in the countryside of central South Carolina somewhere. Our plans were to get so far off track that dad couldn’t get us back on track, then it seemed we would be in charge of the situation. The fact of the matter is God allows us free will, we get to choose, just like dad gave us the ability to choose the direction at each new intersection. Just like dad, God knows where we need to end up, and is able to get us back on track in spite of our choices. Sometimes on those rides, dad would wait for us to tire of making our...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Where are we going?
When I was a kid we were in the car a lot. Gas was 40 cents a gallon and so there wasn’t much thought given to jumping in the car to go across town or across the county. In fact, gas was so inexpensive I remember riding all over town with mom going from one store to the next so that she could use coupons and get the most from the sales the various stores were having. At that time, you could actually get a week’s groceries from three or even four different markets and save enough money to more than justify the expense in gasoline. Those days are long gone. There were many afternoons, Sundays usually (hence the stereotype Sunday drivers) when the whole family would pile in just to take a ride. Some of my favorite memories were of dad letting us each take turns at intersections deciding which direction to go next, just to see if we could get ‘too’ lost for him to find our way back home…we had so much fun and yet dad always knew how to get home. At the time I am thinking about we lived in Columbia, South Carolina while dad was in Bible College, so there were the annual car trips back home to Western New York State at Christmas time and during summer breaks as well. As I said we were in the car a lot. One of the things I recall happening often was after we were all aboard my brother Gary or I would ask mom, “Where are we going?” to which she many times offered, “Crazy, want to come along?” This response always resulted in her laughing or at least smirking at us while we pleaded her to tell us where we were really going. She always knew, but she didn’t always tell us. Neither her nor dad were ever taking us anyplace that was bad for us, though a few times we may have ended up at a doctor’s or dentist’s office and didn’t like where we ended up. The truth is however; they never took us someplace that wasn’t for our good or blessing in the long run.
Sometimes I ask God, “Where are we going?” What about you? He never gives me the tongue-in-cheek answer mom used to, but He doesn’t always tell me right away either. Sometimes it isn’t to a place I would choose on my own to go. Sometimes I don’t like the ride, but ultimately it is always for my good and eventual blessing.
Proverbs 16:9 in the New Living Translation says We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Those Sunday drives in the country as a kid seem to me to illustrate this scripture fairly well. My brother and I and sometimes I think mom may have even been on ‘our team’…made plans and did our best to make choices at the various intersections that would keep dad from being able to find a way to get us back home. Silly I know, but that was the game. The thing was he was always able to get us back where we belonged. Dad could always under any circumstances get us back where he intended us to be…home. I know this to be true because I am here now sharing this with you and not lost in the countryside of central South Carolina somewhere. Our plans were to get so far off track that dad couldn’t get us back on track, then it seemed we would be in charge of the situation. The fact of the matter is God allows us free will, we get to choose, just like dad gave us the ability to choose the direction at each new intersection. Just like dad, God knows where we need to end up, and is able to get us back on track in spite of our choices. Sometimes on those rides, dad would wait for us to tire of making our own choices and we would ‘choose’ to ask him to take us back home. Sometimes he would utilize forks in the road that weren’t ‘real intersections’ to maneuver our choices so that we would believe our choices had brought us back to where we had begun. Sometimes he would wait until we fell asleep and simply take us where we needed to be while we were no longer paying attention to the available choices. I think God utilizes all of these and other strategies at His disposal to determine our steps. 
I know we all like to think our free will is supreme. It is not. It is true God doesn’t make us do or not do anything. He lets us decide. That does not however in any way remove His ability to sway our decisions. Thank God that He does intervene. Proverbs 14:12 says, There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death. On our own, all of us are trying to be in charge just like my brother and I were on those Sunday drives all those years ago. We made those directional decisions to exert our authority over the car and our father. If he had never impacted the final decisions, we might in fact still be somewhere on an obscure backroad out of gas and unable to do anything about it. You might say, “Come on pastor Ken that couldn’t happen.” I would say it didn’t happen because ultimately dad was in control of more than our choices and could maneuver us to where we needed to be. I thank dad now for his intervention because where I am is far better than the side of the road somewhere out of gas. 
Ultimately we do get to choose if we will make all of our own decisions or if we will accept the decisions God has already made to make a way to get us safely back home. Aren’t you glad though that God is in control of so many things outside of our control that He can use to point us to the truth of the decisions He has made for our good and ultimate blessing? Consider the story of Jonah and the whale. God did not stop Jonah from boarding a ship setting sail in the opposite direction of Nineveh. That was Jonah’s decision and God let him choose it for himself. What God did control was the storm, the whale, and which beach the whale would spit him out on. Jonah chose the boat, and to let the people on board know he was the problem when the storm came upon them. God affected the outcome that no one else would have predicted, but that allowed His will to come to pass. 
We may not always enjoy the ride, but we can sit back and relax in the knowledge that God will only take us places for our good and blessing though some of them may be uncomfortable and difficult in the moment. We do make our choices, but praise God He can still order our steps. 
So now, resisting His choices no longer but instead utilizing your free will to be in line with his will…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4d6ba5f5baab65fd6058a84a95961987.mp3" length="9587823" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4d6ba5f5baab65fd6058a84a95961987.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/where-are-we-going</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God Hates Divorce...But He Loves Divorcee's]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. God Hates Divorce…But He Loves Divorcees

If I heard my mom say it once, I heard her say it a thousand times, “Ken, you can go to hell for lying just like you can for cheating”.  What was mo...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. God Hates Divorce…But He Loves Divorcees

If I heard my mom say it once, I heard her say it a thousand times, “Ken, you can go to hell for lying just like you can for cheating”.  What was mom saying? She was telling me what God’s word tells all of us, one sin is no worse than another because any sin means we have missed the mark. Romans 3:23 says it clearly; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Mom was right. All sin, any sin, makes me intolerable to God…except for the atoning blood of Jesus! In this way all sin is equal. Another equalizer of all sin is its opposite. What is the opposite of a lie? Holiness. What is the opposite of cheating? Holiness. What is the opposite of fornication or adultery? Holiness. What is the opposite of divorce? Holiness. The opposite of any sin is holiness. God hates all of it, lies, cheating, adultery, fornication…divorce. The opposite of all sin is the same thing and in that way all sin is equally detrimental to our spiritual condition. Make no mistake, I am in no way trying to minimize or normalize sin. I illustrate this so that no one would misunderstand and believe that their divorce makes the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ inaccessible to them. 

All sin is the same, but not all sin has the same natural consequences. The natural consequences of some sins are much more difficult to remedy than others. Malachi 2:16 says “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence”, says the Lord of Hosts. “Therefore, take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” God does indeed say that He hates divorce. Why is this? He says it is because it covers one’s garment with violence. The picture being painted is one of a murder scene. God is saying that His hatred for divorce is because it kills something (a marriage) he has created. Beyond that, it murders something He cared so much for that He invested a portion of His Own Spirit into it. God hates divorce because it kills something He loves…in the same way you would say you hated anything that took the life of someone you love. Because of His great love for our marriages, He warns us against anything that might lead to its downfall. So He tells us to heed our spirit and not treat our spouses treacherously, or in ways that harm them; physically, emotionally and or spiritually.

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world (everyone, even divorced people) that He sent His Only Son and that any of us who put our faith in Him (Jesus) we will live eternally (in God’s presence). The very next verse goes on to say that Jesus did not come to condemn the world (even divorced people) but instead, offer a way to be saved from our sin. So if you are divorced you might be taking issue with me that divorce doesn’t equate to sin. In certain cases, I would agree. God’s word does make for some very limited specific allowances for situations that are beyond a person’s ability to navigate. However, the entirety of God’s word always points to reconciliation as the best course of action whenever possible. Jerimiah 3 indicates this may include leaving the door open to later reconciliation even if it seems unlikely in the present. In that passage God says He remains married to the backslider, hoping for a future homecoming. 

I define sin as anything that goes against God’s best for us. Divorce fits that category. Matthew 19:6-8 reads...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. God Hates Divorce…But He Loves Divorcees

If I heard my mom say it once, I heard her say it a thousand times, “Ken, you can go to hell for lying just like you can for cheating”.  What was mom saying? She was telling me what God’s word tells all of us, one sin is no worse than another because any sin means we have missed the mark. Romans 3:23 says it clearly; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Mom was right. All sin, any sin, makes me intolerable to God…except for the atoning blood of Jesus! In this way all sin is equal. Another equalizer of all sin is its opposite. What is the opposite of a lie? Holiness. What is the opposite of cheating? Holiness. What is the opposite of fornication or adultery? Holiness. What is the opposite of divorce? Holiness. The opposite of any sin is holiness. God hates all of it, lies, cheating, adultery, fornication…divorce. The opposite of all sin is the same thing and in that way all sin is equally detrimental to our spiritual condition. Make no mistake, I am in no way trying to minimize or normalize sin. I illustrate this so that no one would misunderstand and believe that their divorce makes the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ inaccessible to them. 

All sin is the same, but not all sin has the same natural consequences. The natural consequences of some sins are much more difficult to remedy than others. Malachi 2:16 says “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence”, says the Lord of Hosts. “Therefore, take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” God does indeed say that He hates divorce. Why is this? He says it is because it covers one’s garment with violence. The picture being painted is one of a murder scene. God is saying that His hatred for divorce is because it kills something (a marriage) he has created. Beyond that, it murders something He cared so much for that He invested a portion of His Own Spirit into it. God hates divorce because it kills something He loves…in the same way you would say you hated anything that took the life of someone you love. Because of His great love for our marriages, He warns us against anything that might lead to its downfall. So He tells us to heed our spirit and not treat our spouses treacherously, or in ways that harm them; physically, emotionally and or spiritually.

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world (everyone, even divorced people) that He sent His Only Son and that any of us who put our faith in Him (Jesus) we will live eternally (in God’s presence). The very next verse goes on to say that Jesus did not come to condemn the world (even divorced people) but instead, offer a way to be saved from our sin. So if you are divorced you might be taking issue with me that divorce doesn’t equate to sin. In certain cases, I would agree. God’s word does make for some very limited specific allowances for situations that are beyond a person’s ability to navigate. However, the entirety of God’s word always points to reconciliation as the best course of action whenever possible. Jerimiah 3 indicates this may include leaving the door open to later reconciliation even if it seems unlikely in the present. In that passage God says He remains married to the backslider, hoping for a future homecoming. 

I define sin as anything that goes against God’s best for us. Divorce fits that category. Matthew 19:6-8 reads as follows: “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” This scripture records for us a conversation between Jesus and some Pharisees. They were trying to get Jesus to tell them if they could divorce for any reason (like we allow in America today). They were trying to twist the scripture to say that divorce was a viable option when a marriage wasn’t pleasing to them anymore. Jesus pointed out several truths here: 
•	Marriage is a God thing – not simply an agreement between two people enforceable only until one or both of them want to deem it null and void.
•	God knows that divorce happens, but He never sees it as the best option – ever.
•	Divorce wasn’t even a thing until marriage had been in existence for nearly 2600 years. Many of those had been incredibly long marriages, Adam lived to be 930 years old (Gen 5:5) and we can assume most if not all of those married to Eve (we don’t know who died first). The average length of marriages in America is eight years - we have some catching up to do! 
•	Divorce is a result of hard hearts. Tough words to wrestle with, but Jesus said them. He is who we must take issue with if we don’t like how they fit.

I am not making these points to condemn; if I were, the words would be self-condemnation for both my wife Lynn and myself. Perhaps that is what gives us the legitimacy to be able to speak to them. My only intent is to point out that divorce is a huge deal that never solves a problem and really only serves to create a new set of its own. Our stories are different. We divorced for different reasons. We are blessed to have been led to one another years later, but we both know and admit freely that our divorces were not acts of selflessness. They were the actions of selfish hearts who wanted to be free to someday marry someone else who would treat us the way we felt we deserved to be treated.

Why include this incredibly difficult entry in a podcast about love and marriage? I include it because 40% of all marriages in America today are re-marriages for one or both participants. This is clearly outside the design and because of its prevalence must be addressed in any serious podcast on marriage. The good news is, God recognizes subsequent marriages, and wants to bless them fully. In John 4:16-17 while speaking with the woman at the well, Jesus recognized each of her 5 marriages as valid marriages. God wants us to see the current marriage we are in as the only marriage we have, and to work hard to make it a successful one, till death do us part. As I said before, the consequences of seeking something that is not God’s best for us (such as divorce) will have to be dealt with. There are some nuances unique to remarriage that have to be navigated carefully if they are to be successful. The average duration of subsequent marriages today is 4 years - just over half of the success rate of all marriages. Second marriages end in divorce 60% of the time while that rate climbs to 73% for third marriages. Statistically speaking, we NEED God’s blessing on our re-marriages. 

So, what to do? If one or both of you are formerly divorced forget that title and live like what you are…married. Work at your marriage with all you have. Learn from this podcast and other resources like it, how to ensure that this marriage is the covenant experience that reaps all of the blessings God desires for marriage. Don’t deal treacherously with one another, which leads to the death of marriage, rather as God’s word says, recognize you get to choose the direction you send your marriage in. Proverbs 18:21 says: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Ephesians 4:29 states: Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Additionally, Proverbs 15:4 says: A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 

Marriage is important to God. He says He is watching to see how we treat this treasure He has given to us. Proverbs 19:4 says that land is what an earthly father leaves his children, but our marriage is our inheritance from the Lord. I believe all of this to be true whether you are in your first, or a subsequent marriage. Hard hearts have always been the leading cause of divorce throughout history…Jesus said so. Heard hearts are the leading cause of oneness increasing. Speak life into your marriage, look at it as your only marriage that matters, because God sees it that way. Pray like it all depends on God…and work like it all depends on you.

Questions to Answer:

1.	This entry may have been a tough pill to swallow, what are your thoughts about divorce and hard hearts?
2.	If you are among the remarried, what nuances do you see in your marriage that require special navigation?
3.	How do you wish you could navigate the difficulties for greater success going forward?
4.	If this is your first marriage, what things do you feel you should do to ensure success the first time?

Actions to Take:

1.	If need be, pray for forgiveness for a hard heart (present or past) and ask God to soften it so that He can mold it as He desires. 
2.	Discuss actions the two of you can take that eliminate divorce as a possibility.
3.	Make a plan to begin speaking words of life into your marriage daily, don’t go to bed tonight until you have both done so for this day.

So now, speaking life into your marriage, giving it all of the care God who loves it so much, desires you to…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9b56e11e3d91505285f51cb4abfeef64.mp3" length="15507380" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9b56e11e3d91505285f51cb4abfeef64.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-hates-divorcebut-he-loves-divorcees</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:46</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fullfill Your Ministry - December 5, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Fulfill Your Ministry - December 5, 2021

Pastor Rick Betts teaches out of 2 Timothy 2 for the Ordination of Pastor Eli Gonzales.  Congratulation Pastor Eli.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Fulfill Your Ministry - December 5, 2021

Pastor Rick Betts teaches out of 2 Timothy 2 for the Ordination of Pastor Eli Gonzales.  Congratulation Pastor Eli.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Fulfill Your Ministry - December 5, 2021

Pastor Rick Betts teaches out of 2 Timothy 2 for the Ordination of Pastor Eli Gonzales.  Congratulation Pastor Eli.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a3b6a64cce95b13b06f96429f54415b4.mp3" length="45641613" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a3b6a64cce95b13b06f96429f54415b4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fullfill-your-ministry-december-5-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Dec 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:14:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Remember Who You Are]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Remember who you are.
When I was a boy of 8 years of age I became a PK. For those of you who don’t know that is what pastor’s kids call themselves. 8 years later I was a teenager and my fathe...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Remember who you are.
When I was a boy of 8 years of age I became a PK. For those of you who don’t know that is what pastor’s kids call themselves. 8 years later I was a teenager and my father had been pastoring his second church for about 4 years. I had made several friends at that church that I enjoyed working and hanging out with whenever possible. That particular church was in a small farming community on the plains of western New York state just a handful of miles from the shore of Lake Ontario. Thankfully that little village had been founded almost equidistance from the cities of Rochester and Buffalo. As a small town that had seen its better days, other than staring at the Erie Canal that meandered through the center of town, there was literally nothing teenage boys would care to do there on a Friday or Saturday evening after a long week of school and work on the farm. That prohibitive situation left us with the choice of being confined to boredom, or gassing up one of our cars and piling in to go to the city where we would be met with multiple restaurants (though we almost always frequented the same ones) movie theaters, bowling allies or other “wild activities” that seem like mild fun in hindsight. Many weekend evenings I would get ready to “go out” and wait for my buddies to show up so we could make a break for a night out on the town.
My parents required that all of the passengers of the particular car we would be riding in come in to the house for a few minutes before we headed out for that evenings anticipated fun. Looking back through the lens of parenthood I imagine they did that for several reasons. They probably wanted to see that there were not too many passengers for the selected vehicle for the trip, they also likely wanted to know just which characters I would be with that night so they could anticipate how much “fun” we might be planning to have. Without fail, as we would to leave the house to pile into that four wheeled transport to fun and freedom I would hear my father’s voice catching me as I walked out the door, “Don’t forget who you are son.” I hated hearing that! I value that he said it…now. At the time…not so much. It was good enough advice that I found myself recycling it and admonishing my children as teens to keep the same thing in mind.
This morning as I was reading in God’s word I recognized it there too in Ephesians 3:20-4:6 There we read the Holy Spirit inspired words Paul wrote to the Ephesians. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
This scripture points out that it is in the power of Christ that the situations we are faced with each and every day can have outcomes far better than we could ever ask for. But if we want to see amazing, mind-boggling results there are some things we also must do…namely, reme...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Remember who you are.
When I was a boy of 8 years of age I became a PK. For those of you who don’t know that is what pastor’s kids call themselves. 8 years later I was a teenager and my father had been pastoring his second church for about 4 years. I had made several friends at that church that I enjoyed working and hanging out with whenever possible. That particular church was in a small farming community on the plains of western New York state just a handful of miles from the shore of Lake Ontario. Thankfully that little village had been founded almost equidistance from the cities of Rochester and Buffalo. As a small town that had seen its better days, other than staring at the Erie Canal that meandered through the center of town, there was literally nothing teenage boys would care to do there on a Friday or Saturday evening after a long week of school and work on the farm. That prohibitive situation left us with the choice of being confined to boredom, or gassing up one of our cars and piling in to go to the city where we would be met with multiple restaurants (though we almost always frequented the same ones) movie theaters, bowling allies or other “wild activities” that seem like mild fun in hindsight. Many weekend evenings I would get ready to “go out” and wait for my buddies to show up so we could make a break for a night out on the town.
My parents required that all of the passengers of the particular car we would be riding in come in to the house for a few minutes before we headed out for that evenings anticipated fun. Looking back through the lens of parenthood I imagine they did that for several reasons. They probably wanted to see that there were not too many passengers for the selected vehicle for the trip, they also likely wanted to know just which characters I would be with that night so they could anticipate how much “fun” we might be planning to have. Without fail, as we would to leave the house to pile into that four wheeled transport to fun and freedom I would hear my father’s voice catching me as I walked out the door, “Don’t forget who you are son.” I hated hearing that! I value that he said it…now. At the time…not so much. It was good enough advice that I found myself recycling it and admonishing my children as teens to keep the same thing in mind.
This morning as I was reading in God’s word I recognized it there too in Ephesians 3:20-4:6 There we read the Holy Spirit inspired words Paul wrote to the Ephesians. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
This scripture points out that it is in the power of Christ that the situations we are faced with each and every day can have outcomes far better than we could ever ask for. But if we want to see amazing, mind-boggling results there are some things we also must do…namely, remember who we are. Yes, the power to make all the difference comes from the One who works in us, but the fact that Christ lives and works in us should have some side effects that are displayed in how we act. It will not always be easy for those “side effects” to show through and Paul gently reminded the Ephesians that he understood that well. He did that by mentioning that he was in chains, a prisoner of the Lord. He recognized, and did not spare them the knowledge that there is a cost to following Jesus. The same is true for us. We may not be imprisoned as Paul was, but sometimes there is a cost associated with allowing others to know we follow Christ.
So what should be happening when we remember who we are? For starters humility should be what people see when they see us. I have said it before humility is the currency in the economy of the kingdom of God. If we want others to see the return on Christ’s investment in our lives, humility must be evident. Gentleness and longsuffering or being long-tempered are continuations of that lowliness or humility. These are the attributes of that all-important character quality that prove its genuineness. False humility is never able to endure the test of time with patience. 
So why is it so important that we remember who we are and bear with one another in love? So our true colors of unity can be seen. In this day and age unity is a rare thing. In many cases we are even being encouraged to separate ourselves from one another. The world around us wants us to separate ourselves by political affiliation, social status, religious denominations, gender and after 60 years of telling us otherwise, now we are even to separate ourselves by race. As Christ followers however, that is not our calling. Our pursuit is to be for unity. Paul points out how that is possible. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
In the garden on the night before His crucifixion Jesus prayed this unity would be the outcome of what He was about to do. John 17:20-23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
We can look at times like we currently live in and ask “What in the world is going on?” or we can recognize that this is a time when we have an amazing opportunity. The world wants to have us all take our respective sides; Christ calls us to unity in Him. Our love for one another and the world around us and our unity in Christ has never had a better chance to stand out than it does right now. Instead of complaining about it, let’s be excited that we live in a time when the light is able to shine so brightly.
So now, as you go in and out, as you interact with your brothers and sisters in Christ and with the world around you…Remember who you are…and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/641e82e8f051193faff55a88c88a5839.mp3" length="10669174" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/641e82e8f051193faff55a88c88a5839.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/remember-who-you-are</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2021 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Unanswered Prayers]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor ken with my Monday Marriage Message…Unanswered Prayers

Malachi 2:13-15 in the New King James Version reads as follows, And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He do...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor ken with my Monday Marriage Message…Unanswered Prayers

Malachi 2:13-15 in the New King James Version reads as follows, And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

This same sentiment is again spoken of in 1 Peter 3:7 it reads, Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Scriptures like the ones above are difficult to wrestle with. On the one hand, we know that God is love and so it can seem like He is being a bit harsh for a loving God. On the other hand, we have learned that God is a God with a plan for our marriages and therefore must do what is necessary to help us accept the plan and recognize how important it is for us to live our marriages according to that plan.

For those of you who are already parents, you have some understanding of the ability to love your children desperately and yet find the need to withhold something from them to help them recognize the importance of some particular concept. I believe this is what God is trying to do for married couples in regards to the scriptures above.

I have said many times that marriage is the practice field for the relationship God desires to have with us. It is where we learn to make the choices necessary to be in good relationship with God. His own word defines Him as a jealous God, and that He requires our faithfulness. Likewise, marriage is where we learn to be faithful to one only. God requires we be honest before Him. Marriage is where we learn to live together with someone in the ‘stupid honesty.’ I spoke with you about two weeks ago on this podcast. God requires we learn to prefer Him and his ways above what we may desire in a particular moment, and our marriages give us the ability to practice that by preferring one another as scripture admonishes us to do. Like with any sport one might participate in, practice is a necessary component to playing well. We simply cannot continuously have poor practice sessions (marital interactions) and expect that we will be able to play well on game day (relationship with God).

I believe that one of the points God is making in the first scripture above is directly connected to game day. So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.   At first glance, it may look as though God is saying that He either can’t or won’t listen to our prayers if our practice sessions don’t go well. I don’t think that is the case, at least not the totality of it. The second part of the scripture gives further clarity. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks god...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor ken with my Monday Marriage Message…Unanswered Prayers

Malachi 2:13-15 in the New King James Version reads as follows, And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

This same sentiment is again spoken of in 1 Peter 3:7 it reads, Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Scriptures like the ones above are difficult to wrestle with. On the one hand, we know that God is love and so it can seem like He is being a bit harsh for a loving God. On the other hand, we have learned that God is a God with a plan for our marriages and therefore must do what is necessary to help us accept the plan and recognize how important it is for us to live our marriages according to that plan.

For those of you who are already parents, you have some understanding of the ability to love your children desperately and yet find the need to withhold something from them to help them recognize the importance of some particular concept. I believe this is what God is trying to do for married couples in regards to the scriptures above.

I have said many times that marriage is the practice field for the relationship God desires to have with us. It is where we learn to make the choices necessary to be in good relationship with God. His own word defines Him as a jealous God, and that He requires our faithfulness. Likewise, marriage is where we learn to be faithful to one only. God requires we be honest before Him. Marriage is where we learn to live together with someone in the ‘stupid honesty.’ I spoke with you about two weeks ago on this podcast. God requires we learn to prefer Him and his ways above what we may desire in a particular moment, and our marriages give us the ability to practice that by preferring one another as scripture admonishes us to do. Like with any sport one might participate in, practice is a necessary component to playing well. We simply cannot continuously have poor practice sessions (marital interactions) and expect that we will be able to play well on game day (relationship with God).

I believe that one of the points God is making in the first scripture above is directly connected to game day. So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.   At first glance, it may look as though God is saying that He either can’t or won’t listen to our prayers if our practice sessions don’t go well. I don’t think that is the case, at least not the totality of it. The second part of the scripture gives further clarity. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. What I think God is pointing out is that it is not He who isn’t listening but rather we who are turning a deaf ear to Him. 

No one (including God) likes to speak and not be listened to. He has told you in this scripture that He has given you a portion of His own Spirit in your marriage. As I expressed in an earlier entry, this portion of His Spirit is one of the primary ways He gets to have a voice in our marriages. It is a reliable way for us to know what things will be good for our marriages and what things might cause it harm. If we heed that portion of His Spirit, and are sensitive to it, we will do those things that will grow and protect our marriages. If we are not sensitive to His Spirit, we tend to ignore the warnings and prompts from Him and do what we want to, even to the detriment of the relationship. This scripture is quite clear; God is paying attention to the way we treat each other as evidence of our choices. Are we allowing the portion of His Spirit to lead and to guide, or are we taking the helm ourselves? If we are choosing to ignore the portion of His Spirit, His response is clear. Why should He expect we would listen to an answer to our prayers any more than we have listened to the portion of Him that exists right there in our marriage? I don’t think God is saying that if we don’t treat each other right He will respond by not answering our prayers. I believe God is saying that if we don’t listen to His Spirit in our marriages, why would we would be any more likely to listen to an answer to our prayers. He is simply pointing out that the lack of listening isn’t on His part…it’s on ours. I believe the scripture from 1 Peter bears that out as well.

Final thought. I recognize that these scriptures look a little one sided toward men, and some husbands might feel they are being singled out. If we look at the historical context of Malachi’s time, we can see that men were making all the decisions for their marriages, and their wives had little to no voice. Certainly there were difficult wives then too, but they could not choose to divorce their husbands, only husbands could do that. Therefore, that scripture is written toward men. In our society where a woman can end a marriage as easily as a man, I think it important that women heed this scripture just as men should. I thoroughly believe that God is watching the behavior of wives just as He is of husbands to see if His Spirit is being heeded in our marriages. Again this truth becomes evident when you look at it in light of 1 Peter 3. There verses 1 through 6 speak of the choices God desires to see wives making that will illustrate their willingness to be obedient to Him as they take on the supporting role in the marriage. Then verse 7 admonishes men to treat their wives with gentleness and all of those choices, both the husband’s and the wife’s are to be carefully considered and in line with what God desires so that their prayers may not be hindered.

Questions to Answer:

1.	Have you ever considered the fact that God measures how important He is to you by how you treat your spouse?
2.	If you were observing your behavior toward your spouse on any given day would you see someone you would describe as a lover of God who follows His leading?
3.	What areas of your responses to your spouse need to be considered and improved for God to be comfortable that you are listening to the portion of His Spirit He has placed in your marriage? 

Actions to Take:

1.	Pray and Thank God for the portion of His Spirit He has chosen to endow your marriage with.
2.	Ask Him to make you aware of any ways you may have been dealing with your spouse that don’t match up with His Spirit. Ask God’s forgiveness and empowerment as you make the necessary changes in how you interact with your spouse.
3.	Seek your spouse’s forgiveness for how you may have been dealing with them “treacherously” and let them know you intend to make changes in that behavior going forward.

So now, recognizing that if you are going to have a great day on game day, you have to make sure that the practice sessions go well and be willing to identify any areas that need improvement. Don’t shy away from those interactions that haven’t necessarily gone well in the past. Choose the correct action, the one that matches the portion of the spirit living right there in your marriage and then practice, practice and practice some more so you can go be awesome!




]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a09caa9d78c68301ab75f1f9085fc0b4.mp3" length="12434705" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a09caa9d78c68301ab75f1f9085fc0b4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/unanswered-prayers</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2021 08:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Two Become One - November 28, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Two Become One - November 28, 2021

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 10 : 1-12 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, even...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Two Become One - November 28, 2021

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 10 : 1-12 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Two Become One - November 28, 2021

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 10 : 1-12 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bb12aadd2b9cf3deae651414de9a9e30.mp3" length="46823754" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bb12aadd2b9cf3deae651414de9a9e30.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/two-become-one-november-28-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:21:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Giving Thanks]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a special Thursday set aside for giving thanks.
When I consider Thanksgiving Day there are a few mental images that always make their way into my thoughts. First my mind’s eyes revert back almost half a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a special Thursday set aside for giving thanks.
When I consider Thanksgiving Day there are a few mental images that always make their way into my thoughts. First my mind’s eyes revert back almost half a century to the third floor windows of my 5th grade classroom. Those windows looked out across a bleak and bleary poor coal town in eastern Pennsylvania. In my memory those November days were always cloudy. Though some were undoubtedly clear and sunny that is not the way I remember them. When my memories of thanksgiving take me back it is not that poor mining community the windows display, instead I see the brightly colored turkey feathers. Each individual window pane in that room held one student’s artistic rendition of a thanksgiving gobbler in all of its Crayola splendor. When I think of that I am thankful. It is not the paper turkeys I am grateful for but rather the woman that stood at the front of the room. That woman, our teacher was an amazing person. She loved us all and wanted the very best for us. Her name was Phyllis Biga and she was the best teacher I had in 13 years of public education. I was schooled in six different towns in three different states and across them all she was the best. Miss Biga taught me the importance of a solid vocabulary, she was the one who helped me understand that people would judge me by the words that I used and so those words mattered. She taught me a love for history and though some of it was ugly and downright wrong to have been a part of our countries story, she taught us that if we viewed it correctly we could learn from it and become even stronger as a people and a nation. She taught me the importance of our political system and I have never been uninterested in a presidential election since the one she introduced me to in 1976 where Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford to become the 39th President of the United States. So when my mind’s eye looks back through the years and through those 3rd story classroom windows I am thankful for Miss Biga. 
Another perennial picture that comes to mind on thanksgiving is one most of us have seen. “Freedom From Want” is a Norman Rockwell painting that actually first appeared in the New York Post on March 6, 1943. Many of us don’t recognize the name of the artwork but know very well what it looks like. It is the iconic Thanksgiving painting depicting a family all gathered around the table as the matriarch settled the platter holding the perfectly cooked turkey into its place on the linen tablecloth below while her husband looks on. That image, though painted 23 years before I was even born, has always made me think of a particular thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother and grandfather Brown’s home. Actually it is reminiscent of almost every thanksgiving meal I ever partook of at there, but especially reminds me of just one. On that day my grandmother had placed my brother Gary and I at the foot of the table on the piano bench with our parents on either side. There were likely no less than 20 people gathered into the crowded dining room. For reasons I have not yet settled in my mind, as soon as Grandpa closed his long-winded yet genuinely heartfelt thanksgiving prayer with the “Amen” I picked up my glass of milk and poured it directly into my brother’s lap. The chaos that ensued was incredible! All at the same time mom looked at me like I had lost my senses, aunts jumped to retrieve tea towels to mop up the floo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a special Thursday set aside for giving thanks.
When I consider Thanksgiving Day there are a few mental images that always make their way into my thoughts. First my mind’s eyes revert back almost half a century to the third floor windows of my 5th grade classroom. Those windows looked out across a bleak and bleary poor coal town in eastern Pennsylvania. In my memory those November days were always cloudy. Though some were undoubtedly clear and sunny that is not the way I remember them. When my memories of thanksgiving take me back it is not that poor mining community the windows display, instead I see the brightly colored turkey feathers. Each individual window pane in that room held one student’s artistic rendition of a thanksgiving gobbler in all of its Crayola splendor. When I think of that I am thankful. It is not the paper turkeys I am grateful for but rather the woman that stood at the front of the room. That woman, our teacher was an amazing person. She loved us all and wanted the very best for us. Her name was Phyllis Biga and she was the best teacher I had in 13 years of public education. I was schooled in six different towns in three different states and across them all she was the best. Miss Biga taught me the importance of a solid vocabulary, she was the one who helped me understand that people would judge me by the words that I used and so those words mattered. She taught me a love for history and though some of it was ugly and downright wrong to have been a part of our countries story, she taught us that if we viewed it correctly we could learn from it and become even stronger as a people and a nation. She taught me the importance of our political system and I have never been uninterested in a presidential election since the one she introduced me to in 1976 where Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford to become the 39th President of the United States. So when my mind’s eye looks back through the years and through those 3rd story classroom windows I am thankful for Miss Biga. 
Another perennial picture that comes to mind on thanksgiving is one most of us have seen. “Freedom From Want” is a Norman Rockwell painting that actually first appeared in the New York Post on March 6, 1943. Many of us don’t recognize the name of the artwork but know very well what it looks like. It is the iconic Thanksgiving painting depicting a family all gathered around the table as the matriarch settled the platter holding the perfectly cooked turkey into its place on the linen tablecloth below while her husband looks on. That image, though painted 23 years before I was even born, has always made me think of a particular thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother and grandfather Brown’s home. Actually it is reminiscent of almost every thanksgiving meal I ever partook of at there, but especially reminds me of just one. On that day my grandmother had placed my brother Gary and I at the foot of the table on the piano bench with our parents on either side. There were likely no less than 20 people gathered into the crowded dining room. For reasons I have not yet settled in my mind, as soon as Grandpa closed his long-winded yet genuinely heartfelt thanksgiving prayer with the “Amen” I picked up my glass of milk and poured it directly into my brother’s lap. The chaos that ensued was incredible! All at the same time mom looked at me like I had lost my senses, aunts jumped to retrieve tea towels to mop up the floor and my dad whisked my brother away to change his pants. What I remember most though was grandmas voice as she cleaned up the milk from her cherished piano bench I was now standing next to. She laughed as that coarse yet sweet voice said, “We shan’t cry over spilt milk Kenny Jr.” to this day I’m not sure which one of us she was admonishing not to cry, me or her. When I think of that Thanksgiving I am thankful for grandma and grandpa Brown. I am thankful for the things they taught me about the importance of marriage, family, and never crying over spilt milk. I am in great part the man, husband, father, counselor, pastor and Christ-follower that I am because of them and their example.
Today I will gather with my family to celebrate thanksgiving except this time I am the grandpa or as my grandchildren call me, Papa. I am the one who will stand and pray a long winded prayer over the meal and the family. Not because I want to sound especially holy but because I am especially grateful. I am very thankful for the nearly 30 people who will be crowded into the room around the table. I know how good God has been to me, and that I don’t deserve any of it. So my coarse voice will undoubtedly crack as I give thanks for all we have as a family in Jesus and in each other. I will choose my words carefully just like Miss Biga taught me to do because they matter. As a family, are we perfect? No, but as grandma said, “We shan’t cry over spilt milk”. We will give thanks.
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever. That verse is repeated at least five times in the Bible, once in 1st Chronicles and at least four more times in the Psalms. When a particular phrase or verse is repeated in God’s word it can only mean one thing. It bears repeating, so say it with me…Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good and His mercy endures forever… again… Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good and His mercy endures forever… c’mon, one more time…Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good and His mercy endures forever. 
So now, with a grateful heart for a God who loved you so much that He was willing to send His one and only Son to die for your sins so that you could live with Him in heaven forever… Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good and His mercy endures forever. With that thought in your heart, and those words on your lips…go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3a4d2371c6a9d26a78da4617d2a595cd.mp3" length="9555155" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3a4d2371c6a9d26a78da4617d2a595cd.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/giving-thanks</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 25 Nov 2021 07:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Planting Hedges Around Your Marriage]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Planting Hedges Around Your Marriage

When I was a young boy I lived in a small village in Eastern Pennsylvania just south of the city of Scranton. In that town I don’t ever recall seeing a pr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Planting Hedges Around Your Marriage

When I was a young boy I lived in a small village in Eastern Pennsylvania just south of the city of Scranton. In that town I don’t ever recall seeing a privacy fence. I am certain they are now a regular fixture of the landscape, but back in the 70’s when I lived there, all people had delineating their yard from the next were hedges. Thick rows of tightly planted boxwood shrubs that were maintained in straight rows on the North, South, East and West sides of every lawn. They were every bit as effective as any good fence. If they were pruned properly you couldn’t really see through them very well. One couldn’t easily get through them, though I tried a time or two to the peril of the skin on my face and arms. They did everything a fence could do…but in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion.
Jerry B Jenkins wrote a book in 2013 entitled, Hedges: Loving your marriage enough to protect it. On the cover there was a picture of those hedges I remember from my childhood. In his book, Jenkins referenced the story of Hosea from the Old Testament. Hosea was asked by God to marry a prostitute to illustrate to the Israelite people their unfaithfulness to Him. Gomer, (Hosea’s prostitute wife), bore him several children and then regained a lust for her old life and ran away and returned to it. God then asked Hosea to go find her, buy her back and bring her back home. Hosea complied, but when he got back home with her he stated; “Behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, and wall her in so that she cannot find her paths.” (Hosea 2:6) Essentially Hosea was suggesting that he would plant a hedge around the property so that Gomer would be walled in where she belonged…in the marriage, and so that others would be walled outside the marriage, where they belonged.
Jenkins goes on to suggest that every marriage should have hedges of protection around it. I think there are some necessary guidelines when ‘planting’ hedges. First, I and my wife agree that every marriage should have hedges of protection. I often tell couples in premarital counseling that I understand that they trust each other, and that is as it should be. No one should marry someone they can’t trust. However, if we place that same confidence in the world outside our marriage, that’s not stupid honesty…that’s just stupid!
As I noted in a previous podcast entitled Losing the Right, Satan is looking for ways to steal your marital joy and peace. He will absolutely use the world around you to achieve that goal. Hedges of protection make that much more difficult for your enemy to accomplish. If you don’t have hedges because you didn’t know you should, ok, but if you don’t have hedges because you think your marriage doesn’t need protection, think again! 
Second, every marriage only needs 4 hedges. A hedge on the North, South, East and West will have every direction covered and will be easy to maintain. Too many hedges are too hard to remember at all times and will not be maintained. An unmaintained hedge is a useless hedge. I believe that your hedges should protect you but you should understand that they need to be present in order to protect as designed. If there are too many, or they are too lengthy or complex, they will not be consulted. They need to be easily remembered for quick use.
Third, you should plant them where you want them to grow, knowing you can dig them up and replant them later if...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Planting Hedges Around Your Marriage

When I was a young boy I lived in a small village in Eastern Pennsylvania just south of the city of Scranton. In that town I don’t ever recall seeing a privacy fence. I am certain they are now a regular fixture of the landscape, but back in the 70’s when I lived there, all people had delineating their yard from the next were hedges. Thick rows of tightly planted boxwood shrubs that were maintained in straight rows on the North, South, East and West sides of every lawn. They were every bit as effective as any good fence. If they were pruned properly you couldn’t really see through them very well. One couldn’t easily get through them, though I tried a time or two to the peril of the skin on my face and arms. They did everything a fence could do…but in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion.
Jerry B Jenkins wrote a book in 2013 entitled, Hedges: Loving your marriage enough to protect it. On the cover there was a picture of those hedges I remember from my childhood. In his book, Jenkins referenced the story of Hosea from the Old Testament. Hosea was asked by God to marry a prostitute to illustrate to the Israelite people their unfaithfulness to Him. Gomer, (Hosea’s prostitute wife), bore him several children and then regained a lust for her old life and ran away and returned to it. God then asked Hosea to go find her, buy her back and bring her back home. Hosea complied, but when he got back home with her he stated; “Behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, and wall her in so that she cannot find her paths.” (Hosea 2:6) Essentially Hosea was suggesting that he would plant a hedge around the property so that Gomer would be walled in where she belonged…in the marriage, and so that others would be walled outside the marriage, where they belonged.
Jenkins goes on to suggest that every marriage should have hedges of protection around it. I think there are some necessary guidelines when ‘planting’ hedges. First, I and my wife agree that every marriage should have hedges of protection. I often tell couples in premarital counseling that I understand that they trust each other, and that is as it should be. No one should marry someone they can’t trust. However, if we place that same confidence in the world outside our marriage, that’s not stupid honesty…that’s just stupid!
As I noted in a previous podcast entitled Losing the Right, Satan is looking for ways to steal your marital joy and peace. He will absolutely use the world around you to achieve that goal. Hedges of protection make that much more difficult for your enemy to accomplish. If you don’t have hedges because you didn’t know you should, ok, but if you don’t have hedges because you think your marriage doesn’t need protection, think again! 
Second, every marriage only needs 4 hedges. A hedge on the North, South, East and West will have every direction covered and will be easy to maintain. Too many hedges are too hard to remember at all times and will not be maintained. An unmaintained hedge is a useless hedge. I believe that your hedges should protect you but you should understand that they need to be present in order to protect as designed. If there are too many, or they are too lengthy or complex, they will not be consulted. They need to be easily remembered for quick use.
Third, you should plant them where you want them to grow, knowing you can dig them up and replant them later if need be. Your hedges are your hedges. The two of you get to decide what they look like and how close or far from the house (your marriage) you want to plant them. 
My wife has permitted me to offer some examples from our hedges of protection that encircle our marriage. we do not offer them for exact reproduction but only as examples of what I am suggesting you develop for your marriage. 
•	We never allow ourselves to be put into a situation that if the other unexpectedly showed up, we would feel the need to explain. This is a filter we use all the time to decide if any given activity is safe for our marriage or not. Though many things would not pass through this filter that are completely benign, we choose the safer alternative that doesn’t allow our enemy to plant seeds of doubt. 1Thes 5:22 admonishes us to Abstain from all appearances of evil. This scripture makes its point that the appearance alone is problematic and should be avoided, even if the specific activity is harmless.

•	We will not share a meal with one other person of the opposite sex that is not a member of our immediate family. We decided to plant this hedge because we came upon a friend of ours having lunch with someone we knew was not their spouse. Because we were troubled by the circumstance, not knowing whether to address the friend or not, not knowing if their spouse knew or didn’t know, all of it too sticky a situation for us to be comfortable with. We decided then and there to plant a hedge. We believe that sharing a meal with someone is somewhat an intimate thing to do, and we want intimacy to be reserved for us. Both of us have at different times had to remain behind this hedge even when those asking didn’t understand why we had such a rule for ourselves. Hedges are not designed to be comfortable when you brush up against them…they are designed to be effective.

Again, these are examples and are only for your consideration as you develop the hedges of protection you want to plant around your marriage. 
2 Peter 1:5-7 states: Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. The world will tell you that if you love someone you shouldn’t put any restraints on them, this scripture points out that the restraints are actually a result of love.  Diligence is the key that opens the doors to moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. All of these are necessary for a strong marriage, and they all begin with diligence. Hedges keep us diligent. There is truth in the adage, ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’ Without diligence, we can blame no one but ourselves if these necessary components are not found in our marriages.
Questions to Answer: 
1.	Do you feel the need for hedges of protection around your marriage?
2.	Can you think of a marriage that you know of that might have been protected if hedges had been in place?

 Actions to Take:
1.	If you have never done so, develop your four hedges of protection for your marriage. These will only be maintained if the two of you agree they are prudent and design them together. If one spouse tries to develop them alone they will be resisted by the other. Do it together!
2.	If you have previously developed hedges of protection, review them together and decide if they need maintaining or possibly dug up and replanted in a new proximity to your marriage in order to be properly maintained.

So now, understanding the need to lovingly protect your marriage from the outside world that would seek to destroy it, plant some hedges…and go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/abeae2bfa12b3941f159253c15106b88.mp3" length="11412027" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/abeae2bfa12b3941f159253c15106b88.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/planting-hedges-around-your-marriage</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Opportunity Cost]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6ad13de7e37efa88c52871c815eca553.mp3" length="9741811" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6ad13de7e37efa88c52871c815eca553.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/opportunity-cost</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2021 14:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:46</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Stupid Honesty]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Stupid Honesty

Any relationship, especially a marriage, must operate in honesty if it is to survive. Right? It seems as though that should be a rhetorical question…you know, the kind that is...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Stupid Honesty

Any relationship, especially a marriage, must operate in honesty if it is to survive. Right? It seems as though that should be a rhetorical question…you know, the kind that is so blatantly obvious that an answer is unnecessary. Of course a relationship needs to be founded on honesty. So why do we spend so much time lying to our spouses?
Before you turn this podcast off because you think it doesn’t apply to you, let’s define a lie. There are two kinds of lies. Lies of commission, these are when you tell someone something that simply is not true. And lies of omission, these are when a person hand-picks what parts of the truth will be divulged, and in what way they will be offered up. A partial truth, that alters ones understanding of the whole truth, is intended to deceive. That which is intended to deceive is a lie.
When I talk with couples during their premarital counseling sessions, we talk about a concept I call, “Stupid Honesty.” I call it stupid honesty, not because honesty is stupid but because if you let your friends know you operate your marriage with this level of honesty…they will think you are stupid. I know of others, who have argued against this concept for their own marriages stating that it would not be healthy for them to divulge everything to their spouses. Sadly, they are mistaken and their marriages suffer as a result. Let me say that as a counselor I understand the need for holding confidences securely. I am not advising nor advocating ever breaking confidentiality of people where that expectation legally or reasonably exists. What I am saying is that outside of such boundaries there is no good reason for anything less than 100% honesty between a husband and a wife.
Ephesians 4:15 admonishes us to speak the truth in love that we might grow in Christ, the authority on how to love in all circumstances. Stupid honesty certainly is not intended to give us license to be ‘brutally honest,’ which in light of this scripture is actually a bit of an oxymoron. Brutal honesty is mean spirited and has no place in speaking the truth in love. While stupid honesty does mean we have to tell the whole truth, it doesn’t mean we should do it in a way that is hurtful. 
Stupid honesty requires any question asked be answered in a clear, honest, loving way. When you think about it, the only motive for not being completely honest with someone is selfishness. We don’t want to look bad…so we spin the truth. We don’t want to get in trouble…so we spin the truth. We don’t want to deal with the reaction of the hearer…so we spin the truth. It never makes good sense when someone says, “I can’t tell them what they want to know, it will hurt them;” or, “I keep it from them for their own good; I am being kind to them by only telling them what they need to know.” Baloney! You aren’t doing it for them, you’re doing it for you. It’s not that they can’t handle the truth, it’s that you don’t want to help them handle the truth. Any time you do something, or withhold something, to make your life easier…that’s called selfishness.
Stupid Honesty likely has more to do with what you do (or don’t do) than it has to do with what you say (or don’t say). I often ask this question when teaching these concepts in my office: “Can you put a $10 bill in your right hand and squeeze it in your fist tight enough that your left hand won’t know what’s inside?” Obviously not. Your right and left...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Stupid Honesty

Any relationship, especially a marriage, must operate in honesty if it is to survive. Right? It seems as though that should be a rhetorical question…you know, the kind that is so blatantly obvious that an answer is unnecessary. Of course a relationship needs to be founded on honesty. So why do we spend so much time lying to our spouses?
Before you turn this podcast off because you think it doesn’t apply to you, let’s define a lie. There are two kinds of lies. Lies of commission, these are when you tell someone something that simply is not true. And lies of omission, these are when a person hand-picks what parts of the truth will be divulged, and in what way they will be offered up. A partial truth, that alters ones understanding of the whole truth, is intended to deceive. That which is intended to deceive is a lie.
When I talk with couples during their premarital counseling sessions, we talk about a concept I call, “Stupid Honesty.” I call it stupid honesty, not because honesty is stupid but because if you let your friends know you operate your marriage with this level of honesty…they will think you are stupid. I know of others, who have argued against this concept for their own marriages stating that it would not be healthy for them to divulge everything to their spouses. Sadly, they are mistaken and their marriages suffer as a result. Let me say that as a counselor I understand the need for holding confidences securely. I am not advising nor advocating ever breaking confidentiality of people where that expectation legally or reasonably exists. What I am saying is that outside of such boundaries there is no good reason for anything less than 100% honesty between a husband and a wife.
Ephesians 4:15 admonishes us to speak the truth in love that we might grow in Christ, the authority on how to love in all circumstances. Stupid honesty certainly is not intended to give us license to be ‘brutally honest,’ which in light of this scripture is actually a bit of an oxymoron. Brutal honesty is mean spirited and has no place in speaking the truth in love. While stupid honesty does mean we have to tell the whole truth, it doesn’t mean we should do it in a way that is hurtful. 
Stupid honesty requires any question asked be answered in a clear, honest, loving way. When you think about it, the only motive for not being completely honest with someone is selfishness. We don’t want to look bad…so we spin the truth. We don’t want to get in trouble…so we spin the truth. We don’t want to deal with the reaction of the hearer…so we spin the truth. It never makes good sense when someone says, “I can’t tell them what they want to know, it will hurt them;” or, “I keep it from them for their own good; I am being kind to them by only telling them what they need to know.” Baloney! You aren’t doing it for them, you’re doing it for you. It’s not that they can’t handle the truth, it’s that you don’t want to help them handle the truth. Any time you do something, or withhold something, to make your life easier…that’s called selfishness.
Stupid Honesty likely has more to do with what you do (or don’t do) than it has to do with what you say (or don’t say). I often ask this question when teaching these concepts in my office: “Can you put a $10 bill in your right hand and squeeze it in your fist tight enough that your left hand won’t know what’s inside?” Obviously not. Your right and left hands are connected through a singular nervous system. If you were able to perform this feat, it would not indicate that you had some supernatural strength…it would indicate that there was some underlying though yet undiagnosed mental illness. The oneness of your marriage is much like the oneness of your body. If you are able to operate as if all is well while one part of you has fuller knowledge of the actual condition of the marriage than does the other, this is also a sign of an underlying undiagnosed relational illness.  
Marriages that operate at a stupid honest level keep nothing from each other and therefore have no need for hiding places. One of the most prevalent and dangerous hiding spots is most often maintained in plain sight. That’s what makes it so effective. Electronic devices and specifically their ability to be connected to other people’s electronic devices through a little-known portal called social media can be problematic. I say ‘little known’ because most everyone I speak to about it says they don’t use social media…except maybe a little for work. One of three scenarios then must exist: #1 – I only speak with a very weird small contingent of society that truly doesn’t utilize social media. #2 – Social media is not near as large an industry as it claims to be. #3 – People are lying to me. I’m betting the latter of the three is the most likely. Let’s face it…most of the world is hooked on their social media. We can’t wait until we get home to scroll, scroll and then scroll some more…so we don’t, we do it on the clock. We are so dependent on knowing what our narcissistic ‘friends’ are up to in real time that we are willing to steal from our employers to find out. After all, isn’t it important to know what the important people of the world are tweeting or retweeting while it’s still relevant? What good is Instagram if it’s not instantly available to us?
The problem with these pseudo connections are numerous and troubling. I could go on almost ad nauseam about the inherent dangers of them on society, but I will limit it to the subject of this edition. 
Most often, couples don’t treat their electronic devices and social media accounts as joint property. Our society has sold us on the idea that electronic devices are private property, and we have gone along. The danger it has created is the electronic hiding place. It is how the right hand can keep the left from knowing what it is doing. 
In full disclosure, I am about to use a scare tactic. If a married person converses with another person of the opposite sex (married or unmarried) for 30 consecutive days without the knowledge of their spouse, statistics tell us those two people will meet for purposes of a sexual or emotional affair 80% of the time. Additionally, 1 in 7 divorces today are considered to be the result of online affairs. If these actual statistics don’t cause you to see the need for more marital transparency in your social media use, I have to ask…why not?
Here is what I believe ‘Stupid Honesty’ requires when it comes to social media. Spouses have the right and responsibility to know about their counterpart’s social media usage. It is not ‘being nosey’ to want to know who your spouse is conversing with, and to what extent on social media. I believe you should each know the password protection on all of your devices as well as usernames and passwords for all of the social media accounts and email accounts both of you use. Like I said, if the two of you choose to live with this level of transparency and honesty your friends will say you are stupid. Maybe, but you likely won’t end up single again. Can someone who wants to be secretive get around these kinds of safeguards…sure, but they are designed to keep honest people honest, not remedy a dishonest heart. That is a different problem.
There are many other practices of stupid honest marriages, but social media presents the biggest danger at this time and therefore has received the bulk of my attention here today.
Questions to Answer:
1.	Is social media use prevalent in your marriage?
2.	What else could you and your spouse do to build your marriage with even half of the time you spend on social media weekly?
3.	What checks and balances are the two of you willing to put into practice to bring your social media use in line with the level of stupid honesty you want to maintain?

Actions to Take:
1.	Decide what other areas of your lives could be improved with stupid honesty.
2.	Commit to one another to cease telling lies of omission, but rather to speak the truth in love.

So now, learning what it means to operate your marriage at a stupid honest level…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/94d52a818145bdba34776d3dd5edd0a5.mp3" length="12109969" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/94d52a818145bdba34776d3dd5edd0a5.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/stupid-honesty</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 15 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Muscles of Steel]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Muscles of Steel
When I was a teenage boy I was very thin. I hated being so skinny because though I was strong enough to do all of the same work on the farm as my larger friends I felt as th...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Muscles of Steel
When I was a teenage boy I was very thin. I hated being so skinny because though I was strong enough to do all of the same work on the farm as my larger friends I felt as though I looked weak. All those years ago in what my children and grandchildren most certainly think were the dark ages, (and I suppose they are right in that our faces were not lit by blue screens) in our home without a TV, we had only printed material to entertain us. Some of you might remember the days when books and magazines were the things we all picked up to pass the time. Comic books were a favorite of mine, I especially liked the ‘Archie’ comics as well as ‘Spiderman’ and ‘Superman’. I suppose the latter of these appealed to me because of the strength that Superman possessed. On the inside back cover of those comic books were ads for many products making false claims that would only appeal to young naïve boys with too little life experience to recognize them as the scams they most certainly were. Those ads were for everything from X-ray vision glasses, magic cards and boxes that purported to throw your voice 100 feet! They offered access to amazing things such as real live seahorses…all you needed to do was add water to the package. I never sent for any of those things because I always sensed that though the ads were enticing, I worked too hard for my money to risk them not being completely true. However, the Ad I always found my eyes wandering to was the one advertising “Muscles of steel” featuring an image of a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger. Those ads promised I would be able to “Crush my enemies, and kick sand in their faces”. Included in the ad was a ‘before and after’ photo of some young teenager who used to look like me, but after taking Joe Weider’s muscle building course, the results were a bulked up, muscle bound young man. I am not sure why I never sent away for it, I guess somehow I knew if it was that easy every skinny kid like me would have done it already.
Those ads would almost immediately take my mind to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. I had heard the story countless times in Sunday school and had even chosen to read it when my mom said I should read the Bible more. I found it entertaining and she seemed pleased when she would look in the living room and find me with my Bible open on my lap after she had suggested that I do so. In any case, those ads and the story of Samson would entertain me for a time with my daydreams, another thing we distracted ourselves with before the days of electronic devices, the internet and social media.
The obvious reason I was so engrossed with the story of Samson was how strong He was. I imagined he must have looked just like the picture of Arnold in the ad for those ‘Muscles of steel’. The thing I couldn’t for the life of me figure out was why He told Delilah the secret to his strength. I always thought about how if He would have just kept his mouth shut, the story could have turned out differently. I decided that since I knew that much and He didn’t seem to that muscle bound guys must not be that smart. I decided a great physique and super strength could only take you just so far.
Now that I am older and wish I could be a little skinnier than I am these days, (funny how those things change) I have come to realize a few things about that Bible story. It can be found in the book of Judges chapters 13 through16. Samso...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Muscles of Steel
When I was a teenage boy I was very thin. I hated being so skinny because though I was strong enough to do all of the same work on the farm as my larger friends I felt as though I looked weak. All those years ago in what my children and grandchildren most certainly think were the dark ages, (and I suppose they are right in that our faces were not lit by blue screens) in our home without a TV, we had only printed material to entertain us. Some of you might remember the days when books and magazines were the things we all picked up to pass the time. Comic books were a favorite of mine, I especially liked the ‘Archie’ comics as well as ‘Spiderman’ and ‘Superman’. I suppose the latter of these appealed to me because of the strength that Superman possessed. On the inside back cover of those comic books were ads for many products making false claims that would only appeal to young naïve boys with too little life experience to recognize them as the scams they most certainly were. Those ads were for everything from X-ray vision glasses, magic cards and boxes that purported to throw your voice 100 feet! They offered access to amazing things such as real live seahorses…all you needed to do was add water to the package. I never sent for any of those things because I always sensed that though the ads were enticing, I worked too hard for my money to risk them not being completely true. However, the Ad I always found my eyes wandering to was the one advertising “Muscles of steel” featuring an image of a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger. Those ads promised I would be able to “Crush my enemies, and kick sand in their faces”. Included in the ad was a ‘before and after’ photo of some young teenager who used to look like me, but after taking Joe Weider’s muscle building course, the results were a bulked up, muscle bound young man. I am not sure why I never sent away for it, I guess somehow I knew if it was that easy every skinny kid like me would have done it already.
Those ads would almost immediately take my mind to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. I had heard the story countless times in Sunday school and had even chosen to read it when my mom said I should read the Bible more. I found it entertaining and she seemed pleased when she would look in the living room and find me with my Bible open on my lap after she had suggested that I do so. In any case, those ads and the story of Samson would entertain me for a time with my daydreams, another thing we distracted ourselves with before the days of electronic devices, the internet and social media.
The obvious reason I was so engrossed with the story of Samson was how strong He was. I imagined he must have looked just like the picture of Arnold in the ad for those ‘Muscles of steel’. The thing I couldn’t for the life of me figure out was why He told Delilah the secret to his strength. I always thought about how if He would have just kept his mouth shut, the story could have turned out differently. I decided that since I knew that much and He didn’t seem to that muscle bound guys must not be that smart. I decided a great physique and super strength could only take you just so far.
Now that I am older and wish I could be a little skinnier than I am these days, (funny how those things change) I have come to realize a few things about that Bible story. It can be found in the book of Judges chapters 13 through16. Samson did have great strength…and it was attributed to his uncut hair, but the hair was not the source of his strength, The Lord was. Samson was a Nazirite to God. That meant that he was dedicated to God. In his case Samson was to be a Nazirite his entire life, from the time he was in his mother’s womb. The Bible tells us that when his hair was cut by the Philistines, the power of the Lord left him. The story tells us how Samson was tempted by Delilah to tell her the secret of his great strength. When he did that, and trouble came upon him he was easily defeated. Eventually the Bible tells us that He was able to overcome those who did this to him, but only after they had gouged his eyes out and held him captive as a slave for some time.
Did you know you have secret strength too? All Christ followers have amazing super strength at their disposal. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the Joy of the Lord is our strength. So what is the Joy of the Lord? This passage in Nehemiah is referring to the time when the Israelite people had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city and eventually rebuild the temple. Shortly after their return Ezra the scribe read to them from the scriptures and as he did this, their hearts turned back toward desiring a correct relationship with God. As a result of that relationship the Joy of the Lord was upon them. The same is true for us. Out of our relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ we experience the Joy of the Lord, and as the Bible tells us, that Joy is our strength.
Why that Joy over others? I get a great deal of joy from other sources. My children and grandchildren bring me joy. I get joy from my marriage with my beautiful bride Lynn. I am joyful when I do things I enjoy, or go places I enjoy like the mountains. The trouble with these sources of joy is that they are temporary. They all have the potential for not being there when I need them. However, my relationship with God, your relationship with God in Christ Jesus is eternal. Romans 8:38 & 39 in the New Living Translation tells us: And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Joy of the Lord is only accessed through our relationship with Jesus.
So, whatever you or I may have to go through, whatever the flavor of the day is in terms of the difficulties this world throws at us, the source of great strength we have is the Joy of the Lord. It is what we possess that signifies we are dedicated to God. For Samson it was his uncut hair, for us it is our unstoppable Joy, both symbols of the strength we get from our relationship with God. Whatever you do…don’t allow it to be cut off!
So now, flexing those faith muscles of steel you have and living in the power that comes from your source of great strength, …the Joy of the Lord…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c8553b290d0edc39a8e83826cdf1167c.mp3" length="10576895" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c8553b290d0edc39a8e83826cdf1167c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/muscles-of-steel</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Are The Doors Locked?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Are The Doors Locked? 

A few weeks ago in this podcast I talked about the husband’s primary need for respect and the wife’s primary need for love.  This can be illustrated in the following wa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Are The Doors Locked? 

A few weeks ago in this podcast I talked about the husband’s primary need for respect and the wife’s primary need for love.  This can be illustrated in the following ways – as a result of their primary need for love, women need to feel secure in their relationships.  Nowhere is this truer than inside the marriage. Though men often feel they can provide this security through their wives’ personal safety, this alone will not suffice. There are any number of ways that a man can help build security for his wife in their marriage. Among them are the following: 
•	Spending their money wisely
•	Worshipping together
•	Protecting their time with one another
•	Praying together
•	Supporting them in parenting
•	Allowing her to know you only have eyes for her
•	Investing in your personal relationship with the Lord
•	Taking the time to listen when she needs to talk
•	Choosing actions that endorse her position of highest importance in your life

Consider this illustration: A couple lived in a house with 9 doors, each door representative of one of the ways listed above to build security. One night the husband crawled into bed and the wife asked if all the doors were closed and locked. He replied that they were, except the one in the back, but not to worry, no one hardly ever went back there. Would his wife be able to go to sleep? Absolutely not! All of her security would escape through the open door.  Security is an absolute, either you have it or you don’t – you can’t be ‘kind of’ secure.  Though it is propagated in many ways, if some of it escapes, there is a sense that all of it has escaped. It is important to understand as husbands, that you are either building your wife’s security or you are building her insecurity. 
Just as the wife needs to feel secure, the husband seeks his need for sufficiency from his wife. He looks to her to define the kind of man he is. While women may think that using words of affirmation from time to time cause her husband to feel sufficient, this is also done best in a multitude of ways.  Consider the following: 
•	Let him know you are proud of him
•	Let him be the spiritual leader
•	Ask him for his input
•	Let him know you appreciate him
•	Recognize the work that he does
•	Tell him what a good job he does even if you think someone else might have done it better
•	Let him know he’s the only man in your eyes
•	Back him up as the authority in parenting
•	Put him first in the family
As in the story used to illustrate a wife’s need for security, you can affirm your husband all you want, but if you use your words to also tear him down, all of your affirmation was useless. It is important to understand as wives, that you are either building your husband’s sufficiency or you are building his sense of insufficiency.
Romans 14:19 says, Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 
In this passage Paul writes that though we may not have the same strengths and weaknesses, for the sake of living in peace and encouraging one another, we must see each other’s needs as important and choose actions that meet other’s needs even if they are not our own. Obviously his comments were about some other areas of disagreement in the church, but this scripture applies equally to marriage and the different needs experienced there as well. The parallel should not be overlooked. So w...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Are The Doors Locked? 

A few weeks ago in this podcast I talked about the husband’s primary need for respect and the wife’s primary need for love.  This can be illustrated in the following ways – as a result of their primary need for love, women need to feel secure in their relationships.  Nowhere is this truer than inside the marriage. Though men often feel they can provide this security through their wives’ personal safety, this alone will not suffice. There are any number of ways that a man can help build security for his wife in their marriage. Among them are the following: 
•	Spending their money wisely
•	Worshipping together
•	Protecting their time with one another
•	Praying together
•	Supporting them in parenting
•	Allowing her to know you only have eyes for her
•	Investing in your personal relationship with the Lord
•	Taking the time to listen when she needs to talk
•	Choosing actions that endorse her position of highest importance in your life

Consider this illustration: A couple lived in a house with 9 doors, each door representative of one of the ways listed above to build security. One night the husband crawled into bed and the wife asked if all the doors were closed and locked. He replied that they were, except the one in the back, but not to worry, no one hardly ever went back there. Would his wife be able to go to sleep? Absolutely not! All of her security would escape through the open door.  Security is an absolute, either you have it or you don’t – you can’t be ‘kind of’ secure.  Though it is propagated in many ways, if some of it escapes, there is a sense that all of it has escaped. It is important to understand as husbands, that you are either building your wife’s security or you are building her insecurity. 
Just as the wife needs to feel secure, the husband seeks his need for sufficiency from his wife. He looks to her to define the kind of man he is. While women may think that using words of affirmation from time to time cause her husband to feel sufficient, this is also done best in a multitude of ways.  Consider the following: 
•	Let him know you are proud of him
•	Let him be the spiritual leader
•	Ask him for his input
•	Let him know you appreciate him
•	Recognize the work that he does
•	Tell him what a good job he does even if you think someone else might have done it better
•	Let him know he’s the only man in your eyes
•	Back him up as the authority in parenting
•	Put him first in the family
As in the story used to illustrate a wife’s need for security, you can affirm your husband all you want, but if you use your words to also tear him down, all of your affirmation was useless. It is important to understand as wives, that you are either building your husband’s sufficiency or you are building his sense of insufficiency.
Romans 14:19 says, Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 
In this passage Paul writes that though we may not have the same strengths and weaknesses, for the sake of living in peace and encouraging one another, we must see each other’s needs as important and choose actions that meet other’s needs even if they are not our own. Obviously his comments were about some other areas of disagreement in the church, but this scripture applies equally to marriage and the different needs experienced there as well. The parallel should not be overlooked. So why should we choose to feed the need our spouse has that we do not see such great necessity in? As I said just a few weeks ago, when we elevate our spouse we elevate our marriage, when we elevate our marriages, we elevate ourselves.  
Questions to Answer: 
1.	Wives: What are some things your husband does that build your security? 
2.	Husbands: What are some things your wife does that build your sense of sufficiency? 

Actions to Take:  
1.	In your own words, tell each other how important your sense of security (or sufficiency) is to your satisfaction in the marriage. 
2.	Pray that the Lord would show you ways and opportunities to do this for your spouse.

So now, making every effort to meet the needs unique to your spouse, and no longer dismissing them as unimportant just because you may not have the same need…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b3dd2b9fc4f8271d111c0efa2b93f409.mp3" length="7059389" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b3dd2b9fc4f8271d111c0efa2b93f409.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/are-the-doors-locked</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>04:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Holding up Jesus - November 7, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 9 : 30-41 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossro...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 9 : 30-41 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 9 : 30-41 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/11066d6c3c4c3af695fc007de4ae765d.mp3" length="40409107" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/11066d6c3c4c3af695fc007de4ae765d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/holding-up-jesus-november-7-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:09:20</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Painted Hills]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Painted Hills.
This past week my wife Lynn and I traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains to prepare our summer cottage for its long winter’s nap. This year, the timing was just right for us to b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Painted Hills.
This past week my wife Lynn and I traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains to prepare our summer cottage for its long winter’s nap. This year, the timing was just right for us to be engaged in that activity just at the height of the explosion of color as the trees on the hillsides turned their respective shades of reds, oranges and yellows. It is the time of year when even if it is overcast and rainy as it was this past weekend, the delightful alteration is still one of the most beautiful scenes imaginable. Driving along the interstate this time of year, generally a bland activity, becomes a never ending indulgence, taking in one masterpiece after another as the roadway becomes the finest of art museums. If interstate 81 were a toll road (and I am glad it is not) this time of year it would not be considered toll but rather an admission price people would be foolish to forego. A look in any direction reveals yet another work of art by Creator, Almighty God. The views are almost surreal and you half expect to be able to look at what the eye beholds and see written over the landscape the signature of God Himself somewhere on the bottom. That signature is in fact there…it is written across all of it.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 in the Amplified Bible says: I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it, for God does it so that men will fear and worship Him [with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is God]. As I was driving along I was thinking how true this is. What could be added to what I was seeing that would make it more beautiful? Nothing. What could be subtracted from the scene my eyes were taking in without in some way diminishing the outcome? Nothing. Only God can do anything and everything He does to such complete perfection. As this verse says, the reason for doing that is that we might view Him as we should. Does God need our reverence to make Him God? Of course not. Does our worship of Him make Him worthy of worship? Not at all. So, as I was driving it dawned on me…God does this for our benefit not His. He does this so we might be capable of walking in a correct relationship with Him. 
This is not the only scripture that reveals this truth. Revelation 4:11 says  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” His word goes on to proclaim in Psalm 19:1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. As I drove considering these things another of my personal favorites kept infiltrating my thoughts. Psalm 90:2 says; Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. All of the beauty that I was taking in as I traveled along, all of the beauty I was unable to see, all of it is there so that you and I can recognize that He is God and is worthy to be praised.
Job 12:7-9 raises an interesting consideration. It makes the point that though we as humans are able to reason and have the ability for higher and critical thinking that separates us from the rest of creation, we are actually the last to be able or willing to come into agreement with the rest of it. Those verses say this; “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and i...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Painted Hills.
This past week my wife Lynn and I traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains to prepare our summer cottage for its long winter’s nap. This year, the timing was just right for us to be engaged in that activity just at the height of the explosion of color as the trees on the hillsides turned their respective shades of reds, oranges and yellows. It is the time of year when even if it is overcast and rainy as it was this past weekend, the delightful alteration is still one of the most beautiful scenes imaginable. Driving along the interstate this time of year, generally a bland activity, becomes a never ending indulgence, taking in one masterpiece after another as the roadway becomes the finest of art museums. If interstate 81 were a toll road (and I am glad it is not) this time of year it would not be considered toll but rather an admission price people would be foolish to forego. A look in any direction reveals yet another work of art by Creator, Almighty God. The views are almost surreal and you half expect to be able to look at what the eye beholds and see written over the landscape the signature of God Himself somewhere on the bottom. That signature is in fact there…it is written across all of it.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 in the Amplified Bible says: I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it, for God does it so that men will fear and worship Him [with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is God]. As I was driving along I was thinking how true this is. What could be added to what I was seeing that would make it more beautiful? Nothing. What could be subtracted from the scene my eyes were taking in without in some way diminishing the outcome? Nothing. Only God can do anything and everything He does to such complete perfection. As this verse says, the reason for doing that is that we might view Him as we should. Does God need our reverence to make Him God? Of course not. Does our worship of Him make Him worthy of worship? Not at all. So, as I was driving it dawned on me…God does this for our benefit not His. He does this so we might be capable of walking in a correct relationship with Him. 
This is not the only scripture that reveals this truth. Revelation 4:11 says  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” His word goes on to proclaim in Psalm 19:1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. As I drove considering these things another of my personal favorites kept infiltrating my thoughts. Psalm 90:2 says; Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. All of the beauty that I was taking in as I traveled along, all of the beauty I was unable to see, all of it is there so that you and I can recognize that He is God and is worthy to be praised.
Job 12:7-9 raises an interesting consideration. It makes the point that though we as humans are able to reason and have the ability for higher and critical thinking that separates us from the rest of creation, we are actually the last to be able or willing to come into agreement with the rest of it. Those verses say this; “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? It appears that we may be the last to know this all important truth, it seems all of the rest of creation has been willing and able all along to give praise and glory to their creator. Perhaps that is why the painted hills seem to come so alive each fall. It is almost as if they have been saving their very best to in unison ascribe all of their glory to the One True God who is deserving of every bit of it and more.
God’s word is clear. All of this has been done that we might move into alignment with the rest of creation and give glory, honor and praise to Creator God. All of it so that we might recognize that He is God and we are not. That we are His people, that it is He who has made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100) Romans 1:20 says that all of this has been done so there can be no other conclusion for us to make. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 
God has created such beauty, and has lovingly placed it on display for all to see. Why? So we might acknowledge Him and the fact that He alone has done it all with us on His mind . He needed to get our attention. Because there was another awesome scene of terrible beauty that He had planned since before the world was first formed as we read in the first chapter of Peter’s first letter. Nature points to God, God points to His Son Jesus. John 3:16 says For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God has gone to incredible lengths to show us just how much He loves us and desires that all of us spend eternity with Him. His word says that it is his desire that everyone would see that love, relent to that love, and accept that Jesus Christ is in fact Lord, so that everyone could be saved. 
Funny how a ride along the interstate on an Autumn afternoon looking at the immense beauty of the painted hills can bring the mind all the way around to a more complete understanding of the immeasurable love God has for us. I am grateful for experiences like those because they drive home the truth that God does love you and me and we are able to know that love because He is willing to do just about anything to make sure we don’t miss it…even paint the hills.
So now, allowing the wonder of His incredible handiwork to direct your focus toward what an incredible God He is, give Him your praise and worship as you were created to do…and go be awesome!    ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/015e97d4945e41f538b2cd9a312443ec.mp3" length="10063791" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/015e97d4945e41f538b2cd9a312443ec.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/painted-hills</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Heads I Lose Tails You Win]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Heads I Lose, Tails You Win

The title of this entry probably sounded backward to you, because as children we often said it in reverse, trying to set up a situation in which we always found ou...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Heads I Lose, Tails You Win

The title of this entry probably sounded backward to you, because as children we often said it in reverse, trying to set up a situation in which we always found ourselves the winner. Stated this way, one is destined to lose. In my pre-marital counseling, I call this “learning to lose, lose well and lose often.” The idea comes from Romans 12:10 which says, “In love, prefer one another.” Preferring is not the same as deferring – we can defer for any number of reasons. But we prefer that our joy may be found in another person’s joy. 
A quick example of this in my marriage happened early on as my bride indicated she was not a fan of NASCAR and hoped that I wasn’t either.  Upon learning I was, in fact, a huge fan at that time, she chose to purchase tickets to a local race and happily accompanied me to the event.  Her joy wasn’t in what we were doing, but in knowing how much pleasure it was for me to receive this particular gift. 
The world’s wisdom would tell us to look out for number one but Godly wisdom says we look out for number one when we prefer one another.  Marriage is a spiritual experience, and therefore spiritual principles apply. If we spend our energy caring for the needs of our spouse, it frees them up to concern themselves with our needs. I understand, this principle flies in the face of worldly wisdom which would say this attitude will get you run over. I promise, this principle will not get you run over, it will insure you are not run over. 
Think about your last disagreement. When your spouse was trying to help you see their way of thinking was right and yours was wrong, were you listening to what they had to say or were you thinking only of your response? When we are trying to win an argument or disagreement with our spouse, communication is actually hindered because of our perceived need to formulate a response. In contrast, if we do as the scripture suggests and we prefer our spouse, we can offer to lose. When we choose losing, communication opens up. In our marriage, we have key phrases that we have used so often the other recognizes when we are choosing to lose. I say, I don’t need to win; my wife says, I’m married to you, not my idea. When we hear these phrases we know the other has offered to prefer us and are choosing to lose. Invariably the next question that escapes the winner’s mouth is, “But what were you thinking?” and ultimately communication opens up. When we ask for someone’s thoughts we listen; when they are being forced upon us, we think of our retort. Trying to win closes communication down, choosing to lose opens it up. Proverbs tells us that the fool continues to say what he already knows, but the wise seeks to understand the other. 
Consider this, it is what Jesus did for us.  Christ was in heaven, where I understand things are, well…heavenly.  He had no need to come to earth; we had need of him to come to earth, So, He lowered himself and came, and lived in the form of His own creation so that he could be crucified to solve our sin problem.  Jesus lowered himself to elevate us. He chose to lose, so we could win. His Word refers to us as his bride, and to Him as the groom.  From this, we gain a clear example, so that we can apply this same principle to our marriages.  Lower yourself to elevate your spouse, thus, elevating your marriage. You choose to lose, so you both can win.
Some of you will undoubtedly b...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Heads I Lose, Tails You Win

The title of this entry probably sounded backward to you, because as children we often said it in reverse, trying to set up a situation in which we always found ourselves the winner. Stated this way, one is destined to lose. In my pre-marital counseling, I call this “learning to lose, lose well and lose often.” The idea comes from Romans 12:10 which says, “In love, prefer one another.” Preferring is not the same as deferring – we can defer for any number of reasons. But we prefer that our joy may be found in another person’s joy. 
A quick example of this in my marriage happened early on as my bride indicated she was not a fan of NASCAR and hoped that I wasn’t either.  Upon learning I was, in fact, a huge fan at that time, she chose to purchase tickets to a local race and happily accompanied me to the event.  Her joy wasn’t in what we were doing, but in knowing how much pleasure it was for me to receive this particular gift. 
The world’s wisdom would tell us to look out for number one but Godly wisdom says we look out for number one when we prefer one another.  Marriage is a spiritual experience, and therefore spiritual principles apply. If we spend our energy caring for the needs of our spouse, it frees them up to concern themselves with our needs. I understand, this principle flies in the face of worldly wisdom which would say this attitude will get you run over. I promise, this principle will not get you run over, it will insure you are not run over. 
Think about your last disagreement. When your spouse was trying to help you see their way of thinking was right and yours was wrong, were you listening to what they had to say or were you thinking only of your response? When we are trying to win an argument or disagreement with our spouse, communication is actually hindered because of our perceived need to formulate a response. In contrast, if we do as the scripture suggests and we prefer our spouse, we can offer to lose. When we choose losing, communication opens up. In our marriage, we have key phrases that we have used so often the other recognizes when we are choosing to lose. I say, I don’t need to win; my wife says, I’m married to you, not my idea. When we hear these phrases we know the other has offered to prefer us and are choosing to lose. Invariably the next question that escapes the winner’s mouth is, “But what were you thinking?” and ultimately communication opens up. When we ask for someone’s thoughts we listen; when they are being forced upon us, we think of our retort. Trying to win closes communication down, choosing to lose opens it up. Proverbs tells us that the fool continues to say what he already knows, but the wise seeks to understand the other. 
Consider this, it is what Jesus did for us.  Christ was in heaven, where I understand things are, well…heavenly.  He had no need to come to earth; we had need of him to come to earth, So, He lowered himself and came, and lived in the form of His own creation so that he could be crucified to solve our sin problem.  Jesus lowered himself to elevate us. He chose to lose, so we could win. His Word refers to us as his bride, and to Him as the groom.  From this, we gain a clear example, so that we can apply this same principle to our marriages.  Lower yourself to elevate your spouse, thus, elevating your marriage. You choose to lose, so you both can win.
Some of you will undoubtedly be wondering what you should do if your spouse isn’t willing to participate, to which I say even if only one spouse follows this example from scripture the marriage will be improved by 50 percent. In fact, experience tells me that if just one spouse begins to put this into practice with the right mindset, the Holy Spirit is able to use it very effectively to convict the heart of the unwilling spouse to begin to do the same. No one likes to sit idly by and watch someone else do what is right for very long. To do so simply makes their wrongdoing glaringly obvious, especially to them.
If we elevate our spouse, we elevate our marriage; if we elevate our marriage, we elevate ourselves. Learning to lose will always help you truly win. 
Questions to answer:
1.	What are some steps you could take to elevate your marriage? 
2.	As discussed here, is choosing to lose something you find valuable? How do you suppress your natural inclination to win in order to accomplish this? 

Actions to take: 
1.	Develop your own key phrases to signify your willingness to choose to lose.

So now, learning to lose, lose well, and lose often…so your marriage can always win…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e700893b826b309924ab7e0ca6639cb5.mp3" length="7468177" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e700893b826b309924ab7e0ca6639cb5.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/heads-i-lose-tails-you-win</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:11</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[But I Want It Now!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…But I want it now!
Have you ever stopped to look at how hooked we are on immediate gratification? I must admit there are times I get frustrated because my laptop takes 30 seconds to boot up so...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…But I want it now!
Have you ever stopped to look at how hooked we are on immediate gratification? I must admit there are times I get frustrated because my laptop takes 30 seconds to boot up so I can use it. When I think about that, I realize how insane it is. I am allowing myself to experience negative emotions because the device that I think makes my life more efficient requires 1/2 of one of the 2,440 minutes I am allotted each day. That’s nuts! Additionally, this past week my wife and I have been experiencing interruptions with our internet provider’s service. Seemingly with regularity we have been right in the middle of working online when the service would drop off for no apparent reason. Most of the time it would be back on within a few minutes but then drop off twenty minutes later. Sometimes it would do that two or three times in an hour. You wouldn’t believe the frustration level that caused in our home. After all, while it was down we were unable to access the internet where we could look up or find any information necessary with literally hundreds of results to a search within a fraction of a second! I have had to remind myself more than once lately that I used to have to wait for the library to open the next day to have access to a miniscule portion of the same information.
Have you ever been upset because a traffic light took too long to change? How about when you had to pull over and wait for a drive-thru order to be completed? Ever get frustrated…or even angry because people in a store got in your way and kept you from getting to what you wanted quickly enough? Or what about those times when your ire was raised because the store didn’t have enough people to get you checked out fast enough for your liking? Yes, we almost have to admit that instant gratification has not made our lives better in many ways at all. Sure we can access things much faster than ever before, but if it doesn’t work exactly like we expect it to…we are not happy! I don’t think it has been good for us on a spiritual level either.
Wanting things immediately has taught us some wrong lessons. First among them is that it should only take a second (or less) for us to decide what we want. We are so used to having what we would formerly call whims be treated like needs, that almost no desire can cross our minds without us thinking we need to have it satisfied. Say that last sentence slowly, thinking about the words and you’ll be able to see instantly where that could go wrong. As a marriage counselor I have often noted that my office would be empty most days if people took the time to ask of any and every decision they were about to make; “How is this going to affect my spouse?” However, even if we don’t look at it through the lens of “What do I want in a particular moment that is wrong or sinful?”, we still have to deal with the question; “Is what I want right now really the best for me?”
There is an old saying; “Good things come to those who wait.” This is true for several reasons. Things we have to wait for are afforded more value. If it takes longer to produce it is likely higher quality. You only have to taste a roast beef dinner that comes from a crock pot opposed to a microwave to know the truth of this concept. Additionally, there is the thought process that says; “Waiting reduces the risk of remorse that only time would reveal.” In other words, if I take a little more time to get somet...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…But I want it now!
Have you ever stopped to look at how hooked we are on immediate gratification? I must admit there are times I get frustrated because my laptop takes 30 seconds to boot up so I can use it. When I think about that, I realize how insane it is. I am allowing myself to experience negative emotions because the device that I think makes my life more efficient requires 1/2 of one of the 2,440 minutes I am allotted each day. That’s nuts! Additionally, this past week my wife and I have been experiencing interruptions with our internet provider’s service. Seemingly with regularity we have been right in the middle of working online when the service would drop off for no apparent reason. Most of the time it would be back on within a few minutes but then drop off twenty minutes later. Sometimes it would do that two or three times in an hour. You wouldn’t believe the frustration level that caused in our home. After all, while it was down we were unable to access the internet where we could look up or find any information necessary with literally hundreds of results to a search within a fraction of a second! I have had to remind myself more than once lately that I used to have to wait for the library to open the next day to have access to a miniscule portion of the same information.
Have you ever been upset because a traffic light took too long to change? How about when you had to pull over and wait for a drive-thru order to be completed? Ever get frustrated…or even angry because people in a store got in your way and kept you from getting to what you wanted quickly enough? Or what about those times when your ire was raised because the store didn’t have enough people to get you checked out fast enough for your liking? Yes, we almost have to admit that instant gratification has not made our lives better in many ways at all. Sure we can access things much faster than ever before, but if it doesn’t work exactly like we expect it to…we are not happy! I don’t think it has been good for us on a spiritual level either.
Wanting things immediately has taught us some wrong lessons. First among them is that it should only take a second (or less) for us to decide what we want. We are so used to having what we would formerly call whims be treated like needs, that almost no desire can cross our minds without us thinking we need to have it satisfied. Say that last sentence slowly, thinking about the words and you’ll be able to see instantly where that could go wrong. As a marriage counselor I have often noted that my office would be empty most days if people took the time to ask of any and every decision they were about to make; “How is this going to affect my spouse?” However, even if we don’t look at it through the lens of “What do I want in a particular moment that is wrong or sinful?”, we still have to deal with the question; “Is what I want right now really the best for me?”
There is an old saying; “Good things come to those who wait.” This is true for several reasons. Things we have to wait for are afforded more value. If it takes longer to produce it is likely higher quality. You only have to taste a roast beef dinner that comes from a crock pot opposed to a microwave to know the truth of this concept. Additionally, there is the thought process that says; “Waiting reduces the risk of remorse that only time would reveal.” In other words, if I take a little more time to get something, I may see the problem with having it. All of these are wise, but none of them are possible if our every whim must be gratified immediately. 
On the best days, what I would choose in any given moment is what I think is best for me in that moment. The problem is that I can only see the present and the past, the future is dark to me. That is why waiting can be valuable, it allows for the future to illuminate the present. My Heavenly Father on the other hand has a crystal clear bird’s eye view of eternity. Past, no problem…present, check…the future, right there in His hands. If I let Him be the one to decide what is best for me, I will be ready to receive the blessing so long as my choices aren’t getting in the way. This is otherwise known as trust, having faith…waiting on the Lord.  Lamentations 3:25-26 say; The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. God is a good, good Father and He is always being so very good to us. When we do not experience good it is not because we waited on Him and He did not bring us what is good, it is because we were not waiting on Him. You might argue with me and say don’t bad things happen that we don’t choose? Yes, they do, but He promises that He is so good that even those things He will use for ultimate good in our lives if we will allow Him to. He says that even those things that are meant for harm and evil toward us, He wants to use to make us more like His Son Jesus. (Romans 8:28-29) 
I love the way the New Living Translation states Isaiah 64:4; For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Essentially this verse confirms the truth that God places His efforts in the direction of those who wait on Him. In other words, when we wait for God to reveal to us what is best for us, He will move heaven and earth to make it happen. Further evidence that God does not withhold from us what is best, we do that ourselves by trying to enact what we think best. Psalm 25:4-5 speak further of waiting on the Lord, right into the best there is for us.  Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Learning to wait on Him not only guides us into His very best but teaches us wisdom in the process. Wisdom begins to eliminate many of the problems brought on by a “But I want it now” attitude.
Trusting in ourselves to know what is best…well, we have all seen the results of that far too often. Learning to trust that God really does have our best in mind, makes waiting on Him to bring it at just the right time a little bit easier. The more we learn to trust the easier it gets. We can either go-it-alone and get the best the moment has to offer, or we can put our full confidence in God to give us far more that we would or even could choose for ourselves. Ephesians 3:20-21 say it this way; Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
So now, learning to really live in the moment…and use it to trust Him to bring the very best there is for you…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9c1b6133ff41009c17e9c659cb86f259.mp3" length="10915565" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9c1b6133ff41009c17e9c659cb86f259.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/but-i-want-it-now</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 28 Oct 2021 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[We Need Different Things]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message…We need different things
“I get no respect!” Rodney Dangerfield made a good living joking about getting no respect. Many men spend their entire marriages considering if the same thing is true for the...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message…We need different things
“I get no respect!” Rodney Dangerfield made a good living joking about getting no respect. Many men spend their entire marriages considering if the same thing is true for them. As men, every time we interact with someone, we are evaluating whether or not we have their respect.  Do they respect our words? Do they respect our decisions? Do they respect our work? Do they respect us for who we are? For a man, everything is about respect.  If we feel as though we are respected, we are able to have a relationship in good standing with that person. If we feel we are being disrespected, a relationship cannot ensue, without first remedying that problem. 
When it comes to our marriages this concept is not only true, it becomes magnified. We know we didn’t hang the moon, but not only do we want our wives to say we did, we want them to tell us no one could have done it better. From the time he is a boy, every man understands intuitively that he should be respected but especially by his wife. No matter how many times this doesn’t happen, it does not dissuade him from that core belief.  It turns out God agrees with him. Ephesians 5:33 ends with this statement, “…and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” 
So where does this need originate? In Deuteronomy 5, we read the first of the ten commandments: “You shall have no other Gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) This is absolutely a statement requiring respect. Interestingly, when we look at the Hebrew, the words that are translated ‘before me’ in today’s vernacular, if inserted would read: You shall have no other Gods in my face. God is clearly making a statement that he must be respected above anything or anyone else. This is a requirement and in fact, the first stated requirement, for our relationship with God to be in good standing. It is God’s primary need if we are to have a healthy relationship with Him. 
By God giving man the need for respect as his primary consideration for a relationship to be in good standing, God has reproduced in him a need reflecting of His own. In this way, we are partially created in His likeness. 
The Beatles said it best, “All you need is love…love is all you need”. Love is the wife’s primary need.  Every woman is constantly evaluating all of the relationships she has to see that she is cared for. Whether or not she is loved will determine her ability to comfortably remain in any relationship. Again, the marital relationship does not alter this fact, but magnifies it, and shows it to be even more important to her. She is especially evaluating her marriage, to determine if she is loved for what she does, what she thinks, what she says and who she is. She knows her marriage is a lifetime commitment, she also needs to know that her husband specifically chooses to be committed to her each and every day. We have all heard of the old joke, where the husband says, “I told you once I loved you and if anything changes I’ll let you know.” A truly loving husband however, constantly lets his wife know nothing has changed. He learns to make all of his interactions with her reinforcing of his love and adoration toward her and her alone. Since she was a child, every woman has understood she deserves to be unconditionally loved, and it turns out God agrees with her. The beginning of Ephesians 5:33 says, “In particular, let each one of you love his own wife as himself…” 
The way this verse is...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my Monday Marriage Message…We need different things
“I get no respect!” Rodney Dangerfield made a good living joking about getting no respect. Many men spend their entire marriages considering if the same thing is true for them. As men, every time we interact with someone, we are evaluating whether or not we have their respect.  Do they respect our words? Do they respect our decisions? Do they respect our work? Do they respect us for who we are? For a man, everything is about respect.  If we feel as though we are respected, we are able to have a relationship in good standing with that person. If we feel we are being disrespected, a relationship cannot ensue, without first remedying that problem. 
When it comes to our marriages this concept is not only true, it becomes magnified. We know we didn’t hang the moon, but not only do we want our wives to say we did, we want them to tell us no one could have done it better. From the time he is a boy, every man understands intuitively that he should be respected but especially by his wife. No matter how many times this doesn’t happen, it does not dissuade him from that core belief.  It turns out God agrees with him. Ephesians 5:33 ends with this statement, “…and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” 
So where does this need originate? In Deuteronomy 5, we read the first of the ten commandments: “You shall have no other Gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) This is absolutely a statement requiring respect. Interestingly, when we look at the Hebrew, the words that are translated ‘before me’ in today’s vernacular, if inserted would read: You shall have no other Gods in my face. God is clearly making a statement that he must be respected above anything or anyone else. This is a requirement and in fact, the first stated requirement, for our relationship with God to be in good standing. It is God’s primary need if we are to have a healthy relationship with Him. 
By God giving man the need for respect as his primary consideration for a relationship to be in good standing, God has reproduced in him a need reflecting of His own. In this way, we are partially created in His likeness. 
The Beatles said it best, “All you need is love…love is all you need”. Love is the wife’s primary need.  Every woman is constantly evaluating all of the relationships she has to see that she is cared for. Whether or not she is loved will determine her ability to comfortably remain in any relationship. Again, the marital relationship does not alter this fact, but magnifies it, and shows it to be even more important to her. She is especially evaluating her marriage, to determine if she is loved for what she does, what she thinks, what she says and who she is. She knows her marriage is a lifetime commitment, she also needs to know that her husband specifically chooses to be committed to her each and every day. We have all heard of the old joke, where the husband says, “I told you once I loved you and if anything changes I’ll let you know.” A truly loving husband however, constantly lets his wife know nothing has changed. He learns to make all of his interactions with her reinforcing of his love and adoration toward her and her alone. Since she was a child, every woman has understood she deserves to be unconditionally loved, and it turns out God agrees with her. The beginning of Ephesians 5:33 says, “In particular, let each one of you love his own wife as himself…” 
The way this verse is written is not only interesting, it is informative.  Men are instructed to “in particular” so love their own wives as themselves. The point made is that we love ourselves by meeting our own needs as illustrated a few verses prior to this one. However, this does not mean that we love our wives by meeting the needs we think she should have. The use of the words “in particular” point out that to love her, we need to find out what her needs are. If we want our wives to feel loved unconditionally, we do that best by meeting each and every one of her particular needs. 
Jesus was once asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” which is another way of asking what is God’s primary need for us to be in good relationship with him. Jesus’ answer, found in Mark 12:30 was: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
Ultimately, it turns out, that God has two primary needs for our relationship with him to be in good standing: the need for respect, and the need for love. As finite beings, we can only put one thing in first place, so God gave to the man the primary need of respect, and to the woman, he gave primary need for love. I am not saying men don’t need love and women don’t need respect, certainly they do, but those are not their primary needs, especially during times of conflict. As a married couple, the oneness shared encompasses both of those primary needs and more comprehensively reflects the likeness of God.  Just to reinforce the concept that God is capable of placing two differing things in first place, take the example of the scripture above and the verses following it. Jesus was asked which of all of the commandments was most important to God. His reply; Love the Lord your God with all you have, and He said, the other that is equal to it…love others as yourself. Jesus ultimately made the point that all of the commandments were in first place because He said that if these two were accomplished all of the law would be kept. God can and does place differing things in first place at the same time.
Finally, I find it interesting that the disbursement of God’s primary needs of love and respect match up with his relational and compartmentalized thought processes gifted to both men and women. The scripture verses used in this entry illustrate that – the scripture used to convey God’s need for respect is a compartmentalized statement, while the scripture used to show his other primary need, love, is a relational statement. 
Questions to Answer:
1.	Men: What does your wife do that makes you feel most respected? What is one thing you wish she did that would make you feel more respected?  
2.	Women: What does your husband do that makes you feel most loved? What is one thing you wish he did that would make you feel more loved? 
Actions to Take: 
1.	Pray that God will help you recognize that when expressing your needs to your spouse, you are able to do that in His power, in both a respectful and loving way. 

So now, understanding that your differing primary needs are actually gifted to you so that the oneness you share can in yet another way reflect the image and likeness of God…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/75feedb1fad667fd6c405f9635a5f048.mp3" length="10765315" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/75feedb1fad667fd6c405f9635a5f048.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/we-need-different-things</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God You Said... - October 24, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[God You Said... - October 24, 2021
Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 9: 14 - 29. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[God You Said... - October 24, 2021
Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 9: 14 - 29. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services please visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[God You Said... - October 24, 2021
Thank you for Joining us this morning at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 9: 14 - 29. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services please visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/97a113d0657d91b254cb0c6716e56eaf.mp3" length="22803768" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/97a113d0657d91b254cb0c6716e56eaf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-you-said-october-24-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Firm Foundation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…a firm foundation.
A few days ago I was relaying a story from my teenage years to illustrate a point having to do with living our lives with an understanding that in Christ we stand on a firm...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…a firm foundation.
A few days ago I was relaying a story from my teenage years to illustrate a point having to do with living our lives with an understanding that in Christ we stand on a firm foundation. But we don’t always give that the recognition we should.
When I was in high school I lived in Western New York State. Our home was in a rural farming community just 6 miles from the shore of Lake Ontario, the eastern most of the great lakes. My youth group leader lived on the shore of the lake and in the summer time He and His wife would allow the entire youth group to descend on their property and picnic and go water skiing on the lake in front of their home. The shores of Lake Ontario are incredibly rocky and so boats are rarely launched from people’s homes to avoid striking the propellers on the stones in the often shallow waters near the shoreline. There, boats are usually launched from places expressly designated for that purpose. The boat launch nearest our youth group leaders home was several miles away. 
While we were all having fun skiing and hanging out in the boat one afternoon, a police boat came alongside and after a careful count decided we had one too many people for the size of the boat. Because I had already been skiing as well as wanting to look cool in front of the girls both in the boat and on shore, without asking anyone I announced I would swim to shore to keep from having to run the boat all the way back to the dock several miles away. Though shore was several hundred yards off, without any further discussion I jumped into the water and began swimming toward shore and the kids on the boat now within the prescribed capacity resumed water skiing.
I swam for what seemed an eternity and yet each time I looked up the shore though getting closer was still a long way off. I continued to swim until I felt that my arms would take me no further. Still being many hundreds of feet from shore I devised a plan while I swam what I believed were the last few strokes I could muster. My brilliant plan was that I would take a deep breath, sink to the bottom, rest my arms for about a minute and then kick up to the surface and continue swimming. That seemed like the only viable plan at the time still being so far from shore.
I took that deep breath, inhaling as much air as I could and prepared to sink to rest on the bottom. To my amazement and admittedly some embarrassment when I came to rest, feet firmly on the bottom of the lake I was standing barely waist deep in water! I had been swimming furiously and in an exhausted state probably for several minutes when I could have been comfortably walking on the bottom, my head safely above the water!
I knew the bottom of the lake existed when I jumped over the side of the boat and began swimming. I was aware it was there the whole time I was swimming. I knew it was firm and would be able to support me. I simply didn’t believe it to be so near me in my time of need and so I continued to fight forward under my own strength when it was completely unnecessary to do so. Sometimes I think this is our plight as Christ followers. We know Jesus is there, we even understand He has the ability to uphold us, but we fail to realize He is so close when we need Him and as a result we struggle under our own power far too long.
These days I am much older, and at least a little wiser, and I have not found myself jumping off of any boats la...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…a firm foundation.
A few days ago I was relaying a story from my teenage years to illustrate a point having to do with living our lives with an understanding that in Christ we stand on a firm foundation. But we don’t always give that the recognition we should.
When I was in high school I lived in Western New York State. Our home was in a rural farming community just 6 miles from the shore of Lake Ontario, the eastern most of the great lakes. My youth group leader lived on the shore of the lake and in the summer time He and His wife would allow the entire youth group to descend on their property and picnic and go water skiing on the lake in front of their home. The shores of Lake Ontario are incredibly rocky and so boats are rarely launched from people’s homes to avoid striking the propellers on the stones in the often shallow waters near the shoreline. There, boats are usually launched from places expressly designated for that purpose. The boat launch nearest our youth group leaders home was several miles away. 
While we were all having fun skiing and hanging out in the boat one afternoon, a police boat came alongside and after a careful count decided we had one too many people for the size of the boat. Because I had already been skiing as well as wanting to look cool in front of the girls both in the boat and on shore, without asking anyone I announced I would swim to shore to keep from having to run the boat all the way back to the dock several miles away. Though shore was several hundred yards off, without any further discussion I jumped into the water and began swimming toward shore and the kids on the boat now within the prescribed capacity resumed water skiing.
I swam for what seemed an eternity and yet each time I looked up the shore though getting closer was still a long way off. I continued to swim until I felt that my arms would take me no further. Still being many hundreds of feet from shore I devised a plan while I swam what I believed were the last few strokes I could muster. My brilliant plan was that I would take a deep breath, sink to the bottom, rest my arms for about a minute and then kick up to the surface and continue swimming. That seemed like the only viable plan at the time still being so far from shore.
I took that deep breath, inhaling as much air as I could and prepared to sink to rest on the bottom. To my amazement and admittedly some embarrassment when I came to rest, feet firmly on the bottom of the lake I was standing barely waist deep in water! I had been swimming furiously and in an exhausted state probably for several minutes when I could have been comfortably walking on the bottom, my head safely above the water!
I knew the bottom of the lake existed when I jumped over the side of the boat and began swimming. I was aware it was there the whole time I was swimming. I knew it was firm and would be able to support me. I simply didn’t believe it to be so near me in my time of need and so I continued to fight forward under my own strength when it was completely unnecessary to do so. Sometimes I think this is our plight as Christ followers. We know Jesus is there, we even understand He has the ability to uphold us, but we fail to realize He is so close when we need Him and as a result we struggle under our own power far too long.
These days I am much older, and at least a little wiser, and I have not found myself jumping off of any boats lately. I am sure that if I had not been so hasty to show off my strength and bravado, but rather had let the boat take me a little closer to shore, I could have easily walked on firm footing from the start. Sure there would be no story to tell all these years later, if only that were the case. When I look back at my walk with Jesus I can see that there have been a lot of unnecessary struggles. There have been too many times when I tried to do things in my own power when Jesus really wanted me to rely on Him and His power to see me through.
As a counselor, when I encounter people who are broken and hurting and yet still trying to manage their struggles as best they can, my heart breaks for them. Many times I know them to be honest Christ followers. They are aware that Christ is their rock and yet they are not expecting that He desires to be what supports and empowers them. Maybe they think God cares about the big stuff but not their problems. Maybe they are too embarrassed to bring their concerns to Him. Maybe they are ashamed that they are seemingly forever struggling with the same difficulties. Whatever the reason, we all at times don’t choose to rest on Christ our firm foundation soon enough.
Galatians 2:20 one of my favorite scriptures says; I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Christ wants us to live in victory over this life’s struggles, that is one of the reasons He came to die for us. As we learn to live in victory over sin and death, we should be experiencing the freedom that firm foundation of faith affords us. We can live victoriously in our families, our marriages and all of our other interpersonal relationships as we allow Christ to live through us. Jesus would not have any difficulty living at peace with any of those people we have so much trouble with. If that is true…and it is…then Christ living in us should be able to teach us to obtain the same result. What is the key? Recognizing that Christ lives in us, has the power to overcome and wants to teach us how to access that power in Him.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation) Jesus is your firm foundation, He wants to support you in all of life’s struggles, He wants to teach all of us how to act just like Him in every situation. We can’t do it on our own…we should know that by now. With man these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)
So now, recognizing that Christ is the firm ever present foundation and Jesus wants you to lean on Him to help you in all of your struggles, lean in close to Him…and Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c4ef9656f556ccbcdfddb4726b644330.mp3" length="9991587" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c4ef9656f556ccbcdfddb4726b644330.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-firm-foundation</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Losing The Right]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[His this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Losing The Right  
One of the things I tell each couple who comes to see me for pre-marital counseling is that on the day they are married they will have forever given up the right to think as...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[His this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Losing The Right  
One of the things I tell each couple who comes to see me for pre-marital counseling is that on the day they are married they will have forever given up the right to think as an individual. I understand when a person marries, they do not stop existing as an individual, but another individual is forever directly impacted by their choices from that day forward. 
A wedding day is a miraculous one. It is not the preacher, minister, court official or any other human being that marries people, God does. Jesus said in Matthew 19:6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” God is the one who does the marrying. If marriage is what Jesus has said it is, the taking of a man and a woman and making of them oneness, then marriage is a miracle. It is as we have said, a re-creation of the oneness enjoyed and experienced by Adam and Eve as they were in fact literally created one flesh. Miraculous indeed that the same would happen for us! 
That oneness is so thorough, so complete, so encompassing that the parts of the whole can no longer claim autonomy. While we have gained the privilege and the right to think as a husband or a wife, we have relinquished the right to think as an individual. It is not what we are any longer, and as such it is not a way we are free to continue to think. 
When I gave my life to the Lord, when I chose to follow Him with everything I have, I gave up my right to think like someone enslaved to sin. I am still capable of sinful thought, but I am not right to do so. Why? I belong to Christ. He is not enslaved to sin, therefore as one belonging to Him, I am not within my rights to be enslaved to sin.  
It is much the same when we allow ourselves to be joined with one another in marriage. If I am married, then I am married 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. There is no time allotted for singleness. I am now a part of something greater than myself so I can no longer consider only myself. 
God’s word actually speaks to this very thing. We will look at this scripture in later podcasts in greater depth but I use it today to illustrate this biblical truth: 1 Corinthians 7:4 says; The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. When you are at work you don’t think like an individual, you think like an employee, someone responsible to the employer who is counting on you. If you are an employer, you don’t think like an individual, you think like someone who has employees who count on you. If you play on a softball team or a bowling league or some other team sport, you don’t think like an individual, you think like a team player when you are in the game. When we are at work or on a team we have to answer to more than ourselves. This scripture points out it is the same in marriage. I am responsible to my wife; she is responsible to me. I cannot afford to consider myself…only…ever…it will make me a poor husband. Likewise, she would be a poor wife if she only considered herself and not us. 
I know a lot of people take issue with this and other scriptures like it. While I may be the one offering this podcast, the scriptures come from God’s word. We can take issue with a particular concept in God’s word…but not without taking issue with God. It is not God’s responsibility...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[His this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Losing The Right  
One of the things I tell each couple who comes to see me for pre-marital counseling is that on the day they are married they will have forever given up the right to think as an individual. I understand when a person marries, they do not stop existing as an individual, but another individual is forever directly impacted by their choices from that day forward. 
A wedding day is a miraculous one. It is not the preacher, minister, court official or any other human being that marries people, God does. Jesus said in Matthew 19:6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” God is the one who does the marrying. If marriage is what Jesus has said it is, the taking of a man and a woman and making of them oneness, then marriage is a miracle. It is as we have said, a re-creation of the oneness enjoyed and experienced by Adam and Eve as they were in fact literally created one flesh. Miraculous indeed that the same would happen for us! 
That oneness is so thorough, so complete, so encompassing that the parts of the whole can no longer claim autonomy. While we have gained the privilege and the right to think as a husband or a wife, we have relinquished the right to think as an individual. It is not what we are any longer, and as such it is not a way we are free to continue to think. 
When I gave my life to the Lord, when I chose to follow Him with everything I have, I gave up my right to think like someone enslaved to sin. I am still capable of sinful thought, but I am not right to do so. Why? I belong to Christ. He is not enslaved to sin, therefore as one belonging to Him, I am not within my rights to be enslaved to sin.  
It is much the same when we allow ourselves to be joined with one another in marriage. If I am married, then I am married 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. There is no time allotted for singleness. I am now a part of something greater than myself so I can no longer consider only myself. 
God’s word actually speaks to this very thing. We will look at this scripture in later podcasts in greater depth but I use it today to illustrate this biblical truth: 1 Corinthians 7:4 says; The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. When you are at work you don’t think like an individual, you think like an employee, someone responsible to the employer who is counting on you. If you are an employer, you don’t think like an individual, you think like someone who has employees who count on you. If you play on a softball team or a bowling league or some other team sport, you don’t think like an individual, you think like a team player when you are in the game. When we are at work or on a team we have to answer to more than ourselves. This scripture points out it is the same in marriage. I am responsible to my wife; she is responsible to me. I cannot afford to consider myself…only…ever…it will make me a poor husband. Likewise, she would be a poor wife if she only considered herself and not us. 
I know a lot of people take issue with this and other scriptures like it. While I may be the one offering this podcast, the scriptures come from God’s word. We can take issue with a particular concept in God’s word…but not without taking issue with God. It is not God’s responsibility to get His word in line with our thinking on marriage, it is our responsibility to get our thinking on marriage in line with His word. I will give you time to reflect on the entirety of this scripture, it will be a few more weeks yet before I dive deeper into its meaning. For the purposes of today’s discussion, I use it only to illustrate that as husbands and wives we are responsible to consider our spouse in everything. It would be my hope that if this is not already your practice, that you learn to run every thought, every decision through the filter of: “How will this affect my spouse?”  If we as married couples would learn to do that better and more often, many of the marital difficulties I deal with every day in my office would be dealt with by making the best decision in the first place. 
Satan has three jobs, they are noted for us in scripture…kill, steal, and destroy. Nothing will kill, steal or destroy the peace and joy in your marriage like selfishness. Your marriage is about two being one, and selfishness sucks the air out of the room marriage is designed to thrive in. It creates an atmosphere that will not support the life of a marriage. That is precisely why the enemy tries so hard to make us resistant to giving up our autonomy…because autonomy makes us selfish and selfish makes us single…at least in our minds. 
Questions to answer: 
1.	Do you think you have the right to think as an individual though you are married? 
2.	Do your decisions back up your answer to the question above? 
3.	What are your gut reactions to scriptures like 1 Corinthians 7:4? 
4.	In what ways have you still been thinking as an individual? 
5.	In what ways have you been doing a good job thinking like a husband or a wife? 
Actions to take: 
1.	Talk with your spouse about checks and balances the two of you can enact that will keep you thinking as a husband and wife and not as an individual. 
2.	If you need to seek forgiveness from your spouse for being selfish instead of selfless…do that now. 
3.	Ask God to keep you reminded of the oneness you share with your spouse and to help you be protective of it so that the enemy can’t easily steal, kill, or destroy your marital peace and joy.  
So now, recognizing you are not alone, and unable to afford to think and act as if you were…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a2dd5940348a7e1d79425c2d0b4cb4cb.mp3" length="9215323" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a2dd5940348a7e1d79425c2d0b4cb4cb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/losing-the-right</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:41:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Autumn Leaves]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Autumn Leaves
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) …God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart… 
I love to see spring bursting forth. After the short s...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Autumn Leaves
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) …God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart… 
I love to see spring bursting forth. After the short stark winter days, spring is filled with the promise of things to come. Everything is new in the spring. New flowers, new growth, new leaves. Summer is awesome too! The warmth takes hold, and while present, seems as though it will never end. The natural greenness of the outdoors comes into its fullness. The days are as long as they will be all year, and we are able to spend the long hot afternoons cooled by the shade of the deep green leaves of the tree limbs swaying above. Autumn is the anomaly when it comes to the leaves. In the spring and summer the leaves are green as one would expect. Leaves are thought to be for the most part, supposed to be green. Some shade of green are most leaves natural color. In the fall however the beautiful deviation takes place. The leaves turn all manner of colors and then fall away as if bowing facedown to the ground.
This past weekend our family was spending the morning together and having a wonderful time. We were outside, sitting and talking and enjoying sweet pumpkin doughnuts and coffee as we manned a family yard sale in the driveway of our home. As we talked and enjoyed the time together, some of our grandchildren were playing in the front yard running through, and kicking up the leaves that were falling prematurely from our old maple tree. As I sat amidst it all, I watched the falling leaves and thought about how they resembled our walk with the Lord.
In the natural we are who we are. We act as we will. We think we know what is right, we feel secure in being who we are, doing our ‘own’ thing…all the while actually looking like every other person around us. Everyone has their own ‘brand’, but a selfish person living a life that is designed to suit them, ultimately looks like every other selfish person doing selfish things. We think we are making our ‘mark’ on the world but as Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, in the end, no matter what our ‘brand’ looked like, no matter what ‘mark’ we made, it all ends up looking the same. Kind of like the summer leaves. When you look closely at them you may see some small differences, but step back just a few feet and they are all described the same way. Green.
Ah, but in the Autumn…it all changes. As the leaves are impacted by the weather their colors morph and they become more and more interesting and beautiful. They are still on the trees in their natural position except now their colors are radiant and amazing! Kind of like what happens to us as people when we are impacted by the incredible love of Jesus. As we consider His awesome vision for our lives, His amazing desire to make us more, and we submit to His Lordship…everything changes. He takes the ordinary condition of selfishness and transforms it into the extraordinary beauty of selflessness. He changes us from the inside out and slowly we begin to resemble Him. In our natural state we can only look one dimensional…sinful. But in our intended state, we are given through the transformational empowerment of Jesus the ability to look like Him…righteous. We become beautiful like the autumn leaves.
Those falling leaves didn’t escape my attention either. As I said earlier, they were falling as if to bow face down on the ground. Philippians 2:9-11 in the New Ki...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Autumn Leaves
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) …God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart… 
I love to see spring bursting forth. After the short stark winter days, spring is filled with the promise of things to come. Everything is new in the spring. New flowers, new growth, new leaves. Summer is awesome too! The warmth takes hold, and while present, seems as though it will never end. The natural greenness of the outdoors comes into its fullness. The days are as long as they will be all year, and we are able to spend the long hot afternoons cooled by the shade of the deep green leaves of the tree limbs swaying above. Autumn is the anomaly when it comes to the leaves. In the spring and summer the leaves are green as one would expect. Leaves are thought to be for the most part, supposed to be green. Some shade of green are most leaves natural color. In the fall however the beautiful deviation takes place. The leaves turn all manner of colors and then fall away as if bowing facedown to the ground.
This past weekend our family was spending the morning together and having a wonderful time. We were outside, sitting and talking and enjoying sweet pumpkin doughnuts and coffee as we manned a family yard sale in the driveway of our home. As we talked and enjoyed the time together, some of our grandchildren were playing in the front yard running through, and kicking up the leaves that were falling prematurely from our old maple tree. As I sat amidst it all, I watched the falling leaves and thought about how they resembled our walk with the Lord.
In the natural we are who we are. We act as we will. We think we know what is right, we feel secure in being who we are, doing our ‘own’ thing…all the while actually looking like every other person around us. Everyone has their own ‘brand’, but a selfish person living a life that is designed to suit them, ultimately looks like every other selfish person doing selfish things. We think we are making our ‘mark’ on the world but as Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, in the end, no matter what our ‘brand’ looked like, no matter what ‘mark’ we made, it all ends up looking the same. Kind of like the summer leaves. When you look closely at them you may see some small differences, but step back just a few feet and they are all described the same way. Green.
Ah, but in the Autumn…it all changes. As the leaves are impacted by the weather their colors morph and they become more and more interesting and beautiful. They are still on the trees in their natural position except now their colors are radiant and amazing! Kind of like what happens to us as people when we are impacted by the incredible love of Jesus. As we consider His awesome vision for our lives, His amazing desire to make us more, and we submit to His Lordship…everything changes. He takes the ordinary condition of selfishness and transforms it into the extraordinary beauty of selflessness. He changes us from the inside out and slowly we begin to resemble Him. In our natural state we can only look one dimensional…sinful. But in our intended state, we are given through the transformational empowerment of Jesus the ability to look like Him…righteous. We become beautiful like the autumn leaves.
Those falling leaves didn’t escape my attention either. As I said earlier, they were falling as if to bow face down on the ground. Philippians 2:9-11 in the New King James Version says; Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Someday, just as every leaf must fall from the tree admitting that Autumn has come, every knee will be compelled to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord. 
Those leaves my grandchildren were finding joy in last weekend had fallen early. None of the leaves yet to fall were bringing them such pleasure…only the ones that had seemingly done so ahead of time as if by their own accord. The impact of that was not lost on me either. I thought of the joy our Lord experiences when we bow to Him with our lives before it is required of us. As I watched those children with smiles on their faces and squeals of delight escaping their lips playing gleefully among the leaves that had seemingly decided to fall early, I knew it was nothing compared to the joy in heaven expressed when each one of us decides to bow to the Lordship of Jesus! Luke 15:10 says as much. In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
What an awesome God we serve! He loves us so much that He desires to remind us of it in everything. Even to this aging Papa as He watches his grandchildren playing in the leaves. Even the simplest things reveal the complexity of His unending love!
So now, expecting to see His great love being showered on you like so many leaves falling from the trees…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dda09b4315b2d7bf71658a3208d87b06.mp3" length="8476659" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dda09b4315b2d7bf71658a3208d87b06.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/autumn-leaves</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Differences That Divide - Part Three]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Differences That Divide - Part Three This is the third part of a Three-part series and so if you have not listened to parts one and two I would strongly encourage you to do that before listening...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Differences That Divide - Part Three This is the third part of a Three-part series and so if you have not listened to parts one and two I would strongly encourage you to do that before listening to this edition. 
For the past two weeks I have been talking about the differences between the way a man thinks (compartmentally) and the way a woman thinks (relationally). Today I want to delve into why God did this. As I said, though we think as men and women, husbands and wives, and we do almost certainly amuse God regularly, I don’t believe that He created us with these particular differences to amuse Himself or to frustrate us. 
Remember back in Genesis 1:26 we read; Then God said “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness… and then in verse 27, So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. You’ll also remember that I spoke about the fact that God couldn’t get all of His varied attributes and characteristics into one gender, so He created two genders as one flesh so that their oneness would be reflective of Him. Then He made provision for that oneness to be re-created throughout history through a mystery (or a miracle really) called marriage. 
Since we know what the plan is, to create one thing out of two so that it might reflect Him, we can deduce that when there is a difference that follows gender lines, it likely exists because God has duality of that particular characteristic or attribute. Accepting that premise, we can then look for evidence that He thinks both compartmentally and relationally.  
How do we know what God thinks? We simply look to His word. What evidence do I have then that God thinks compartmentally? We can find that relatively easily, we just have to turn in our bibles all the way to…the first verse! Genesis 1:1 says; In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is a compartmentalized idea. It is simply a statement of fact. Though the scope of the content is immeasurable, the concept is singular. It doesn’t mean anything more than it says. It does not lead to anything; it does not allude to anything not covered in the statement…it is compartmentalized. It was written by Moses but if we believe the bible to be true 2 Timothy 3:16 makes it clear that though Moses may have scribed it, God’s Holy Spirit spoke it. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Therefore, this first verse written in God’s word comes from the mind of God. It is one of His thoughts recorded in written form. I could literally go on for days citing scriptures that display God’s compartmentalized thinking, but I will leave some of that research up to you. I do suggest as you are becoming aware of this information, that as you read God’s word look to see if what you are reading seems compartmental in nature or is more of a relational thought of God’s. Speaking of the relational side of God’s thinking, I chose another well-known scripture to illustrate this aspect of God’s thoughts. John 3:16 does a good job of illustrating relational thought. I will break the verse down into its individual relational concepts to show this clearly: 
•	1st - For God so loved the world 
•	2nd - That He gave His only begotten Son 
•	3rd - That whoever believes in Him 
•	4th - Should not perish 
•	5th - But have everlas...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Differences That Divide - Part Three This is the third part of a Three-part series and so if you have not listened to parts one and two I would strongly encourage you to do that before listening to this edition. 
For the past two weeks I have been talking about the differences between the way a man thinks (compartmentally) and the way a woman thinks (relationally). Today I want to delve into why God did this. As I said, though we think as men and women, husbands and wives, and we do almost certainly amuse God regularly, I don’t believe that He created us with these particular differences to amuse Himself or to frustrate us. 
Remember back in Genesis 1:26 we read; Then God said “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness… and then in verse 27, So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. You’ll also remember that I spoke about the fact that God couldn’t get all of His varied attributes and characteristics into one gender, so He created two genders as one flesh so that their oneness would be reflective of Him. Then He made provision for that oneness to be re-created throughout history through a mystery (or a miracle really) called marriage. 
Since we know what the plan is, to create one thing out of two so that it might reflect Him, we can deduce that when there is a difference that follows gender lines, it likely exists because God has duality of that particular characteristic or attribute. Accepting that premise, we can then look for evidence that He thinks both compartmentally and relationally.  
How do we know what God thinks? We simply look to His word. What evidence do I have then that God thinks compartmentally? We can find that relatively easily, we just have to turn in our bibles all the way to…the first verse! Genesis 1:1 says; In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is a compartmentalized idea. It is simply a statement of fact. Though the scope of the content is immeasurable, the concept is singular. It doesn’t mean anything more than it says. It does not lead to anything; it does not allude to anything not covered in the statement…it is compartmentalized. It was written by Moses but if we believe the bible to be true 2 Timothy 3:16 makes it clear that though Moses may have scribed it, God’s Holy Spirit spoke it. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Therefore, this first verse written in God’s word comes from the mind of God. It is one of His thoughts recorded in written form. I could literally go on for days citing scriptures that display God’s compartmentalized thinking, but I will leave some of that research up to you. I do suggest as you are becoming aware of this information, that as you read God’s word look to see if what you are reading seems compartmental in nature or is more of a relational thought of God’s. Speaking of the relational side of God’s thinking, I chose another well-known scripture to illustrate this aspect of God’s thoughts. John 3:16 does a good job of illustrating relational thought. I will break the verse down into its individual relational concepts to show this clearly: 
•	1st - For God so loved the world 
•	2nd - That He gave His only begotten Son 
•	3rd - That whoever believes in Him 
•	4th - Should not perish 
•	5th - But have everlasting life 
This verse is relational on five levels and clearly comes from the mind of God. God thinks compartmentally and relationally…or for you ladies He thinks relationally and compartmentally. God thinks both ways! As I have looked closely at scripture I have come to believe that He thinks both ways all the time. There have been many times when I have shared a scripture with my wife, pointing out to her the compartmentalized view of it, and then she has then shared with me the relational meaning in it that I didn’t even see or consider because I was viewing it from my natural compartmentalized mindset. 
It quickly becomes evident when you look for it that God does demonstrate in scripture that He uses both processes of thought. With that in mind, and understanding that the two kinds of thinking are so different from one another, arguably opposites of each other, it becomes clear why we as humans are not able to possess both ways of thinking. It is easy to see why God created men to think one way while He created women to think the other. By doing this and then joining us in marriage, our resulting oneness possesses both kinds of thought. You’ll recall that in the scripture we reflected on a few weeks ago from Malachi, God referred to marriage as a covenant. In the Old Testament one of the effects of two people entering into covenant with each other was that what one possessed the other now possessed…right down to a birthright. We see this clearly illustrated in the story of King David. David, while still a young boy, was a friend of King Saul’s son Jonathan. David and Jonathan joined themselves to one another in a covenant. While the outcome was not the intent of either boy at the time, it is interesting that God honored the covenant even beyond the participant’s considerations. Jonathan was the king’s son, heir to the throne…but it was David who became King after Saul. Make no mistake, God cares about covenant.  
As compartmental and relational thinkers, when we are joined in the covenant of marriage, our oneness now makes us each possessors of both kinds of thinking. I don’t get to actually think relationally in my mind, my wife keeps that process in her pretty head, as I keep our compartmentalized thought in my not-so-pretty one. As one flesh however, we each possess and have access to both processes. Proverbs 31 speaks to this. Proverbs 31:10,11 reads as follows: Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. This scripture points out the need to consult one another to arrive at complete thought. It basically states that the husband who considers his wife’s thoughts on a matter will make decisions that will turn out well for the entire family. It was recorded in this direction only because at the time it was written, men made all the decisions. Because women do make decisions for the marriage and the family today, I don’t think God would be upset with us for reading it in reverse. Who can find a virtuous husband? For his worth is far above rubies. The heart of his wife safely trusts him; so she will have no lack of gain.  
Essentially, God is saying here that we should consult each other if we want to make good decisions. He utilizes both processes of thought and His word tells us He is wise, in fact, that He is wisdom. We can then conclude that the two ingredients of wisdom are compartmentalized thought and relational thought. So if we want to make wise decisions, God is making sure we see the necessity and the value of consulting one another. 
I contend that a husband can achieve intelligent thought all on his own. A wife can also achieve intelligent thought all on her own. Wisdom however, can only be attained when both processes of thought are considered…and utilized in the final decision. 
Questions to Answer: 
1.	What are some of the best decisions that have been made in your marriage? Were they the product of both of your thoughts on that particular subject?  
2.	How do you think these past few podcasts have changed your view of your spouse’s thoughts? 
3.	When you believe you are right about an issue you and your spouse are facing, are you open to differing thoughts without the inclination to discard one of them as incorrect? 
4.	Are you open to the idea that the two of you can differ greatly in your thinking on a particular matter and both of you can in fact be right? 
Actions to Take: 
1.	As you read scripture, try to decide if what you are reading is compartmental like we see in Genesis 1:1 or if it is relational as we see in John 3:16. Get into the practice of sharing your thoughts from God’s word.  There is much to be gleaned from seeing scriptures from your spouse’s way of thinking.  
2.	Talk together about the idea of each of you having different ways of looking at things and the value that can bring to your corporate decision making process. 
3.	Discuss some practical things the two of you can do to make sure that both of your lines of thought have been considered when making decisions of importance. 
4.	Decide what the two of you consider a decision of importance to be. Put some measurable parameters in place to help you know what decisions should not be made in your marriage without having time to discuss both ways of thinking before the decision is completed. 
So now, understanding that God created you to think differently so that together you might better reflect His thinking and more readily arrive at wise decisions that will bless the two of you, consult one another regularly and Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4d2d7f565f907d4092d708ac170b380d.mp3" length="14152625" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4d2d7f565f907d4092d708ac170b380d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/differences-that-divide-part-three</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 11 Oct 2021 08:06:19 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:49</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pick Up Your Cross - October 10, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 34- 9 : 1 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit cro...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 34- 9 : 1 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 34- 9 : 1 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f2f9178726f8a870389e9dd445af81ab.mp3" length="21914100" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f2f9178726f8a870389e9dd445af81ab.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/pick-up-your-cross-october-10-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Ever Present Thief]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The ever present thief.
Americans spend a lot of money making sure they don’t get robbed, Last year we spent an estimated 20.64 Billion dollars to keep our homes safe from thieves. That doesn...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The ever present thief.
Americans spend a lot of money making sure they don’t get robbed, Last year we spent an estimated 20.64 Billion dollars to keep our homes safe from thieves. That doesn’t include the astronomically higher amount spent by businesses across the land to keep their assets safe. We put up security cameras, motion detectors, window and door alarms, and pay monthly fees to services to monitor all of it while we sleep or are away from our homes. I can pull out my cell phone anywhere on the planet and see who is at my front door, in my back yard, or anywhere else on my property in real time. These measures are just to keep our homes safe from intrusion. Additionally, we use ever changing passwords and encryption so that we can do our banking, keep up with our investments, and check our e-mail on the go. We utilize fingerprint and facial recognition to keep our phones and other devices secure from those who would seek to steal our information, and we purchase wallets made of special materials to keep the RFID chips embedded in our bank cards secure. These are just a few of the steps we take to keep ourselves from being stolen from. Yet, we do little to keep ourselves secure from the most prominent thief that exists.
The most successful thief is ever present. Always there, always ready to steal from us. We recognize it when it has been successful, but it is so good at its craft that we are often inept to catch it before it has met its goal. If only there were some system that could be put in place, some measure that could be taken to keep us safe.
So what is this thief I speak of? What can literally steal our peace, our friendships, our families, our marriages? What is this thief’s name that is capable of causing us to lose our very lives? Selfishness. Selfishness will cause us to lose all of the things I listed and more, those were just some of the most important I could think of.
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes chapter four how selfishness steals contentment from people. He saw that even “good people” are affected by it. They might be hardworking productive members of society, but if they are always working to obtain more, they are never able to be content and enjoy what they have. Selfishness has stolen their joy, peace, rest and contentment.
Paul wrote about selfishness in several of his letters. To the Corinthians, Galatians and Philippians he wrote of his concern that selfishness might be stealing from them. He tried to help them understand that most concerning of all, selfishness, had the potential to steal even their good relationship with Jesus. To the Philippians he offered the antidote to this ever present thief. In chapter two of his letter to them he wrote saying; Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness? If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose. When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. ... (NCV)
Humility and selflessness are the strongest security systems available and are guaranteed to be 100 percent effective against this terrible thief. Mathew 16:24-26 records; Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, an...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The ever present thief.
Americans spend a lot of money making sure they don’t get robbed, Last year we spent an estimated 20.64 Billion dollars to keep our homes safe from thieves. That doesn’t include the astronomically higher amount spent by businesses across the land to keep their assets safe. We put up security cameras, motion detectors, window and door alarms, and pay monthly fees to services to monitor all of it while we sleep or are away from our homes. I can pull out my cell phone anywhere on the planet and see who is at my front door, in my back yard, or anywhere else on my property in real time. These measures are just to keep our homes safe from intrusion. Additionally, we use ever changing passwords and encryption so that we can do our banking, keep up with our investments, and check our e-mail on the go. We utilize fingerprint and facial recognition to keep our phones and other devices secure from those who would seek to steal our information, and we purchase wallets made of special materials to keep the RFID chips embedded in our bank cards secure. These are just a few of the steps we take to keep ourselves from being stolen from. Yet, we do little to keep ourselves secure from the most prominent thief that exists.
The most successful thief is ever present. Always there, always ready to steal from us. We recognize it when it has been successful, but it is so good at its craft that we are often inept to catch it before it has met its goal. If only there were some system that could be put in place, some measure that could be taken to keep us safe.
So what is this thief I speak of? What can literally steal our peace, our friendships, our families, our marriages? What is this thief’s name that is capable of causing us to lose our very lives? Selfishness. Selfishness will cause us to lose all of the things I listed and more, those were just some of the most important I could think of.
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes chapter four how selfishness steals contentment from people. He saw that even “good people” are affected by it. They might be hardworking productive members of society, but if they are always working to obtain more, they are never able to be content and enjoy what they have. Selfishness has stolen their joy, peace, rest and contentment.
Paul wrote about selfishness in several of his letters. To the Corinthians, Galatians and Philippians he wrote of his concern that selfishness might be stealing from them. He tried to help them understand that most concerning of all, selfishness, had the potential to steal even their good relationship with Jesus. To the Philippians he offered the antidote to this ever present thief. In chapter two of his letter to them he wrote saying; Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness? If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose. When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. ... (NCV)
Humility and selflessness are the strongest security systems available and are guaranteed to be 100 percent effective against this terrible thief. Mathew 16:24-26 records; Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Jesus was clear, selfishness, wanting what we want and being willing to do what is necessary to have it, will even steal our ability to have eternal security with God. He said that if we desire a healthy relationship with Him, we have to deny ourselves. That is the definition of selflessness which is the only security measure 100% effective at protecting ourselves from selfishness.
As to the other things that can be stolen, think of the last time you had a poor interaction with your spouse, your family or friends. Were you putting them first? Were you as Paul instructed in Romans 12:10 preferring them? Or is it more likely that you had a preferred outcome and you were willing to selfishly sacrifice peace in the relationship in order to have what you wanted? Selfishness has stolen from all of us and will continue to steal from you until you activate the only effective firewall, selflessness. And a relationship with Jesus is the only way to have access to an ample supply of it. James 4:7, &10 says; Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 
Selfishness seeks to take everything, on the other hand the selflessness that results from a growing life in Christ’s love for us gives and gives and gives. It is only when we begin to understand what it means to give our life away to Him that we begin to experience the abundant life He replaces it with. Want to put a stop to the most prolific thief in history? Press into Jesus and enjoy the experience as His selflessness flows through you.
So now, practicing selflessness and stopping the thief in his tracks…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a7101132e44f67ee46e9dd01625d0a08.mp3" length="8882325" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a7101132e44f67ee46e9dd01625d0a08.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-ever-present-thief</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:10</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Differences That Divide - Part Two]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Differences That Divide - Part Two This is part two of a three-part series looking at how we think differently as men and women, husbands and wives, and why God created us to do so. If you have...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Differences That Divide - Part Two This is part two of a three-part series looking at how we think differently as men and women, husbands and wives, and why God created us to do so. If you have not listened to last week’s podcast, Differences That Divide – Part One, I encourage you to do so before you listen to this edition.
Last week we talked about how men think compartmentally. Today we will look at what it means that a woman thinks relationally. Let me start by saying that while I believe that every man since Adam has been created a compartmentalized thinker and every woman created since Eve is a relational thinker, there is a scale. What I mean by that is that although all men are compartmentalized in their thinking, some are more so than others. All women are created relational thinkers but some are more so than others. These scales are not a scale of completeness or correctness. Being more or less so of either is not more right or less right. I am incredibly compartmentalized…that does not make me faster, better, or smarter than my less compartmentalized male counterparts. We are all individuals and as such fall somewhere on the continuum of being more or less compartmentalized or relational in our thinking. 
As we look today at the special way women were designed to think, I offer the analogy of a spider web. No, I don’t think of women as arachnids, and I’m not saying women have cobwebs in their heads. What I am saying is that a spider’s web has many characteristics that make it a good analogy. If you have ever seen a spider’s web you have undoubtedly noticed that it is made from many different strands of silk, each of which are all interconnected. If an insect enters and gets caught in the web it sends vibrations out throughout the web because a movement in one area creates vibrations throughout the entire web. No matter where the web is affected by the intruding future meal, the spider knows which direction to travel to get to it, and a plethora of other information based on the impact with the web. The female thought process is much the same. In relational thinking, everything matters to everything else. Nothing happens that does not have an effect on everything else. “It is what it is” is a statement that women understand but it takes a man’s compartmentalized thinking to be comfortable with. Men can understand the sentence “You can’t change one thing without changing everything” but women with their relational thinking are far more comfortable with the accuracy of the statement. 
In relational thinking every thought creates a related thought, which creates a related thought, which creates a related thought, which creates…and so on. Some of the strengths of relational thinking include a woman’s ability to multi-task and a thing we call ‘women’s intuition’. That skill, it turns out, isn’t witchcraft, but rather a subconscious, instantaneous weighing out of all of the variables of a given set of options resulting in an indefensible knowledge of which choice has the higher probability of success. I say indefensible because she doesn’t necessarily know why or how she knows…she just knows…call it women’s intuition…it’s a thing. 
One of the weaknesses of relational thinking is that when under stress it tends to speak in extremes. This is happening, men, when you hear statements such as “You never…take out the trash” or “You always…treat me unfairly” coming from your...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Differences That Divide - Part Two This is part two of a three-part series looking at how we think differently as men and women, husbands and wives, and why God created us to do so. If you have not listened to last week’s podcast, Differences That Divide – Part One, I encourage you to do so before you listen to this edition.
Last week we talked about how men think compartmentally. Today we will look at what it means that a woman thinks relationally. Let me start by saying that while I believe that every man since Adam has been created a compartmentalized thinker and every woman created since Eve is a relational thinker, there is a scale. What I mean by that is that although all men are compartmentalized in their thinking, some are more so than others. All women are created relational thinkers but some are more so than others. These scales are not a scale of completeness or correctness. Being more or less so of either is not more right or less right. I am incredibly compartmentalized…that does not make me faster, better, or smarter than my less compartmentalized male counterparts. We are all individuals and as such fall somewhere on the continuum of being more or less compartmentalized or relational in our thinking. 
As we look today at the special way women were designed to think, I offer the analogy of a spider web. No, I don’t think of women as arachnids, and I’m not saying women have cobwebs in their heads. What I am saying is that a spider’s web has many characteristics that make it a good analogy. If you have ever seen a spider’s web you have undoubtedly noticed that it is made from many different strands of silk, each of which are all interconnected. If an insect enters and gets caught in the web it sends vibrations out throughout the web because a movement in one area creates vibrations throughout the entire web. No matter where the web is affected by the intruding future meal, the spider knows which direction to travel to get to it, and a plethora of other information based on the impact with the web. The female thought process is much the same. In relational thinking, everything matters to everything else. Nothing happens that does not have an effect on everything else. “It is what it is” is a statement that women understand but it takes a man’s compartmentalized thinking to be comfortable with. Men can understand the sentence “You can’t change one thing without changing everything” but women with their relational thinking are far more comfortable with the accuracy of the statement. 
In relational thinking every thought creates a related thought, which creates a related thought, which creates a related thought, which creates…and so on. Some of the strengths of relational thinking include a woman’s ability to multi-task and a thing we call ‘women’s intuition’. That skill, it turns out, isn’t witchcraft, but rather a subconscious, instantaneous weighing out of all of the variables of a given set of options resulting in an indefensible knowledge of which choice has the higher probability of success. I say indefensible because she doesn’t necessarily know why or how she knows…she just knows…call it women’s intuition…it’s a thing. 
One of the weaknesses of relational thinking is that when under stress it tends to speak in extremes. This is happening, men, when you hear statements such as “You never…take out the trash” or “You always…treat me unfairly” coming from your wife. She knows cognitively that these statements are inaccurate, but they are a product of her relational thinking and she is somewhat helpless to stop using them. They are the result of all of the times the situation has occurred in the past being brought to memory unsolicited, and connected to the current scenario. When this happens it is best to not try to make her agree with you and admit to being inaccurate. The best course of action, men, is to recognize that this statement identifies underlying stress, and move meet the needs that will reduce her stress. 
As men and women we each utilize these different processes of thinking. That is as it is designed to be and is not a problem for you to correct. The problem comes because we do not appreciate the difference, much less celebrate it! All of us believe we are right to think the way we do. It is natural to us. We were created to think in our way, and we trust our way of thinking to help us rightly decipher any circumstances we encounter. The real difficulty arises when we, believing ourselves to be right, discount our spouse’s thoughts as wrong simply because they differ from ours. Differing thoughts do not dictate that one must be wrong and the other right. Each can be and often are right…just different. His thoughts are usually right compartmentally speaking, while hers are also right from a relational point of view. So other than recognizing the value of both ways of thinking (though that alone is usually a huge improvement over the alternative) how should we respond to this difference? Short answer…celebrate it! Celebrating this difference is impossible without an understanding of why we are celebrating. Knowing there is a difference is not enough. Knowing that neither of you has to be wrong, and that in fact, you are likely both right, is not enough. Those are good steps to take in terms of resolving your differences, but we need more for a celebration to break out. Next week we will look at why God created us with these differences in thought processes. I hope to show you that it is not some celestial joke that is being played on us for God’s amusement, though I think He probably is often amused by us and how we interact with one another as husbands and wives. When we have a greater understanding of the overall plan, it is easier to get excited as we see that it is through the difference that the plan comes together. 
Psalm 139:13,14 say; For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. One of the reasons we trust that we are right to think as we do is because scriptures like this give us assurances that the way were created was not by chance, but with wonderful intentionality. As you read passages such as the one above, consider this; this same scripture that makes you secure that you have been made exactly as God wanted you to be made, gives your incredibly differing spouse the same confidence about themselves…and you are both correct to think so. 
Questions to Answer: 
1. Do you recognize the relational thinking? (Wife) 
2. What are some examples you can each come up with of her relational thinking? 
3. Wives – What things do you think are personal strengths and weaknesses of your own relational thinking. 
4. Husbands – What things do you see that your wife does that are personal strengths and weaknesses of her specific relational thinking? 
Actions to Take: 
1.	Thank God that He saw fit to give the wife relational thinking. Ask Him to help each of you see it as a gift and not as something requiring change

So now, accepting the fact that you were both created individually, to think differently…Go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5510ef88bb7c374d78e65f41d4deb9c6.mp3" length="11055799" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5510ef88bb7c374d78e65f41d4deb9c6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/differences-that-divide-part-two</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:40</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Who Do You Say I Am - October 3, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 27-33 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossro...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 27-33 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

- Mark 8 : 27-29
27Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”
28So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
29He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”


- Romans 10 : 9-13
9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

- I Corinthians 12 : 13-14
13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14For in fact the body is not one member but many.

- Mark 8 : 30-33
30Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

- Acts 15 : 28-29
28For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.

- Presentation Do You Know Who I Am]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 27-33 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

- Mark 8 : 27-29
27Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”
28So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
29He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”


- Romans 10 : 9-13
9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

- I Corinthians 12 : 13-14
13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14For in fact the body is not one member but many.

- Mark 8 : 30-33
30Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

- Acts 15 : 28-29
28For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.

- Presentation Do You Know Who I Am]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c049efc31e011d4482d330838add2a65.mp3" length="39921253" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c049efc31e011d4482d330838add2a65.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/who-do-you-say-i-am-october-3-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:10:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What Are You Afraid Of?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What are you afraid of?
In his first of four inauguration speeches, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the following famous statement; “The only thing we have to fear…is fear itself.” W...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What are you afraid of?
In his first of four inauguration speeches, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the following famous statement; “The only thing we have to fear…is fear itself.” While that was to become one of the defining things that president said, and is perhaps the most quoted of his comments, it was unable to wipe fear away.
In my day to day work I sit with people who share with me their fears. Fears that they will never be loved again. Fears that they are unlovable. Fears that they will never have the marriage they thought they could when they first married. Fears that the latest difficulty in their lives will be too great to handle. Fears that they cannot please God. Some even express a fear that they will be alone forever.
Societally, there are additional things that people find themselves afraid of. There is the current pandemic. Fear that the country is headed in the wrong direction. Fear that people are becoming more divided and not less so. Of course this is a very short list of the things available to us to incite some level of fear.
God’s word has some interesting things to say about fear. Isaiah 41:10 says Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Of all of the fears that I talk with people about it seems that they are most afraid of having to face whatever difficulty they may be experiencing, alone. What they cannot fathom is having the wherewithal to stand up to whatever their fear is without someone supporting them. 
Sometimes I find that people are afraid of standing alone in a crowd. What I mean by that is, they know the right thing to do in a certain situation, but they are afraid because they think they will be the only one in their family, or among their co-workers, or even their friends willing to take that stance. God says clearly that if we walk with Him we are never alone. This scripture goes on to say that not only is He with us but that He will strengthen us to the point of holding us up even if we have no strength in us other than Him. I think it noteworthy that He says He does this with His righteous right hand. I take this to mean that when we take a stand for righteousness we can always know He has our back, and as His word says, if He is for us who can be against us. (Rom. 8:31)
Another message from God’s word about fear is this. 1 John 4:18 says; There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. I don’t think President Roosevelt knew how close he was to the truth when he made his statement about fear. This scripture ultimately says that the only thing that we really should fear is an eternity separated from God. As Christ followers we know that the perfect love of the Father that allowed for the sacrifice of His only begotten Son’s life in exchange for ours, has eliminated that possibility of permanent separation. Therefore, we have nothing to fear, not even fear itself. This goes to further reinforce my thoughts from last Thursday…Worst Case Scenarios. No matter what may be causing us concern in this life, the worst case scenario is that we die, and as children of God, earthly death results in glorious life everlasting.
Finally, I want to look at 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What are you afraid of?
In his first of four inauguration speeches, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the following famous statement; “The only thing we have to fear…is fear itself.” While that was to become one of the defining things that president said, and is perhaps the most quoted of his comments, it was unable to wipe fear away.
In my day to day work I sit with people who share with me their fears. Fears that they will never be loved again. Fears that they are unlovable. Fears that they will never have the marriage they thought they could when they first married. Fears that the latest difficulty in their lives will be too great to handle. Fears that they cannot please God. Some even express a fear that they will be alone forever.
Societally, there are additional things that people find themselves afraid of. There is the current pandemic. Fear that the country is headed in the wrong direction. Fear that people are becoming more divided and not less so. Of course this is a very short list of the things available to us to incite some level of fear.
God’s word has some interesting things to say about fear. Isaiah 41:10 says Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Of all of the fears that I talk with people about it seems that they are most afraid of having to face whatever difficulty they may be experiencing, alone. What they cannot fathom is having the wherewithal to stand up to whatever their fear is without someone supporting them. 
Sometimes I find that people are afraid of standing alone in a crowd. What I mean by that is, they know the right thing to do in a certain situation, but they are afraid because they think they will be the only one in their family, or among their co-workers, or even their friends willing to take that stance. God says clearly that if we walk with Him we are never alone. This scripture goes on to say that not only is He with us but that He will strengthen us to the point of holding us up even if we have no strength in us other than Him. I think it noteworthy that He says He does this with His righteous right hand. I take this to mean that when we take a stand for righteousness we can always know He has our back, and as His word says, if He is for us who can be against us. (Rom. 8:31)
Another message from God’s word about fear is this. 1 John 4:18 says; There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. I don’t think President Roosevelt knew how close he was to the truth when he made his statement about fear. This scripture ultimately says that the only thing that we really should fear is an eternity separated from God. As Christ followers we know that the perfect love of the Father that allowed for the sacrifice of His only begotten Son’s life in exchange for ours, has eliminated that possibility of permanent separation. Therefore, we have nothing to fear, not even fear itself. This goes to further reinforce my thoughts from last Thursday…Worst Case Scenarios. No matter what may be causing us concern in this life, the worst case scenario is that we die, and as children of God, earthly death results in glorious life everlasting.
Finally, I want to look at 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. As people who enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus, and as a result are empowered and equipped to live a life without fear, we should want everyone to be as free from fear as we are. When he wrote these words to Timothy, (his spiritual son) Paul was himself facing martyrdom. Literally daily staring an earthly death in the eye, Paul wanted Timothy (and us) to know that even that dire circumstance should not result in fear. But, Paul did not simply say to Timothy; “I am not afraid to die”. He encouraged Timothy (and us) that fear didn’t belong among our exercised emotions because to die is to gain. He reassured Timothy that instead of fear God empowers us to have a spirit of power and of love. So equipped, we then are enabled to turn our thoughts from ourselves and our situations outward toward others. In that power, and because of that love, we can share that same gospel with them that gives us such peace, even in the midst of tumultuous times. Finally, Paul mentioned that this lack of fear would result in a sound mind. This term intimates the ability for supernatural self-control. Essentially, Paul was writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that perfect love enables us to live in perfect peace.
So for the American people, President Roosevelt had a great message of encouragement…”The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. For the Christian our King wants us to know we have nothing to fear…especially not fear itself! Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
So now, living without fear because you have experienced and are sharing the perfect love of Jesus with others…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8c7582ec2b0bedadbb512ac7bd2f8a35.mp3" length="8350227" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8c7582ec2b0bedadbb512ac7bd2f8a35.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/what-are-you-afraid-of</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:48</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Differences That Divide - Part One]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday marriage message…Differences That Divide - Part One
For the next several weeks the focus of this podcast is going to be a singular topic but because of its complexity and depth we will break it into three sepa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday marriage message…Differences That Divide - Part One
For the next several weeks the focus of this podcast is going to be a singular topic but because of its complexity and depth we will break it into three separate editions. So please stick with me until the end so that you can take in all that I have to share with you on the subject.
You may recall that in a previous podcast entitled It Takes Two I spoke of the physical differences between men and women and the fact that we really don’t have too much trouble celebrating those differences. I told you that I would be illuminating some other differences that are a little harder to celebrate and seem to cause couples a bit more trouble. Today we begin looking at the uncelebrated differences.
Spoiler alert: you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye on everything, but then you didn’t need me to tell you that. Why don’t you see everything the same way? There are so many elements to the answer of that question I would not be able to do so conclusively. Suffice it to say (and it is crucial to understand) the reasons you see things differently are as numerous as the stars, which on further review may be a slight overstatement. 
Following is a list of a few of the contributing factors. I offer it only to help you both see the number of variables that go into each of your interpretations of anything that stimulates a reaction:
•	Family of origin	
•	Past experiences
•	Consideration of intent
•	Present emotional state
•	Stress levels
•	Interpretation of body language
•	Expectations 
•	Body and brain chemistry
•	Language use
•	He thinks compartmentally, she thinks relationally
You and your spouse are not supposed to see things eye to eye, be on the same page, have a meeting of the minds, or anything else pop-culture likes to call it. The first 9 examples from the list above are only a partial list, but give sufficient reason for a husband and wife, no matter how close they may be, to have difficulty viewing something exactly the same. The tenth reason listed is especially profound. It makes note of the fact that the two of you are not even wired to have the same process of thinking. You are in fact pre-programmed to think completely differently…about everything!
What is compartmental thinking? What is relational thinking? There have been many books written on the subject such as Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus authored by John Gray, Ph.D. and Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel, just to name two. There are others as well, and they all speak to the fact that these two different, and in many ways, opposite, lines of thought exist and one is found in men while the other is exhibited by women. 
I believe, as these books do, that men are compartmentalized in their thinking and women are relational in their thinking. These are two distinct thought process patterns that will arrive at two entirely different conclusions given the same set of stimuli. As I hope is obvious by now, we as Christ followers, believe God to be the immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, infallible Creator. As such, He didn’t make any mistakes; we were created to think differently than our spouses on purpose, therefore, it is not something that needs to be corrected.  He was considering everything, and with supreme power He created all that was created with no need to change it…ever! He did it perfectly the first time! With that belie...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday marriage message…Differences That Divide - Part One
For the next several weeks the focus of this podcast is going to be a singular topic but because of its complexity and depth we will break it into three separate editions. So please stick with me until the end so that you can take in all that I have to share with you on the subject.
You may recall that in a previous podcast entitled It Takes Two I spoke of the physical differences between men and women and the fact that we really don’t have too much trouble celebrating those differences. I told you that I would be illuminating some other differences that are a little harder to celebrate and seem to cause couples a bit more trouble. Today we begin looking at the uncelebrated differences.
Spoiler alert: you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye on everything, but then you didn’t need me to tell you that. Why don’t you see everything the same way? There are so many elements to the answer of that question I would not be able to do so conclusively. Suffice it to say (and it is crucial to understand) the reasons you see things differently are as numerous as the stars, which on further review may be a slight overstatement. 
Following is a list of a few of the contributing factors. I offer it only to help you both see the number of variables that go into each of your interpretations of anything that stimulates a reaction:
•	Family of origin	
•	Past experiences
•	Consideration of intent
•	Present emotional state
•	Stress levels
•	Interpretation of body language
•	Expectations 
•	Body and brain chemistry
•	Language use
•	He thinks compartmentally, she thinks relationally
You and your spouse are not supposed to see things eye to eye, be on the same page, have a meeting of the minds, or anything else pop-culture likes to call it. The first 9 examples from the list above are only a partial list, but give sufficient reason for a husband and wife, no matter how close they may be, to have difficulty viewing something exactly the same. The tenth reason listed is especially profound. It makes note of the fact that the two of you are not even wired to have the same process of thinking. You are in fact pre-programmed to think completely differently…about everything!
What is compartmental thinking? What is relational thinking? There have been many books written on the subject such as Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus authored by John Gray, Ph.D. and Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel, just to name two. There are others as well, and they all speak to the fact that these two different, and in many ways, opposite, lines of thought exist and one is found in men while the other is exhibited by women. 
I believe, as these books do, that men are compartmentalized in their thinking and women are relational in their thinking. These are two distinct thought process patterns that will arrive at two entirely different conclusions given the same set of stimuli. As I hope is obvious by now, we as Christ followers, believe God to be the immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, infallible Creator. As such, He didn’t make any mistakes; we were created to think differently than our spouses on purpose, therefore, it is not something that needs to be corrected.  He was considering everything, and with supreme power He created all that was created with no need to change it…ever! He did it perfectly the first time! With that belief, I consider it to be divine determination made with intentionality that men and women would be created to have these differing processes of thought.
I have some analogies I like to use when explaining the ways the two thought processes operate. I liken compartmentalized thinking to a row of lockers in a school hallway. Every subject matter has its own locker. If a man is to think freely about any subject, he has to place his head in the appropriate locker. If he is required to think about another topic, he must remove himself from that locker and go find the necessary locker and place his head in it. As he does this, he is equally able to focus on the new subject. However, he can no longer think about the subject he was, just moments ago, engrossed in.
This process of thought has some strengths and it has some weaknesses. In the strength department are things like the ability for intense focus on a task. Compartmentalized thinking lends itself to that beautifully because it is not capable of thinking of peripheral things that would distract from the original goal at hand. A weakness of compartmentalization is difficulty in thinking all the way through an unknown process before it is begun. This can lead to some problems but has, at the same time, honed his ability to utilize trial and error processes without undue frustration. A failure to be able to continue is often seen not as a failure but as a new understanding leading to a successful solution. C.S. Lewis said “Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.”
The format of this podcast, specifically my desire to keep each edition less than 10 minutes places real limitations on how I must approach big ideas. Recognizing this to be one of those concepts too complex to reduce to a single podcast I will resume next week with a discussion of relational thinking and how it operates. I will then utilize a third entry to illustrate some of God’s purposes behind the created differences in how we think. As I stated before, God did this perfectly, it does not need to be corrected, as couples we simply need to learn to walk in it successfully. Psalm 19:7-10 read; The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgements of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
God’s decisions about how we should be created are not only right, they are to be sought after and desired as gold is desirable to the eyes and honey to the tongue. This difference between men and women, in fact, all of the differences between men and women, are by His perfect design. We do not need to understand why He does what He does, we need only understand that if it comes from a good God, it is good and we should be completely and totally accepting of it to the point of desiring for ourselves.

Questions to Answer:
•	Do you recognize this compartmentalized thinking? (in the Husband)
•	What are some examples you can each come up with of his compartmental thinking?
•	Husbands – What things do you think are personal strengths and perhaps weaknesses of your own compartmentalized thinking.
•	Wives – What things do you see that your husband does that are personal strengths and weaknesses of his specific compartmentalized thinking? (Be kind ladies, next week we will identify the strengths and weaknesses of your relational thinking!)
Actions to Take:
•	Thank God that He saw fit to give the husband compartmentalized his thinking. Ask Him to help each of you see it as a gift and not as something requiring change.
So now, accepting that you were designed to think differently than one another, and recognizing this must be a good thing if it came from God…and it did…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/26227742b8036cd714b1b41770d4c0c2.mp3" length="11885875" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/26227742b8036cd714b1b41770d4c0c2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/differences-that-divide-part-one</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:15</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Worst Case Scenarios]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…worst case scenarios
Sometimes I think it is difficult for any of us to avoid thinking about the worst case scenario. Don’t get me wrong I am no pessimist but I do think there are times we all...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…worst case scenarios
Sometimes I think it is difficult for any of us to avoid thinking about the worst case scenario. Don’t get me wrong I am no pessimist but I do think there are times we all struggle with this. I am definitely a glass-half-full kind of guy. I like to look at things from a positive perspective whenever I can. As much as I dislike clichés…if the world hands you lemons…I say make some lemonade. Even with that optimistic outlook, sometimes the prognosis isn’t very encouraging. Sometimes experience tells you that certain things don’t turn out so good.
I remember one such event in my life just a few years ago. I have shared in previous podcasts about the day my wife Lynn and I got the news that I had cancer. I have confided in you that in that moment, though I was concerned about all of the things I didn’t know and didn’t want to know about cancer, in faith I turned toward my wife and declared cancer wasn’t going to steal our joy. I am happy to announce that a little over two years later it has not done so and will not do so. It has stolen some other things though…my prostate for one. See I can’t even tell the story now without injecting some level of humor. 
Humor has always been a trusted defense mechanism for me. It may not be, and often isn’t the right time for a wisecrack or a joke but I will utilize them just the same to add some levity to an otherwise not-so-funny circumstance. Cancer was no different and so I would regularly tell my own cancer jokes to lighten the mood whenever Lynn or one of my adult children looked overly concerned about something that disese was forcing us to endure. I even ordered a special T-shirt to wear to the cancer center for my final day of radiation treatments. There was a fork on the front with the inscription “Stick a fork in me, I’m done!” I often told the techs in the radiation department that I wished I would have lost more weight before beginning treatment so I didn’t have to lay there and smell bacon while I got my treatments.
On one particular day Lynn was having a difficult day dealing with the presence of cancer. She has always despised the fact that it reared its ugly head in our family. I did what I always do trying to lighten the mood in the room. I cracked a couple of exceptionally witty jokes about cancer when Lynn looked at me with tears in her eyes and said sternly; “quit making jokes…you could die you know!” My response, was not a joke…it was said in complete sobriety, but with incredible peace I said; “I could, couldn’t I?”
I was surprised by my own reaction, I think Lynn just thought I was being insensitive and cracking another joke and did her best to ignore me. But I was serious, I was able to have that mindset because of the security I had knowing how wonderful my relationship with Christ is. Not because I am perfect, I am far from it, but because the relationship we share takes all of the sting out of worst case scenarios. I finally understood how the apostle Paul must have felt when He wrote the following words; Philippians 1:19-25 in the New Living Translation says; For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…worst case scenarios
Sometimes I think it is difficult for any of us to avoid thinking about the worst case scenario. Don’t get me wrong I am no pessimist but I do think there are times we all struggle with this. I am definitely a glass-half-full kind of guy. I like to look at things from a positive perspective whenever I can. As much as I dislike clichés…if the world hands you lemons…I say make some lemonade. Even with that optimistic outlook, sometimes the prognosis isn’t very encouraging. Sometimes experience tells you that certain things don’t turn out so good.
I remember one such event in my life just a few years ago. I have shared in previous podcasts about the day my wife Lynn and I got the news that I had cancer. I have confided in you that in that moment, though I was concerned about all of the things I didn’t know and didn’t want to know about cancer, in faith I turned toward my wife and declared cancer wasn’t going to steal our joy. I am happy to announce that a little over two years later it has not done so and will not do so. It has stolen some other things though…my prostate for one. See I can’t even tell the story now without injecting some level of humor. 
Humor has always been a trusted defense mechanism for me. It may not be, and often isn’t the right time for a wisecrack or a joke but I will utilize them just the same to add some levity to an otherwise not-so-funny circumstance. Cancer was no different and so I would regularly tell my own cancer jokes to lighten the mood whenever Lynn or one of my adult children looked overly concerned about something that disese was forcing us to endure. I even ordered a special T-shirt to wear to the cancer center for my final day of radiation treatments. There was a fork on the front with the inscription “Stick a fork in me, I’m done!” I often told the techs in the radiation department that I wished I would have lost more weight before beginning treatment so I didn’t have to lay there and smell bacon while I got my treatments.
On one particular day Lynn was having a difficult day dealing with the presence of cancer. She has always despised the fact that it reared its ugly head in our family. I did what I always do trying to lighten the mood in the room. I cracked a couple of exceptionally witty jokes about cancer when Lynn looked at me with tears in her eyes and said sternly; “quit making jokes…you could die you know!” My response, was not a joke…it was said in complete sobriety, but with incredible peace I said; “I could, couldn’t I?”
I was surprised by my own reaction, I think Lynn just thought I was being insensitive and cracking another joke and did her best to ignore me. But I was serious, I was able to have that mindset because of the security I had knowing how wonderful my relationship with Christ is. Not because I am perfect, I am far from it, but because the relationship we share takes all of the sting out of worst case scenarios. I finally understood how the apostle Paul must have felt when He wrote the following words; Philippians 1:19-25 in the New Living Translation says; For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 
I knew I wasn’t going to die…this time. As an awesome friend of mine who is watching his dear wife struggle through her own battle with cancer says often,  “…None of us gets out of this thing we call life alive.”  That is his attempt at humor to soften the blow of where they are in their battle…I get it. But someday I will die (very temporarily) and go to be with Jesus. What a glorious day that will be! Someday my family won’t need me to survive…they will all understand what I am talking about now. Then I will be able to go be with Jesus and all the prayers in the world won’t be able to stop it from happening!
See, no matter what you may be facing in this life…it really doesn’t make a difference what it is. If it is a health issue, a financial issue, an emotional issue, whatever it is…worst case scenario…you could die. For all of us who love and believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior when we die we know what happens next. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15 that in the twinkling of an eye the dead in Christ shall rise. Not with the imperfect bodies we have here that can die, but with perfect ones that can never die. The apostle John wrote in Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. So for us as followers of Christ, worst case scenario…is Heaven! The worst is can be from our current perspective…is the best it can ever be…forever!
So now, understanding that for you as a Christ follower…there is no worst case scenario…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/fa74ca997e626dca6b9442297c644ad8.mp3" length="8503591" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/fa74ca997e626dca6b9442297c644ad8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/worst-case-scenarios</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 23 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Godly Offspring]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Godly Offspring
Last week I talked about the fact that as a part of joining a man and a woman and making them one flesh, God actually joins three and makes them one: the husband, the wife, and...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Godly Offspring
Last week I talked about the fact that as a part of joining a man and a woman and making them one flesh, God actually joins three and makes them one: the husband, the wife, and a portion of His Holy Spirit. We looked at the fact that as He does this He creates an entity, (the marriage) that then resembles Him. God is three in one, marriage is a three in one union. This goes even further to propagate the truth that it is in fact, at marriage, that the task of creating mankind in the image and likeness of God is completed. We sometimes resist this notion because we like to think of creation as complete when the baby shows up, but there are other examples of how a baby is not a completed creation at birth. Yes, that child is viable and visibly (as well as audibly) alive at birth. As Christians we say the child is a life from the moment of conception, but we do not try to argue that simply because life exists, the task of creating the child is complete. Furthermore, we do not have any reasonable expectation that a newborn baby boy or girl is a man or woman yet. There are years of growing and the awkward stage of puberty to be experienced before we say that baby (very much alive) has completed the process of creation. The fact of the matter is that it could be argued ad nauseam when we are completed, but very few would try to debate that a man and a woman joined as one with a portion of the Holy Spirit is a more complete creation capable of reflecting its Creator than a singular baby boy or girl and has exponentially greater capacity to reflect God.     
If we are joined as husband and wife with a portion of the Spirit it begs the question, “Why does our marriage have need of a spirit of its own?” Let’s look again at the scripture we referenced last week: Malachi 2:14b-16 …Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of His youth. “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the Lord of Hosts, “Therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.” 
There are two reasons to join a man and a woman with a portion of God’s own Spirit listed for us right there in verse 15. First, He seeks godly offspring. What is God looking for from our marriages? Why does He make us one so that we have greater capacity to reflect His likeness and Image? So that we can have greater capacity to reflect His image and likeness. We are made one to encourage one another to fulfill our intended purpose to look more like Him. Proverbs 17:27 says; As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. While friendships are generally considered a close relationship and I hope that you are friends with your spouse, the marriage relationship is intended to be the closest human relationship that exists. As husbands and wives, it is our loving duty to accentuate the best in each other. My wife Lynn spurs me on to be much more than I would otherwise attempt to be on my own. She also, as a part of the sharpening process, spurs me to improve my responses to her and to others I interact with. I do not alwa...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Godly Offspring
Last week I talked about the fact that as a part of joining a man and a woman and making them one flesh, God actually joins three and makes them one: the husband, the wife, and a portion of His Holy Spirit. We looked at the fact that as He does this He creates an entity, (the marriage) that then resembles Him. God is three in one, marriage is a three in one union. This goes even further to propagate the truth that it is in fact, at marriage, that the task of creating mankind in the image and likeness of God is completed. We sometimes resist this notion because we like to think of creation as complete when the baby shows up, but there are other examples of how a baby is not a completed creation at birth. Yes, that child is viable and visibly (as well as audibly) alive at birth. As Christians we say the child is a life from the moment of conception, but we do not try to argue that simply because life exists, the task of creating the child is complete. Furthermore, we do not have any reasonable expectation that a newborn baby boy or girl is a man or woman yet. There are years of growing and the awkward stage of puberty to be experienced before we say that baby (very much alive) has completed the process of creation. The fact of the matter is that it could be argued ad nauseam when we are completed, but very few would try to debate that a man and a woman joined as one with a portion of the Holy Spirit is a more complete creation capable of reflecting its Creator than a singular baby boy or girl and has exponentially greater capacity to reflect God.     
If we are joined as husband and wife with a portion of the Spirit it begs the question, “Why does our marriage have need of a spirit of its own?” Let’s look again at the scripture we referenced last week: Malachi 2:14b-16 …Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of His youth. “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the Lord of Hosts, “Therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.” 
There are two reasons to join a man and a woman with a portion of God’s own Spirit listed for us right there in verse 15. First, He seeks godly offspring. What is God looking for from our marriages? Why does He make us one so that we have greater capacity to reflect His likeness and Image? So that we can have greater capacity to reflect His image and likeness. We are made one to encourage one another to fulfill our intended purpose to look more like Him. Proverbs 17:27 says; As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. While friendships are generally considered a close relationship and I hope that you are friends with your spouse, the marriage relationship is intended to be the closest human relationship that exists. As husbands and wives, it is our loving duty to accentuate the best in each other. My wife Lynn spurs me on to be much more than I would otherwise attempt to be on my own. She also, as a part of the sharpening process, spurs me to improve my responses to her and to others I interact with. I do not always enjoy the process, but if you have ever watched iron be sharpened it is an uncomfortable yet profitable engagement. There are sparks, friction, and heat, all irritating to a peaceful existence, but the result is smooth, easy movement while carrying out the intended purpose of the blade. While I may find her attempts to “sharpen me” offensive, I am always pleased when the better, sharper man emerges. What is the Spirit’s role in this process? He keeps us accountable to Him when we are doing the sharpening, in other words He convicts us if our motives are not pure, especially if we are simply being judgmental. He also gives us the enduring grace if we are the one being sharpened, helping us to know that our spouse’s intentions toward us are good and not bad, as they may appear through the shower of sparks and thick smoke. 
Second, the Spirit helps keep our motives in check. We are more likely to try to justify unjustifiable behavior if we only have ourselves to convince. However, when literally joined and made one with another including a portion of the Spirit we have a built in truth detector that steps in when we desire to believe a lie that will have detrimental consequences for the marriage. There are certain activities that are considered to be wrong to engage in as part of a marriage. No matter what time you travel back to, no matter what society you look at…cheating on one’s spouse for example, is and has always been considered wrong. Why? Every marriage between a man and a woman contains a portion of the Spirit. God’s laws are written on our hearts (Romans 2:14). God is working inside each of us through His Holy Spirit to help us not only do what is right but also what is pleasing to Him. (Philippians 2:13) 
Our reference scripture says He seeks godly offspring. This does not simply mean that God want us (as Christians) to have children and teach them to be godly people, though He does desire that result. This verse also gives purpose to the inclusion of a portion of the Spirit in our marriages. God desires to see the very institution of marriage be a godly thing. It cannot appropriately reflect His image and likeness if it is used as a way to destroy rather than to build up. God is in construction, not the demolition business. He is trying to make us the people He has always desired and designed us to be. While it is important that we die with Christ to our old life, God is not trying to kill us by the sword. He is, with surgical precision, trying to free us from the tumor of sin. He wants our marriages to be a reflection of that. He wants the results of our marriages that include a Portion of His Spirit, to be something that looks, sounds and acts as He does. He wants it to produce…godly offspring.
Questions to Answer:
1.	What specific ways do you see the inclusion of the Holy Spirit in your marriage making you better? As individuals? As a couple? Give at least one example for each.
2.	What godly offspring (as defined above) do the two of you recognize is a result of your marriage?
Actions to Take:
1.	Ask God to help you welcome the placement of His Holy Spirit as a part of your marriage. 
2.	Invite the Holy Spirit to mess with your marriage and agree together to be open to the changes He suggests. 
So now, determining to see godly offspring be the result of your marriage…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/140eaf6bea14f42d21c06a4c25748062.mp3" length="10929651" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/140eaf6bea14f42d21c06a4c25748062.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/godly-offspring</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 20 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Aim High - September 19, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 22-26 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossro...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 22-26 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

Mark 8 : 22
22Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 

Isaiah 35 : 5-6
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.

Mark 8 : 23-24
23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

Mark 6 : 5-6
5Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

I John 4 : 20-21
20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Mark 8 : 25
25Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 

Matthew 5 : 43-48
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Mark 8 : 26
26Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

Matthew 11 : 21-22
21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 22-26 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

Mark 8 : 22
22Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 

Isaiah 35 : 5-6
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.

Mark 8 : 23-24
23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

Mark 6 : 5-6
5Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

I John 4 : 20-21
20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Mark 8 : 25
25Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 

Matthew 5 : 43-48
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Mark 8 : 26
26Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

Matthew 11 : 21-22
21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0878e818976402f826d50273c8b28b8e.mp3" length="33745600" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0878e818976402f826d50273c8b28b8e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/aim-high-september-19-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:34</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hey! Eyes On Your Own Paper!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Hey! Eyes on your own paper!
When I was in middle school I remember hearing this warning escape the lips of more than one of my teachers in the midst of a quiet room full of students taking a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Hey! Eyes on your own paper!
When I was in middle school I remember hearing this warning escape the lips of more than one of my teachers in the midst of a quiet room full of students taking a test. Usually it was said so sharply that it made me jump and even though I knew I had not been looking in the direction of anyone else’s desk. As a result, I would feel even more compelled to be careful to stare intently at my own test sheet. This happened often enough that even now as an adult, if I have to take a written test of any sort there is a nervousness that I feel connected to making sure no one thinks I am allowing my eyes to wander from my own paper in an attempt to steal someone else’s answers.
Of course the threat of being caught would always deter me from making any attempt to cheat no matter how great the temptation of a better grade. Also, it did not escape me the cruel irony that would exist if I did copy a classmate’s answer only to find out they had gotten it wrong! Topping off the list of reasons not to cheat was of course that I did not want to be dishonest, if I was going to get an ‘A’ or a ‘F’ I was going to own it. While I’m being honest though I have to admit I owned a few too many ‘F’s and not near enough “A”s.
I find that people as a whole have trouble keeping their eyes on their own paper, Apparently Jesus noted this problem as well. Matthew 7:1-5 records what He had to say about it. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 
When we judge, we are pointing out someone else’s fault and in that moment have our eyes on their paper. The problem with this is that when we have our eyes on someone else’s paper we no longer have it on our own. When we are not paying attention to what we are doing we do it in error. In other words, I am called to act toward others with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22&23) When I am being judgmental those qualities will not be a part of the result 99 times out of 100. So in pointing out someone else’s wrong…I have become wrong. I didn’t keep my eyes on my own paper and I failed the test.
The connection that Jesus used in this scripture is a woodworking analogy, another area familiar to me. He said, why do you look for the speck (or sliver as some translations put it) in your brother’s eye but don’t consider the plank in your own eye? That question points to an all too obvious conclusion. So, we feel better about our judgmental selves by inserting the following caveat; we are the one with the speck or sliver and it is our brother with the plank, therefore we are right to make it our business to point out their problem to them. Jesus knew what He was saying though. He knew it is probably actually easier to do it the other way around. Have you ever had a speck in your eye? I have. The tiniest of slivers will cause the greatest irritation and you can’t hardly even hold your eyelids open! When will we learn...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Hey! Eyes on your own paper!
When I was in middle school I remember hearing this warning escape the lips of more than one of my teachers in the midst of a quiet room full of students taking a test. Usually it was said so sharply that it made me jump and even though I knew I had not been looking in the direction of anyone else’s desk. As a result, I would feel even more compelled to be careful to stare intently at my own test sheet. This happened often enough that even now as an adult, if I have to take a written test of any sort there is a nervousness that I feel connected to making sure no one thinks I am allowing my eyes to wander from my own paper in an attempt to steal someone else’s answers.
Of course the threat of being caught would always deter me from making any attempt to cheat no matter how great the temptation of a better grade. Also, it did not escape me the cruel irony that would exist if I did copy a classmate’s answer only to find out they had gotten it wrong! Topping off the list of reasons not to cheat was of course that I did not want to be dishonest, if I was going to get an ‘A’ or a ‘F’ I was going to own it. While I’m being honest though I have to admit I owned a few too many ‘F’s and not near enough “A”s.
I find that people as a whole have trouble keeping their eyes on their own paper, Apparently Jesus noted this problem as well. Matthew 7:1-5 records what He had to say about it. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 
When we judge, we are pointing out someone else’s fault and in that moment have our eyes on their paper. The problem with this is that when we have our eyes on someone else’s paper we no longer have it on our own. When we are not paying attention to what we are doing we do it in error. In other words, I am called to act toward others with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22&23) When I am being judgmental those qualities will not be a part of the result 99 times out of 100. So in pointing out someone else’s wrong…I have become wrong. I didn’t keep my eyes on my own paper and I failed the test.
The connection that Jesus used in this scripture is a woodworking analogy, another area familiar to me. He said, why do you look for the speck (or sliver as some translations put it) in your brother’s eye but don’t consider the plank in your own eye? That question points to an all too obvious conclusion. So, we feel better about our judgmental selves by inserting the following caveat; we are the one with the speck or sliver and it is our brother with the plank, therefore we are right to make it our business to point out their problem to them. Jesus knew what He was saying though. He knew it is probably actually easier to do it the other way around. Have you ever had a speck in your eye? I have. The tiniest of slivers will cause the greatest irritation and you can’t hardly even hold your eyelids open! When will we learn…eyes on your own paper!
When will we learn? The last time I checked there had not been an opening posted for the Holy Spirit’s job. We need to learn to get into our own lane…and stay there. We are not effective at conviction. Why? Because we are not perfect. Anytime we try to convict someone else of their wrongdoing they do exactly what we do in the same situation…they become defensive. It is an instinctual act of self-preservation. While no one likes to be told they are wrong, we like it even less when we are being told by someone we know also has faults and failings. We certainly don’t like being informed of it by someone who, not keeping their eyes on their own paper is failing to inform of the wrong in a wrong way.
I see this take place in marriages almost more than anywhere else. One spouse or the other does not like how they are being treated and so they tell their spouse about themselves. This hardly if never gets the intended result. Why? Because judgment coming from one human being to another is difficult to accept and is hardly ever done with grace, mercy and love. More often than not, we stand in judgment of someone because we are unhappy with their behavior toward us and it has affected us negatively. We want them to stop doing whatever they did that we didn’t like. I get it. In all transparency this happened to me just a week ago. My wife said something I did not like. It didn’t feel good to me to hear what she had to say. So, I judged her for it. I told her all about how I didn’t like hearing that. I explained in a rather negative way how she had not been very positive in the way she had said what she did. I used a tone of voice that was stern and a look that was designed to emphasize the tone. And you know what? In that moment while I had my eyes on her paper, while I was assessing her performance as a wife…I was being a very, very poor husband!
Let me set the record straight, my wife is an awesome wife…but in moments like those she is not married to an awesome husband. It isn’t me who has commanded her to do the things the Bible tells her she should as a wife, those commands come from God. Who do I think I am to grade her on how well she follows God’s commands? I think God’s Holy Spirit can do just fine without my interference. In fact, I know He can. The truth of it is, the only time He has trouble showing her of any changes He wants her to make…is when I have tried to do that for Him and put her on the defensive. Maybe I need to learn to stay in my own lane…maybe I need to keep my eyes on my own paper and I will do better.
The apostle Peter seemed to recognize the necessity (especially in marriage, but in all our other relationships too) of learning to keep our eyes on our own paper as well, you can read about that in 1 Peter 3:1-9
I think we all need to learn to do a better job of this. Am I saying if someone is engaged in destructive behavior we shouldn’t warn them before they run their lives into the ditch? Of course not, that would be unkind, but if we are going to do it right, if it is going to be said in love, and mercy and without judgment…it can’t be about us.
So now, learning to keep your eyes on your own paper so you can get the grade you are hoping for…go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f6261cf1152bed49c9c46c69cfe61c89.mp3" length="10520579" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f6261cf1152bed49c9c46c69cfe61c89.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/hey-eyes-on-your-own-paper</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:18</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Image Bearers]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message...Image Bearers  
One of the scriptures that I have spent a good deal of time dissecting in the past few weeks is Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, let us make man in our own image according to...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message...Image Bearers  
One of the scriptures that I have spent a good deal of time dissecting in the past few weeks is Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, let us make man in our own image according to our likeness...and so God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. I have spoken several weeks about how God did that, and in the coming weeks I will have much to say about how we are created in His likeness. In other words, how we are created to act in many of the same ways as God acts. We will discover how many of the differences between a man and a woman were a part of our creation so that when joined as one we might be more in the likeness of God. Today however, I want to look at one of the ways that as married couples we are created in the image of God. In other words, how is it that as husbands and wives we can actually look like God? 
There are many thoughts, even from scripture, that can tend to confuse us as we consider this question. First of all, the obvious; if a man and a woman look so different than each other, how can they both be a reflection of God’s image? The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus said God is Spirit and that no one has ever seen Him (John 1:18, John 4:24). If this so, how can we reflect that which we cannot see? These and others like them are good questions. Some have answers we can understand now; others remain the mysteries of God. There is an important scripture that allows us to see one way that a married couple is reflective of the image of God in a unique and powerful way: 
Malachi 2:14b-16 …The Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of His youth. “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the Lord of Hosts, “Therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.” There is a lot to unpack here but we are going to focus on an obscure truth that could easily be passed over if we aren’t careful. Verse 15 begins with Malachi asking a question: And did He not make them one having a remnant of the Spirit? While there may be legitimate questions among scholars as to who “Them” refers to, (it may mean Adam and Eve, it may have meant the Israelites of Malachi’s time) but neither of these explanations change the greater truth contained within. The who is not important, it is the what that holds all the value. “…make them one having a remnant of the Spirit.”  If it were Adam and Eve being spoken of, so be it, God being true to Himself does not waver and what He did for them He continues to do for every man and woman joined thereafter in marriage. If it were the people during the time of Malachi being spoken of, that just goes to prove the former premise to be true. The amazing work of God begs to be the focal point of the verse. God makes one flesh of two people at marriage and adds a third…a portion of His Holy Spirit! The fact that the scriptures capitalize the word Spirit here is indicative that it is speaking of the Spirit of God. This also passes the test of logic. God would not have to say that He joins two people each alr...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message...Image Bearers  
One of the scriptures that I have spent a good deal of time dissecting in the past few weeks is Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, let us make man in our own image according to our likeness...and so God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. I have spoken several weeks about how God did that, and in the coming weeks I will have much to say about how we are created in His likeness. In other words, how we are created to act in many of the same ways as God acts. We will discover how many of the differences between a man and a woman were a part of our creation so that when joined as one we might be more in the likeness of God. Today however, I want to look at one of the ways that as married couples we are created in the image of God. In other words, how is it that as husbands and wives we can actually look like God? 
There are many thoughts, even from scripture, that can tend to confuse us as we consider this question. First of all, the obvious; if a man and a woman look so different than each other, how can they both be a reflection of God’s image? The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus said God is Spirit and that no one has ever seen Him (John 1:18, John 4:24). If this so, how can we reflect that which we cannot see? These and others like them are good questions. Some have answers we can understand now; others remain the mysteries of God. There is an important scripture that allows us to see one way that a married couple is reflective of the image of God in a unique and powerful way: 
Malachi 2:14b-16 …The Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of His youth. “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the Lord of Hosts, “Therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.” There is a lot to unpack here but we are going to focus on an obscure truth that could easily be passed over if we aren’t careful. Verse 15 begins with Malachi asking a question: And did He not make them one having a remnant of the Spirit? While there may be legitimate questions among scholars as to who “Them” refers to, (it may mean Adam and Eve, it may have meant the Israelites of Malachi’s time) but neither of these explanations change the greater truth contained within. The who is not important, it is the what that holds all the value. “…make them one having a remnant of the Spirit.”  If it were Adam and Eve being spoken of, so be it, God being true to Himself does not waver and what He did for them He continues to do for every man and woman joined thereafter in marriage. If it were the people during the time of Malachi being spoken of, that just goes to prove the former premise to be true. The amazing work of God begs to be the focal point of the verse. God makes one flesh of two people at marriage and adds a third…a portion of His Holy Spirit! The fact that the scriptures capitalize the word Spirit here is indicative that it is speaking of the Spirit of God. This also passes the test of logic. God would not have to say that He joins two people each already possessing their own spirit with a portion of their own spirit. The joining of the Spirit with a marriage is only necessary if it is a new entity having need of a spirit.  
The great truth for today is this: when God joined you to your spouse, He did so augmenting the miracle of your oneness by adding to that new oneness a portion of His Holy Spirit. There are now three parts to the one thing. It is therefore, triune. It is three in one. As such, it reflects the image of the triune God that created it.   
We will talk more next week about the need for our marriages to have a spirit all its own. For today, focus on this great truth. When we are joined in marriage, we are not only capable of reflecting the likeness of God in that we can act in some of the ways He acts, but now we see that we can also reflect His image, and our marriages can also reflect the way He looks. 
Questions to Answer: 
Were you aware before today that your marriage had a spirit? 
In your own marriage what are some evidences you see that this is in fact true? 
What could the two of you do to access the leanings of the Spirit in your marriage as you make decisions that affect the two of you and the oneness you share? 
  
Actions to Take: 
Tell your spouse why you feel it is important that God chose to make a portion of His Holy Spirit an integral part of the oneness you share. 
Find ways that fit in your marriage for the two of you to be sensitive to your “portion” and commit to making the Spirit a more integral part of who and what your marriage is so that it can be more reflective of the triune God.  
So now, recognizing that your marriage not only gives the two of you opportunity to act in the ways God acts, but also to look in some important ways the way God looks...Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8b433a79c1ec7573a6ba909f06dd1c30.mp3" length="8812171" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8b433a79c1ec7573a6ba909f06dd1c30.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/image-bearers</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[From Ruin to Restoration - September 12, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Dr. Walter Fletcher]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[From Ruin to Restoration - September 12, 2021
Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Dr. Walter Fletcher is our special speaker for this weekend.
Message: Dr. Walter Fletcher]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[From Ruin to Restoration - September 12, 2021
Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Dr. Walter Fletcher is our special speaker for this weekend.
Message: Dr. Walter Fletcher]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[From Ruin to Restoration - September 12, 2021
Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Dr. Walter Fletcher is our special speaker for this weekend.
Message: Dr. Walter Fletcher]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/019584c04ad9970578481819e6b60e69.mp3" length="21839666" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/019584c04ad9970578481819e6b60e69.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/from-ruin-to-restoration-september-12-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>39:08</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Enemy of Greatness]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...The Enemy of Greatness.
Several years ago, I read the book Good to Great. The Author, James Collins wrote that work to help guide the pathway for good companies to become great companies. I...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...The Enemy of Greatness.
Several years ago, I read the book Good to Great. The Author, James Collins wrote that work to help guide the pathway for good companies to become great companies. In it, he noted several characteristics that good companies exhibited, and when those attributes were traded for a differing one, that change could propelled that good company into becoming a great company. He was able to define several specific adjustments that were common to many if not all of the good companies that became great companies. In his book he pointed out that the one common characteristic that always held companies back from greatness was being a ‘good’ company. A pervasive attitude found anywhere within an organization that some strategy, practice or product was ‘good enough’ always kept that company from becoming great. This discovery became the general theme of the entire book.
Collins wrote; “Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” 
It’s true...Good is indeed the enemy of great. And unfortunately, as people we all too often settle for good enough. I too have been guilty of saying “good enough is good enough” on occasion. There have been times when I have even counseled others to be ok with good enough. However, if good enough keeps us from achieving greatness, then there is reason “good enough” (pardon the pun) not to allow that to happen.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to come home from a vacation and describe it as only having been ‘good enough’. I don’t want to be forced to ride with someone whose driving is only ‘good enough’. Those things matter, but what about these? Should we settle for a love for our families that can only be rated as ‘good enough’? Is it ok with us if we have marriages that are only able to garner a score of ‘good enough’? Is it satisfactory to say we are ‘good enough’ at being followers of Christ? Should we be satisfied with a prayer life that is ‘good enough’? How about having a ‘good enough’ handle on what God’s word says? Is it ok if we are ‘good enough’ at listening to the persuasions of the Holy Spirit? What would our plight be if Jesus, after being born as a baby in a manger, grew up, had His ministry, but when faced with death on a cross said, I don’t think I’ll go that far, what I have done already will have to be ‘good enough’. I’ll tell you where we would be...lost eternally.
So how do we avoid letting good be the enemy of great in our lives? After all, aren’t we all merely human beings? Don’t we have a propensity toward failure? Yes we are, and yes we do. So what to do? Stop living your life and you’ll stop failing to be great. Notice I did not suggest that you stop living, I suggested that we stop living our lives and instead let Christ live through us. We can try to be like Him, but our human condition dictates we will not meet with complete success...we will not be great at it. If we could, we would not need Him, we would already be...’good enough’. Our Bibles tell us that all have fallen short of the Glory of God.
Galatians 2:20 in the New King James Version offers the answer to just such a quandary. I h...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...The Enemy of Greatness.
Several years ago, I read the book Good to Great. The Author, James Collins wrote that work to help guide the pathway for good companies to become great companies. In it, he noted several characteristics that good companies exhibited, and when those attributes were traded for a differing one, that change could propelled that good company into becoming a great company. He was able to define several specific adjustments that were common to many if not all of the good companies that became great companies. In his book he pointed out that the one common characteristic that always held companies back from greatness was being a ‘good’ company. A pervasive attitude found anywhere within an organization that some strategy, practice or product was ‘good enough’ always kept that company from becoming great. This discovery became the general theme of the entire book.
Collins wrote; “Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” 
It’s true...Good is indeed the enemy of great. And unfortunately, as people we all too often settle for good enough. I too have been guilty of saying “good enough is good enough” on occasion. There have been times when I have even counseled others to be ok with good enough. However, if good enough keeps us from achieving greatness, then there is reason “good enough” (pardon the pun) not to allow that to happen.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to come home from a vacation and describe it as only having been ‘good enough’. I don’t want to be forced to ride with someone whose driving is only ‘good enough’. Those things matter, but what about these? Should we settle for a love for our families that can only be rated as ‘good enough’? Is it ok with us if we have marriages that are only able to garner a score of ‘good enough’? Is it satisfactory to say we are ‘good enough’ at being followers of Christ? Should we be satisfied with a prayer life that is ‘good enough’? How about having a ‘good enough’ handle on what God’s word says? Is it ok if we are ‘good enough’ at listening to the persuasions of the Holy Spirit? What would our plight be if Jesus, after being born as a baby in a manger, grew up, had His ministry, but when faced with death on a cross said, I don’t think I’ll go that far, what I have done already will have to be ‘good enough’. I’ll tell you where we would be...lost eternally.
So how do we avoid letting good be the enemy of great in our lives? After all, aren’t we all merely human beings? Don’t we have a propensity toward failure? Yes we are, and yes we do. So what to do? Stop living your life and you’ll stop failing to be great. Notice I did not suggest that you stop living, I suggested that we stop living our lives and instead let Christ live through us. We can try to be like Him, but our human condition dictates we will not meet with complete success...we will not be great at it. If we could, we would not need Him, we would already be...’good enough’. Our Bibles tell us that all have fallen short of the Glory of God.
Galatians 2:20 in the New King James Version offers the answer to just such a quandary. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. We don’t need to figure out how to act great, speak great or look great to be great. Instead, we can recognize that when we choose to abide in Christ and let Him live through us, we decrease while He increases. We move from good to great. If we let Him love through us, we will be great at loving others. If we let Him serve through us, we will be great at serving. If we let Him feed the hungry, heal the sick and mend the broken hearted through us, we will become great at doing those things. If I want to be a great dad, all I have to do is let Christ love and care for my children through me. If I want to be a great husband, All I have to do is let Him use me as a conduit to deliver His great love for my wife to her. If I want to be a great counselor all I have to do is share only the wisdom He points to in His word through the prompting of His Holy Spirit inside of me. If I want to be a great pastor, all I have to do is allow Him to serve and love others using my life. The scripture above essentially says that if I no longer look at my life as mine but rather as His...I can do all of these things, not just ‘good enough’, but in a great way!
In and of ourselves we aren’t really even ‘good enough’, never mind great, but when we choose to allow our great God to live through us, we begin to resemble the greatness of Him. We are not here to reflect the world around us, that wouldn’t even be ‘good enough’ when it comes to fulfilling our purpose, we were created to reflect our great creator. Each week I end my podcasts by encouraging you to “Go be awesome!” I say that because though in the flesh we don’t even measure up to ‘good enough’ when we are born of the Spirit, live by the urging of the Spirit and rely solely on the empowerment of Christ living inside of us...the result is not ‘good enough’ it is great...it is awesome!
So now, understanding that all things...even greatness...are possible through Christ strengthening you...Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0a172a931712446ccda1489556eda5b9.mp3" length="8995017" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0a172a931712446ccda1489556eda5b9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-enemy-of-greatness</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:15</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Job Well Done]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…A Job Well Done
Genesis 2:7,21-25 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being… And the Lord God...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…A Job Well Done
Genesis 2:7,21-25 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being… And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis chapter one, which we have touched on for the past several weeks, gives us the summation of the creation week. Chapter two tells us about the plan for a day of rest to be spent with the human beings He had created as I spoke of last week. That second chapter goes on to expound on some of the additional details of the events of the sixth day when God created the beasts of the field and mankind. Verse 7 tells us about the creation of Adam, how he was formed from the dust of the earth. Interestingly, Adam was created from God’s previous creation. This biblical truth is a known scientific fact today, though it was written about in the Old Testament scriptures millennia before we possessed the capability to measure the authenticity of it. According to Wikipedia; Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. According to the same source; Soil organic matter which God used to form Adam is composed chiefly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and smaller quantities of sulfur and other elements. Though not vital to our conversation here, an interesting fact as to the accuracy of God’s word nonetheless. God then took this man He had formed from the soil and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living being. Further in verses 21 and 22 we read how Eve was created. Adam was put under anesthesia, God took from him a rib, which He used to create Eve. When Adam came out of surgery, upon His first view of Eve he made the following declaration. “She is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” In other words, she was made from me, so we are…one in the same…one flesh.
This declaration is further elaborated on for us as Moses (the Holy Spirit’s scribe for the book of Genesis) wrote the following; Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Marriage is the mysterious, (Ephesians 5:32) or might we more accurately say, the miraculous re-creation between a man and a woman of the oneness that Adam and Eve shared from their beginning. That oneness is reserved for marriage. Though Adam and Eve did not have a wedding because they were created one flesh, we know they were considered by God to be married because His word referred to Eve as Adam’s wife in verse 25.
So comes a great truth: the task of creating an entity that would be reflective of the image and likeness of God became possible when He created mankind. The creation of mankind was not complete until there was a man and a woman (Genesis 1:27...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…A Job Well Done
Genesis 2:7,21-25 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being… And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis chapter one, which we have touched on for the past several weeks, gives us the summation of the creation week. Chapter two tells us about the plan for a day of rest to be spent with the human beings He had created as I spoke of last week. That second chapter goes on to expound on some of the additional details of the events of the sixth day when God created the beasts of the field and mankind. Verse 7 tells us about the creation of Adam, how he was formed from the dust of the earth. Interestingly, Adam was created from God’s previous creation. This biblical truth is a known scientific fact today, though it was written about in the Old Testament scriptures millennia before we possessed the capability to measure the authenticity of it. According to Wikipedia; Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. According to the same source; Soil organic matter which God used to form Adam is composed chiefly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and smaller quantities of sulfur and other elements. Though not vital to our conversation here, an interesting fact as to the accuracy of God’s word nonetheless. God then took this man He had formed from the soil and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living being. Further in verses 21 and 22 we read how Eve was created. Adam was put under anesthesia, God took from him a rib, which He used to create Eve. When Adam came out of surgery, upon His first view of Eve he made the following declaration. “She is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” In other words, she was made from me, so we are…one in the same…one flesh.
This declaration is further elaborated on for us as Moses (the Holy Spirit’s scribe for the book of Genesis) wrote the following; Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Marriage is the mysterious, (Ephesians 5:32) or might we more accurately say, the miraculous re-creation between a man and a woman of the oneness that Adam and Eve shared from their beginning. That oneness is reserved for marriage. Though Adam and Eve did not have a wedding because they were created one flesh, we know they were considered by God to be married because His word referred to Eve as Adam’s wife in verse 25.
So comes a great truth: the task of creating an entity that would be reflective of the image and likeness of God became possible when He created mankind. The creation of mankind was not complete until there was a man and a woman (Genesis 1:27) who were one flesh.
The task of creating us in the image and likeness of God is complete when He joins a man and a woman and they become one flesh.
I am not saying that an unmarried individual cannot have attributes and characteristics that are reflective of God. What I am saying is that when God takes a man and a woman and joins them in marriage miraculously making them one flesh, that one flesh has an exponentially greater capacity to be reflective of the image and likeness of God.
Questions to Answer:
1.	With what level of assuredness do you see yourselves as one flesh?
2.	What does it mean to you that Jesus says you are one flesh?
3.	How have your thoughts on this been altered or augmented since you started listening to this podcast?
4.	Are social media and electronic devices creating any obstacles for the oneness in your marriage?
Actions to Take:
1.	Discuss what you think your marriage would look like if you focused as a couple on always protecting the oneness God has created of the two of you.
2.	Pray that God would remind you of ways to protect the oneness and ask the Holy Spirit to put a check in your spirits about anything you need to remove from your lives that hurts your oneness.
So now, determining to walk in the oneness God has gifted you in your marriage with, and to never stop learning how to foster it…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8b121e4e36d6ca37c851266507876227.mp3" length="8204369" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8b121e4e36d6ca37c851266507876227.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-job-well-done</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:42</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[That's My God - September 5, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[That’s My God - September 5, 2021

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 1-21 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[That’s My God - September 5, 2021

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 1-21 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 8:1-21)

Mark 8:1-12
1In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
4Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”
5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven.”
6So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. 8So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Matthew 16:1-4
1Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Mark 8:13-15
13And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Galatians 5:7-9
7You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

Luke 12:1-2
1In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 

Mark 8:16-21
16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[That’s My God - September 5, 2021

Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 8 : 1-21 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 8:1-21)

Mark 8:1-12
1In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
4Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”
5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven.”
6So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. 8So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Matthew 16:1-4
1Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Mark 8:13-15
13And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Galatians 5:7-9
7You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

Luke 12:1-2
1In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 

Mark 8:16-21
16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”
They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20“Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”
And they said, “Seven.”
21So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

Psalms 103:1-5
1Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b87e886fcaac236a1ff9141183be40b0.mp3" length="37002374" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b87e886fcaac236a1ff9141183be40b0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/thats-my-god-september-5-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:48</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Right Stuff]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Right Stuff
In 1983 a new movie hit the box office entitled The Right Stuff. The film was all about the race into space, and man’s desire to walk on the moon he had been staring at in the...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Right Stuff
In 1983 a new movie hit the box office entitled The Right Stuff. The film was all about the race into space, and man’s desire to walk on the moon he had been staring at in the night sky for eons. That is the way it is with mankind, we desire to go farther, faster and higher than we ever have before. The drive to do so is fueled by our desire for greatness. On some levels we all desire to be seen as great at what we do, and it never hurts our egos to hear we have the right stuff.
Every day mankind is in the race to become faster, better, smarter than we were the day before. On an individual basis we may be trying to work harder so we will be noticed and get that promotion that pays more. When we make more money we can drive a newer car, live in a better neighborhood, or send our kids to a more prestigious university. As a people we have been racing daily toward faster technology, better medicine, and things like energy independence. Sometimes we are even looking to the stars to see what new discoveries might be right there on the horizon just like in the movie I mentioned a moment ago. We do all of this in the name of progress. 
There is value in progress, I’ll be the first to admit it. Make no mistake, I like many of the things progress has brought to my life. I am glad I can find out almost anything I am wondering by simply saying to my phone, “Hey Google…”. I like that I can heat a cup of cold coffee in about 60 seconds in the microwave. I am especially fond of indoor plumbing, something my own grandparents lived without at times. The problem with progress is that it can make us feel smart. What I mean by that is that it can begin to create the illusion that we know what is best and are capable of making it so. When this happens we begin to think we know what is right for us…and more dangerous yet, we think we are the determiners of what is right and wrong. We become our own authors of our own morality. It is the progressive thing to do.
The obvious problem with that for anyone who thinks about it for more than a second is that eventually in all of our progressiveness no one can deem something to be wrong because it might be determined to be right for someone else. When you follow that logic (or lack of logic) the following thinking can and does ensue; Stealing is ok as long as you don’t take too much. Killing is ok, as long as there is a good enough reason for it. Deeming some of God’s created people more valuable than others is ok if it serves your purposes. Allowing same gender couples to redefine marriage is ok if it will keep people from protesting angrily. Even choosing to ignore the gender God lovingly gave you and trading it for an imagined identity is ok if it makes you feel like you are in control. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:12 …But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. This is the way of humankind. When we try to circumvent God and His statutes because we find them too restrictive, all we have left to use as a standard for righteousness is us. And as Paul said, when we use ourselves as the standard, we have no understanding of the truth.
So what is the answer? Be courageous and stand for The Righteous Stuff. “But wait pastor Ken, won’t I be setting myself up for ridicule and risk being ostracized by those around me?” Yes, you will, and you might even face some forms of persecut...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The Right Stuff
In 1983 a new movie hit the box office entitled The Right Stuff. The film was all about the race into space, and man’s desire to walk on the moon he had been staring at in the night sky for eons. That is the way it is with mankind, we desire to go farther, faster and higher than we ever have before. The drive to do so is fueled by our desire for greatness. On some levels we all desire to be seen as great at what we do, and it never hurts our egos to hear we have the right stuff.
Every day mankind is in the race to become faster, better, smarter than we were the day before. On an individual basis we may be trying to work harder so we will be noticed and get that promotion that pays more. When we make more money we can drive a newer car, live in a better neighborhood, or send our kids to a more prestigious university. As a people we have been racing daily toward faster technology, better medicine, and things like energy independence. Sometimes we are even looking to the stars to see what new discoveries might be right there on the horizon just like in the movie I mentioned a moment ago. We do all of this in the name of progress. 
There is value in progress, I’ll be the first to admit it. Make no mistake, I like many of the things progress has brought to my life. I am glad I can find out almost anything I am wondering by simply saying to my phone, “Hey Google…”. I like that I can heat a cup of cold coffee in about 60 seconds in the microwave. I am especially fond of indoor plumbing, something my own grandparents lived without at times. The problem with progress is that it can make us feel smart. What I mean by that is that it can begin to create the illusion that we know what is best and are capable of making it so. When this happens we begin to think we know what is right for us…and more dangerous yet, we think we are the determiners of what is right and wrong. We become our own authors of our own morality. It is the progressive thing to do.
The obvious problem with that for anyone who thinks about it for more than a second is that eventually in all of our progressiveness no one can deem something to be wrong because it might be determined to be right for someone else. When you follow that logic (or lack of logic) the following thinking can and does ensue; Stealing is ok as long as you don’t take too much. Killing is ok, as long as there is a good enough reason for it. Deeming some of God’s created people more valuable than others is ok if it serves your purposes. Allowing same gender couples to redefine marriage is ok if it will keep people from protesting angrily. Even choosing to ignore the gender God lovingly gave you and trading it for an imagined identity is ok if it makes you feel like you are in control. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:12 …But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. This is the way of humankind. When we try to circumvent God and His statutes because we find them too restrictive, all we have left to use as a standard for righteousness is us. And as Paul said, when we use ourselves as the standard, we have no understanding of the truth.
So what is the answer? Be courageous and stand for The Righteous Stuff. “But wait pastor Ken, won’t I be setting myself up for ridicule and risk being ostracized by those around me?” Yes, you will, and you might even face some forms of persecution for your stance. Why? Ultimately because you will not be standing for what you think as the opposition is, but rather because you will be standing for what God thinks, and people who want to write their own rules have great difficulty even acknowledging there is a God who has already authored the only righteousness that exists. 
In Matthew 5:10-12 it is recorded that Jesus said Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. His disciple Peter echoed that in        1 Peter 3:13-17 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
As I said before, if the suffering were only because you thought differently and were standing in the way of someone’s desire to do their own thing, it might not seem worth it. However, righteousness is not your thought, it is God’s. It is a far different and better thing to ‘take one on the chin’ for what God thinks than simply for what you might think. Jesus went on to say; Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who went before you. Interestingly enough the apostle Peter also chimed in on this same additional thought. 1 Peter 4:12-14 reads, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
So the next time you are having a conversation with someone and your spirit inside of you is in turmoil, don’t try to see how you can fit their ignorance into your faith, determine to be ready to give a kind and gentle, but unwavering answer as to why you believe in The Righteous Stuff. If it doesn’t seem to go well…no worries, it actually did. God cannot and will not be in your debt. He has promised that your reward from Him will exceedingly outweigh any persecution you have endured for Him.
So now, determining to always stand for The Righteous Stuff. For Christ’s sake…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6ee11fb04cc2c429fd8cbb7854c78ba3.mp3" length="10281433" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6ee11fb04cc2c429fd8cbb7854c78ba3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-right-stuff</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:08</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[It Was Very Good]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and this is my Monday marriage message…It Was Very Good
Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
You might rightly ask yourself, what on ea...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and this is my Monday marriage message…It Was Very Good
Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
You might rightly ask yourself, what on earth this verse has to do with marriage. Stick with me until the end and in fact into next week’s podcast, and I promise it will become abundantly evident why this verse is so important to you and your marriage. One of my favorite sayings is “Today is a good day to have a good day”. In fact, that quote hangs on a sign in our home just above the front door so that I can be reminded of it each day before I leave the house. Sometimes I need that reminder more than others. It is true though…today is a good day to have a good day! Did you know that God has good days too? You might ask, For God, isn’t every day a good day? The answer to that is no. How can that be? If God is good and loving, and in fact perfect (and He is) how can He have a bad day? Notice I did not say He has bad days…I only said some days are not good days in God’s view. We know this to be true from scripture…the scripture above to be exact.
Genesis 1:4 tells us that God viewed the first day of creation as a good day. Genesis 1:10 says that God saw what took place on the second day of creation as a good day. Genesis 1:12 tells us that God found the third day of creation to be a good day. Genesis 1:17 tells us that as God looked over all He had created on the fourth day that He saw it as a good day. Genesis 1:21 says that God viewed what He had created on the fifth day of creation as a good day. The sixth day was the day God created man and woman. Genesis 1:31 as quoted above tells us that God saw the sixth day of His creation and His response was that it was a very good day! In fact, verse 25 speaks to the fact that also on the sixth day God created the beasts of the earth. After doing so it says that He saw that it was good, but after He created Adam and Eve…about that…He said it was very good. God’s view of the day that He created the beings He desired to have relationship with got ‘kicked up a notch’ upon their arrival.
It is kind of reminiscent of what we do when we know there is a new baby coming. We prepare everything we can. We buy the items we will need to feed and clothe and care for the new baby when it arrives. We even find excitement in outlaying the money that we might not otherwise be so happy to part with. The days that we spend doing so are good days. We prepare the room in our home where the baby will sleep. We even give it a special name…the nursery. We paint and decorate, put together overpriced and under-crafted furniture, special for the baby’s needs. We hang the mobile with love and care, all in anticipation that the baby will soon arrive. It’s hard work, it takes time we would normally say we don’t have…but those are still good days. Then comes the day everyone has been waiting for. Mom says it’s time to go, so it’s off to the hospital for the coming arrival of the new family member. When the baby is finally here, even though it has been exhausting…especially for mom…when you are able to hold that tiny, warm…incredibly loud for its size, baby…it is a very good day! Why? Because the one you will spend the rest of your life enjoying relationship with is finally on scene!
I think God probably experienced some of those same emotions and feelings when all of the preparations of the previous five days wer...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and this is my Monday marriage message…It Was Very Good
Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
You might rightly ask yourself, what on earth this verse has to do with marriage. Stick with me until the end and in fact into next week’s podcast, and I promise it will become abundantly evident why this verse is so important to you and your marriage. One of my favorite sayings is “Today is a good day to have a good day”. In fact, that quote hangs on a sign in our home just above the front door so that I can be reminded of it each day before I leave the house. Sometimes I need that reminder more than others. It is true though…today is a good day to have a good day! Did you know that God has good days too? You might ask, For God, isn’t every day a good day? The answer to that is no. How can that be? If God is good and loving, and in fact perfect (and He is) how can He have a bad day? Notice I did not say He has bad days…I only said some days are not good days in God’s view. We know this to be true from scripture…the scripture above to be exact.
Genesis 1:4 tells us that God viewed the first day of creation as a good day. Genesis 1:10 says that God saw what took place on the second day of creation as a good day. Genesis 1:12 tells us that God found the third day of creation to be a good day. Genesis 1:17 tells us that as God looked over all He had created on the fourth day that He saw it as a good day. Genesis 1:21 says that God viewed what He had created on the fifth day of creation as a good day. The sixth day was the day God created man and woman. Genesis 1:31 as quoted above tells us that God saw the sixth day of His creation and His response was that it was a very good day! In fact, verse 25 speaks to the fact that also on the sixth day God created the beasts of the earth. After doing so it says that He saw that it was good, but after He created Adam and Eve…about that…He said it was very good. God’s view of the day that He created the beings He desired to have relationship with got ‘kicked up a notch’ upon their arrival.
It is kind of reminiscent of what we do when we know there is a new baby coming. We prepare everything we can. We buy the items we will need to feed and clothe and care for the new baby when it arrives. We even find excitement in outlaying the money that we might not otherwise be so happy to part with. The days that we spend doing so are good days. We prepare the room in our home where the baby will sleep. We even give it a special name…the nursery. We paint and decorate, put together overpriced and under-crafted furniture, special for the baby’s needs. We hang the mobile with love and care, all in anticipation that the baby will soon arrive. It’s hard work, it takes time we would normally say we don’t have…but those are still good days. Then comes the day everyone has been waiting for. Mom says it’s time to go, so it’s off to the hospital for the coming arrival of the new family member. When the baby is finally here, even though it has been exhausting…especially for mom…when you are able to hold that tiny, warm…incredibly loud for its size, baby…it is a very good day! Why? Because the one you will spend the rest of your life enjoying relationship with is finally on scene!
I think God probably experienced some of those same emotions and feelings when all of the preparations of the previous five days were completed. I think when God was finally ready to create Adam and Eve, no matter how much energy had to go into getting ready for their arrival, it was a very good day! The Bible tells us in the beginning of the next chapter that on the seventh day God rested. When we rest after completing a large task, we often want to be alone…maybe take a nap, but not God. It is clear from His word and the requirements He put in place for that day of rest that His intention was to spend it with us! Have you ever considered that we, as His special, very good, creation are so important to God that the day after He created mankind, He took the next one off from the incredibly important work He had been doing just so He could spend it with His people! 

Questions to Answer:
1.	What do you think made the sixth day a very good day for God over the previous five days?
2.	Do you see God as someone who has such a desire for human beings as I have described?
3.	Do you think He has individual feelings toward you?

Actions to Take:
1.	Continue praying for your marriage and for your spouse.
2.	Read Psalm 139 together and talk about what it says about how fondly God thinks toward the two of you.

So now, relishing in the fact that as far as God is concerned, the day you arrived was a very good
day…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b155b862f79f6e4ad24079ec8ff58c95.mp3" length="8308287" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b155b862f79f6e4ad24079ec8ff58c95.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/it-was-very-good</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:46</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[He Does All Things Well - August 29, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 7 : 31-37 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossro...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 7 : 31-37 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 7 : 31-37 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f13addb16d516cb3bf688d8952885691.mp3" length="20912736" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f13addb16d516cb3bf688d8952885691.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/he-does-all-things-well-august-29-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Idol Worship vs. Idle Worship]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…I-d-o-l worship vs. I-d-l-e worship.

Daniel Chapter 5:1-31 is where we read of the mysterious finger writing on the wall. The account from the book of Daniel in the New Living Translation b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…I-d-o-l worship vs. I-d-l-e worship.

Daniel Chapter 5:1-31 is where we read of the mysterious finger writing on the wall. The account from the book of Daniel in the New Living Translation begins as follows: Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him…the rest of the chapter completes the account and I would encourage you to read it. 

As I was reading this chapter it got me thinking about how such an archaic, seemingly specific to that situation, act of God can be applied to us today. While it is an incredible account from the Old Testament, one many Sunday school lessons for children have been written about, what is the message contained within for us to consider. Almost immediately the title for this podcast came to mind, and the rest just seemed to follow. 

Belshazzar the son of the great Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, knew what his father’s life had been like. Nebuchadnezzar is to my knowledge the only example we have in scripture of a true case of narcissism that was turned around. Nebuchadnezzar loved himself above all else. He thought he was the best, strongest, mightiest, wisest ruler to ever walk the face of the earth. He gave no credit to God for the fact that his entire kingdom had been given to him with the express purpose of God using his strength to bring judgement upon the Israelites for their lack of acknowledging God. (It seem both he and the Israelite people had the same problem) As we read in the previous chapter of Daniel, the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and self-love (one of the defining characteristics of narcissism) was that he went crazy and crawled around on all fours eating grass and living in the fields without shelter for seven years! It was not until he was humbled and finally admitted that God was greater than he was and deserving of everyone’s honor that his sanity returned and his kingdom was restored to him. 

Even though Belshazzar his son was fully aware of all of that, he too chose to elevate himself above God by using sacred goblets taken from the temple in Jerusalem to use during his drunken orgy, but he also chose to worship other gods at the same time. The result of this careless action was the hand of God wrote a warning to him on a wall with all of his guests witnessing it with him. The message; MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN God has numbered the days of your reign, and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Meads and the Persians. (Daniel 5:25-28) That very night, Belshazzar was killed and King Darius of the Meads to...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…I-d-o-l worship vs. I-d-l-e worship.

Daniel Chapter 5:1-31 is where we read of the mysterious finger writing on the wall. The account from the book of Daniel in the New Living Translation begins as follows: Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him…the rest of the chapter completes the account and I would encourage you to read it. 

As I was reading this chapter it got me thinking about how such an archaic, seemingly specific to that situation, act of God can be applied to us today. While it is an incredible account from the Old Testament, one many Sunday school lessons for children have been written about, what is the message contained within for us to consider. Almost immediately the title for this podcast came to mind, and the rest just seemed to follow. 

Belshazzar the son of the great Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, knew what his father’s life had been like. Nebuchadnezzar is to my knowledge the only example we have in scripture of a true case of narcissism that was turned around. Nebuchadnezzar loved himself above all else. He thought he was the best, strongest, mightiest, wisest ruler to ever walk the face of the earth. He gave no credit to God for the fact that his entire kingdom had been given to him with the express purpose of God using his strength to bring judgement upon the Israelites for their lack of acknowledging God. (It seem both he and the Israelite people had the same problem) As we read in the previous chapter of Daniel, the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and self-love (one of the defining characteristics of narcissism) was that he went crazy and crawled around on all fours eating grass and living in the fields without shelter for seven years! It was not until he was humbled and finally admitted that God was greater than he was and deserving of everyone’s honor that his sanity returned and his kingdom was restored to him. 

Even though Belshazzar his son was fully aware of all of that, he too chose to elevate himself above God by using sacred goblets taken from the temple in Jerusalem to use during his drunken orgy, but he also chose to worship other gods at the same time. The result of this careless action was the hand of God wrote a warning to him on a wall with all of his guests witnessing it with him. The message; MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN God has numbered the days of your reign, and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Meads and the Persians. (Daniel 5:25-28) That very night, Belshazzar was killed and King Darius of the Meads took over his kingdom.

I-d-o-l worship vs. I-d-l-e worship. This scriptural account gives cause for us to see that both are deadly. Belshazzar’s thinking was that the goblets were only wine glasses made of gold. However, he knew where they had come from. He knew they had been consecrated to the God of the Israelites. He also knew who God is because he was aware that his father Nebuchadnezzar had been forced to finally humble himself before God. His arrogant use of the goblets for a sinful debase party was an act of utter nonchalance to the highest extent. It was i-d-l-e worship. We must never trivialize the things God says are sacred. His word, His Son’s sacrifice, His church (the people), marriage...etc. When we take the things God holds dear and make them meaningless we are walking on very thin ice. Will God forgive someone who does these things and genuinely repents? Yes, ask the apostle Paul about that. But those who choose to do it as a way of life, and have no heart to do otherwise...they are in extreme danger! 

The other thing Belshazzar was found guilty of was I-d-o-l worship. Not only did he take the things that were God’s and treated them with no respect, He openly worshiped his own gods, and thereby robbed God of His deserved worship and adoration. We like to think that I-d-o-l worship is a thing of the ancient past, or that it is only practiced by indigenous peoples of third world countries. If only this were so. I think there is more I-d-o-l worship in our great country than anywhere else on the planet. God requires the highest standing in our lives, it must be reserved for Him and Him alone. If God is not first place in our lives then something or someone else is, and that is I-d-o-l worship. I think we are also guiltier in our country perhaps than anywhere else on the globe of I-d-l-e worship. We do not as a people give the things God says are holy near the respect they deserve. Until we become humbled as a nation and seek God in all that we do, we are destined for further problems. 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the New King James Version reads as follows: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  

As a country, as a people, as individuals, I think it worthy to consider the account found in Daniel chapter five. I-d-o-l worship or I-d-l-e worship, both are epic failures as people to bring the glory and the honor deserved to…and reserved for…the One True God.
So now, making certain to give God all of the honor and respect He deserves as our God and King…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b5aef26713f407a3e7b4fca29ce805dc.mp3" length="10492423" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b5aef26713f407a3e7b4fca29ce805dc.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/idol-worship-vs-idle-worship</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[It Takes Two...To Reflect One]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…It Takes Two
This week we are going to continue to extract truths from the same base scripture we have been looking at for the past several weeks. Just to refresh our memories allow me to read...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…It Takes Two
This week we are going to continue to extract truths from the same base scripture we have been looking at for the past several weeks. Just to refresh our memories allow me to read it to you again.
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
In the past two weeks we have considered two different truths from this scripture. Truth #1 – The oneness of the Trinity is the standard for the oneness given to us in our marriages. Truth #2 – God created marriage as the way that we can more fully reflect His holiness. This week I want to examine a third truth – God had to create both a man and a woman to have something capable of reflecting His many characteristics.
As we noted last week, there is more to God than we will ever know. His word does allude to many of His characteristics. Some of those qualities are more readily found in man than they are in woman. Some of those qualities are present in the female but not in the male. Normally we see God as male because He is almost always referred to in His word with male pronouns. But there are many attributes of God that we find only exhibited in women. In fact, one of the names for God, El Shaddai, that we have translated to mean Almighty God who provides, may be a bit of a misnomer. Scofield’s reference notes states; The qualifying word Shaddai is formed from the Hebrew word "shad," the breast, invariably used in Scripture for a woman's breast. This means that the name El Shaddai actually means the almighty breasted one who makes provision. The one who provides what we need as a mother provides nourishment for her child. The point here isn’t if God is more male or more female, Jesus said He is Spirit. The point is that He is so great, so all encompassing, that neither man nor woman of their own accord, not even if they were perfect, would be capable of reflecting all of His attributes. God created both male and female so together they might be more capable of comprehensively reflecting who He is and what His capabilities are.
One of the easiest ways to see this is with the capability to create life. God can create life all on His own. In fact, that is what we have been considering for the past three weeks. Can man create life all on his own? Of course not. Can woman create life all on her own? The answer again is no. Though women do the bulk of the work when it comes to bringing new life into the world, (and ladies we as men are incredibly grateful for that). Women are still unable to create life independent of a man. However, when a man and a woman are both present, are they capable of creating life as God can? Yes!
Interestingly, most men and women do not balk at the differences they possess that allow them to create life. Most of the time, in fact, they celebrate those differences. I am unashamedly happy that my wife’s body is different than mine! I think she, too, enjoys the fact that I am different than she is, physically speaking. About the only time I might wish she were built like I am is when we are trying to move something that is too heavy for the muscle structure God created her to...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…It Takes Two
This week we are going to continue to extract truths from the same base scripture we have been looking at for the past several weeks. Just to refresh our memories allow me to read it to you again.
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
In the past two weeks we have considered two different truths from this scripture. Truth #1 – The oneness of the Trinity is the standard for the oneness given to us in our marriages. Truth #2 – God created marriage as the way that we can more fully reflect His holiness. This week I want to examine a third truth – God had to create both a man and a woman to have something capable of reflecting His many characteristics.
As we noted last week, there is more to God than we will ever know. His word does allude to many of His characteristics. Some of those qualities are more readily found in man than they are in woman. Some of those qualities are present in the female but not in the male. Normally we see God as male because He is almost always referred to in His word with male pronouns. But there are many attributes of God that we find only exhibited in women. In fact, one of the names for God, El Shaddai, that we have translated to mean Almighty God who provides, may be a bit of a misnomer. Scofield’s reference notes states; The qualifying word Shaddai is formed from the Hebrew word "shad," the breast, invariably used in Scripture for a woman's breast. This means that the name El Shaddai actually means the almighty breasted one who makes provision. The one who provides what we need as a mother provides nourishment for her child. The point here isn’t if God is more male or more female, Jesus said He is Spirit. The point is that He is so great, so all encompassing, that neither man nor woman of their own accord, not even if they were perfect, would be capable of reflecting all of His attributes. God created both male and female so together they might be more capable of comprehensively reflecting who He is and what His capabilities are.
One of the easiest ways to see this is with the capability to create life. God can create life all on His own. In fact, that is what we have been considering for the past three weeks. Can man create life all on his own? Of course not. Can woman create life all on her own? The answer again is no. Though women do the bulk of the work when it comes to bringing new life into the world, (and ladies we as men are incredibly grateful for that). Women are still unable to create life independent of a man. However, when a man and a woman are both present, are they capable of creating life as God can? Yes!
Interestingly, most men and women do not balk at the differences they possess that allow them to create life. Most of the time, in fact, they celebrate those differences. I am unashamedly happy that my wife’s body is different than mine! I think she, too, enjoys the fact that I am different than she is, physically speaking. About the only time I might wish she were built like I am is when we are trying to move something that is too heavy for the muscle structure God created her to have. Other than those few and far between occurrences, we celebrate the fact that we have been created so differently.
While we appreciate the physical differences we have apart from our spouse, the differences do not end there, but often our appreciation does.  As I said, God has many, many characteristics that as men and women we reflect. Some are able to be reflected in both genders, some are individually specific to one gender or the other. When we begin to lack appreciation for those qualities we do not personally possess, trouble begins to arise. We will look further into some of the differences we have as men and women that are individually reflective of our creator in the podcasts to come. For the purposes of this edition it is important only that we recognize that God created both male and female, and that the purpose for that goes much farther than procreation alone. Though that ability does allow for our reflection of one of God’s attributes, it is but one.
Questions to Answer:
1.	What other attributes of God do you think we are to reflect that might be gender specific?
2.	If your spouse has an attribute that reflects one of God’s, but you don’t possess or even understand the importance of it, are they right or wrong to display it?
3.	If you are truly “one flesh” as Jesus spoke of in Matthew chapter 19, and your spouse displays an attribute of God’s that you do not possess…are you also then endowed with that attribute?
Actions to Take:
1.	Try to find evidence of your answers to the first question above in God’s word.
2.	Celebrate the physical differences – tell your spouse what physical differences the two of you have that you particularly appreciate and why.
3.	Thank God for the differences that you and your spouse possess and ask Him to help you appreciate the ones you may not even be aware of yet.
4.	Begin praying daily – in other words for the rest of your life, for your marriage. Pray that it will be all that God wants it to be. Pray that you will be open to anything God wants to teach you about your marriage that you may not have already known. Pray that your spouse will be blessed by you as you try your best to reflect the characteristics of God that He has created you to display.
So now, looking forward to finding the blessing in all of your differences…Go Be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1a74a75115fb1398635afc8180657e11.mp3" length="7369934" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1a74a75115fb1398635afc8180657e11.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/it-takes-twoto-reflect-one</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:43:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:42</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Happy Anniversary to Me!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Anniversary to me!
Yes, today is my anniversary. On this day twenty-one years ago I married my lovely bride Lynn. I make this shameless plug not because I want everyone to know my person...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Anniversary to me!
Yes, today is my anniversary. On this day twenty-one years ago I married my lovely bride Lynn. I make this shameless plug not because I want everyone to know my personal business…I am not that guy. I tell you this because I love my wife immensely, and since this is our anniversary, I find my thoughts on this Thursday to be firmly fixed on her. God has blessed us and our marriage and I am incredibly fortunate to have her as my wife. She is absolutely the best, and anyone who knows us…knows I am the luckiest!
When I think of our twenty-one years together and look back at the sunny August day it all began, the theme that breaks through all of the bright memories of that day are the promises we made to God and to one another. Promises are a weighty thing. They are more than words. When it comes to nuptials, they are conditions we willingly place on ourselves for the duration of our time on this planet. As people we all fail to keep our promises perfectly. No married person among us could say that we have cherished our spouse with every thought, action and word in every moment of every day since we married. There is only One who always keeps His promises. 
So what are the promises made to us by our God who likens Himself to being our groom and us His Bride?
He promises to always want to hold our hand. Isaiah 41:10 says: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Just a few verses later in verse 13 He says; For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. God reiterates that promise in Psalm 37:23-24: The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I don’t know about you but it is almost too wonderful for me to consider that if I will only walk by His side and choose to position myself close to Him…my God always desires to hold my hand.
He promises to be a source of unending peace. Isaiah 26:3 says of God; You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. In John 14:27 Jesus made this awesome promise to us regarding peace; Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. In John 16:33 Jesus went on to promise; “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Our groom has in fact through His resurrection conquered everything…even death! Everything in heaven and on the earth has been placed under His authority. There is tremendous peace that comes from recognizing that we are loved and cared for by the One with supreme power over all. Because of that, Paul was able to go on to write in Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
He promised to always be there for us. Deuteronomy 31:8 says; The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Exodus 14:14 tells...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Anniversary to me!
Yes, today is my anniversary. On this day twenty-one years ago I married my lovely bride Lynn. I make this shameless plug not because I want everyone to know my personal business…I am not that guy. I tell you this because I love my wife immensely, and since this is our anniversary, I find my thoughts on this Thursday to be firmly fixed on her. God has blessed us and our marriage and I am incredibly fortunate to have her as my wife. She is absolutely the best, and anyone who knows us…knows I am the luckiest!
When I think of our twenty-one years together and look back at the sunny August day it all began, the theme that breaks through all of the bright memories of that day are the promises we made to God and to one another. Promises are a weighty thing. They are more than words. When it comes to nuptials, they are conditions we willingly place on ourselves for the duration of our time on this planet. As people we all fail to keep our promises perfectly. No married person among us could say that we have cherished our spouse with every thought, action and word in every moment of every day since we married. There is only One who always keeps His promises. 
So what are the promises made to us by our God who likens Himself to being our groom and us His Bride?
He promises to always want to hold our hand. Isaiah 41:10 says: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Just a few verses later in verse 13 He says; For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. God reiterates that promise in Psalm 37:23-24: The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I don’t know about you but it is almost too wonderful for me to consider that if I will only walk by His side and choose to position myself close to Him…my God always desires to hold my hand.
He promises to be a source of unending peace. Isaiah 26:3 says of God; You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. In John 14:27 Jesus made this awesome promise to us regarding peace; Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. In John 16:33 Jesus went on to promise; “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Our groom has in fact through His resurrection conquered everything…even death! Everything in heaven and on the earth has been placed under His authority. There is tremendous peace that comes from recognizing that we are loved and cared for by the One with supreme power over all. Because of that, Paul was able to go on to write in Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
He promised to always be there for us. Deuteronomy 31:8 says; The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Exodus 14:14 tells us; The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Isaiah 43:2 encourages us that no matter what this life may throw at us, no matter what trouble may be on the horizon, our groom will be right there with us through it all; When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Psalm 23:4 continues that theme, there the Psalmist makes it clear that;  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Finally, one of the promises of God that I love so much, one that is an encouragement of His ever presence with me is found in Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. No matter what God asks of us He has promised to always be there for us every step of the way! 
Why?
He promises that He loves us! Psalm 86:5 says; You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Isaiah 54:10 Says of His great love for us; Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Centuries later Paul wrote of our groom’s love for us in Ephesians 3:16-19 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. God promised that He will always love us. We know that love to be true as Paul wrote because while we were yet sinners, not caring at all for Him, Christ died for us. Jesus substantiated that by saying that it takes tremendous love to be willing to lay down one’s life to save another…exactly what He did for us!
There are many, many promises from God’s word toward us…His bride. There would be no way in this format for me to offer but a small spattering of them as I have done. It is good to know however that He promises to always hold onto us. He promises to give us peace, because He also promised to always be right there with us. How can He make such Promises? Because He has promised to us his great and unending Love. In contrast, His promises kind of makes the promises I made to Lynn twenty-one years ago seem kind of feeble. So what does He require of us in response to those awesome promises? It’s simple really. Give everything we have and are to Him so He can give all He has to us!
So now, basking in the promises your groom has made to you, walking ever close by His side…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3a36ae6f43a300c68bad5348c09a0ae2.mp3" length="11450169" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3a36ae6f43a300c68bad5348c09a0ae2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/happy-anniversary-to-me</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who is the Most Holy of them all?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Who is the Most Holy of Them All
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Who is the Most Holy of Them All
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Last week I spoke about the truth that God wants us to experience a oneness in our marriages that is much like the oneness shared within the Trinity. I spoke of the imperative existence of oneness in our marriages, and the fact that it isn’t simply a desirable augmentation when possible, but rather a position that God intends all marriages to operate from. Today I want to speak with you about the Second truth I want to glean from this scripture – “In our image and in our likeness.” The intent of God was to create of every marriage an entity that reflected Him in all of its ways. His desire was that people would recognize that likeness is exclusive to the rest of creation, and was purposed so they could commune together in perfect harmony. God has many qualities and characteristics that He desires to see reflected in mankind so that both...might fully recognize the special nature of the relationship of man to God and God to man.
The stated intent of creating mankind is that mankind reflect the creator. I will draw your attention in the coming weeks to the fact that marriage is an integral part of the creation account. As such, the marriage of a man to a woman is intended to further the understanding and capability to accurately reflect God. It is most important that we understand we are created to reflect God in both His image and His likeness. This alone is enough to keep theologians busy for their professional careers trying to fully understand it and convey to us its truths. Obviously then, I will only brush the surface of its meaning and will do so in the simplest of terms.
God is many things…countless are His attributes. In our fallen state we cannot begin to know who He is and how He operates in His entirety. God’s word tells us in Isiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Therefore, we are wisest to admit that we cannot know even a fraction of what we are created to reflect, yet we would be foolish to allow that to make us believe ourselves unable to do what we were created to do. In other words, though we will be finding out the depth of God’s character and attributes for all eternity, we are responsible to begin emulating each one of them as they become known to us.
What we can know is the nature of God…that He is Holy. His holiness has some defining parameters. Holiness will not allow for sinful action. In fact, the opposite of any sin you can name is holiness. The opposite of a liar is not an honest person, it is holiness. The opposite of a thief is not a preserver, it is holiness. The opposite of a cheater is not a faithful person it is holiness. Therefore, we can know that we are to reflect only those things which are holy. God’s word says as much in 1 Peter 1:15,16 But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” It is interesting to note that this scripture is not the overb...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Who is the Most Holy of Them All
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Last week I spoke about the truth that God wants us to experience a oneness in our marriages that is much like the oneness shared within the Trinity. I spoke of the imperative existence of oneness in our marriages, and the fact that it isn’t simply a desirable augmentation when possible, but rather a position that God intends all marriages to operate from. Today I want to speak with you about the Second truth I want to glean from this scripture – “In our image and in our likeness.” The intent of God was to create of every marriage an entity that reflected Him in all of its ways. His desire was that people would recognize that likeness is exclusive to the rest of creation, and was purposed so they could commune together in perfect harmony. God has many qualities and characteristics that He desires to see reflected in mankind so that both...might fully recognize the special nature of the relationship of man to God and God to man.
The stated intent of creating mankind is that mankind reflect the creator. I will draw your attention in the coming weeks to the fact that marriage is an integral part of the creation account. As such, the marriage of a man to a woman is intended to further the understanding and capability to accurately reflect God. It is most important that we understand we are created to reflect God in both His image and His likeness. This alone is enough to keep theologians busy for their professional careers trying to fully understand it and convey to us its truths. Obviously then, I will only brush the surface of its meaning and will do so in the simplest of terms.
God is many things…countless are His attributes. In our fallen state we cannot begin to know who He is and how He operates in His entirety. God’s word tells us in Isiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Therefore, we are wisest to admit that we cannot know even a fraction of what we are created to reflect, yet we would be foolish to allow that to make us believe ourselves unable to do what we were created to do. In other words, though we will be finding out the depth of God’s character and attributes for all eternity, we are responsible to begin emulating each one of them as they become known to us.
What we can know is the nature of God…that He is Holy. His holiness has some defining parameters. Holiness will not allow for sinful action. In fact, the opposite of any sin you can name is holiness. The opposite of a liar is not an honest person, it is holiness. The opposite of a thief is not a preserver, it is holiness. The opposite of a cheater is not a faithful person it is holiness. Therefore, we can know that we are to reflect only those things which are holy. God’s word says as much in 1 Peter 1:15,16 But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” It is interesting to note that this scripture is not the overbearing, impossible command that it is sometimes mistaken for. Rather the connotation is actually that of God attempting to draw us into becoming like Him in order that we might be in right relationship with Him, just as a man might attempt to woo the object of his affection. From this we can extract two things. First that we are called to ensure that our actions do not violate the holiness we are to reflect. Sinful actions never reflect the image and likeness of God. Second, holiness is possible. God does not give us instructions we cannot practice. Notice I did not say perfect. In this life we are being perfected so that in the next we can be presented to Christ as a perfect bride without spot or blemish. (Ephesians 5:27) We must practice reflecting God’s holiness both as individuals and as a part of our marriages if we are to fulfill His purpose for our creation.
Questions to Answer:
1.	Do you agree that the creator gets to determine the purpose of the created?
2.	How do you each think you do at recognizing the necessity to be reflective of God in your everyday lives?
3.	How can you be reminded that your words and actions must reflect the nature of God? 

Actions to Take:
1.	Tell your spouse one area you see where you feel they do a good job of reflecting God.
2.	Thank your spouse for being willing to allow God to take control of their life in that area.
3.	Pray that God will help you see the areas He wants you to reflect Him better.
So now, determining to reflect God in every way possible, go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/02f9984a86785a41904ac3812328009b.mp3" length="8507403" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/02f9984a86785a41904ac3812328009b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-who-is-the-most-holy-of-them-all</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hello Saint - August 15, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Carl Vincent]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hello Saints - August 15 , 2021

Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Carl Vincent preaches out of Hebrews For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hello Saints - August 15 , 2021

Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Carl Vincent preaches out of Hebrews For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hello Saints - August 15 , 2021

Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Carl Vincent preaches out of Hebrews For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d3b3b4828a4b43273d7b44ceea7c8a6e.mp3" length="21816288" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d3b3b4828a4b43273d7b44ceea7c8a6e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/hello-saint-august-15-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Aug 2021 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[This Little Light of Mine]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…This Little Light of Mine  
As a Papa (in our family that means grandpa) I get to sing lots of children’s songs with little ones. The sheer number of grandchildren we have, fourteen, has give...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…This Little Light of Mine  
As a Papa (in our family that means grandpa) I get to sing lots of children’s songs with little ones. The sheer number of grandchildren we have, fourteen, has given me many opportunities to do so. Generally, I only do when they are very young because at the tender age of one or two they are unable to appreciate just how poorly their Papa sings. If they get much older than that, and I attempt it, I am met with some puzzled expressions from their sweet faces that cause me to laugh to the point of not being able to sing anyway. One of the tunes I remember singing with them and in fact, some of their parents as well, is This Little Light of Mine.
You know how it goes…this little light is going to “Shine all over the neighborhood”, we won’t “Hide it under a bushel”, and we “Won’t let Satan blow it out”. We are going to “Let it shine, let it shine, all the time”. Scripture certainly reinforces the truth of this children’s hymn. 
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Have you ever considered that the 7 days we speak about at Crossroad are intended solely to glorify our Heavenly Father? According to this scripture the good things we do are to be done so that Jesus is seen, not so that we are seen. So if people walk right by when you are trying to serve them and don’t even think to thank you…that’s ok, it’s Jesus we want them to see, not us. If we return kindness for unkindness, awesome, but don’t become discouraged if you don’t get the result you want…it’s not about you…it’s ok if you seem invisible. We have to remember, we’re not showing off, we’re showing Jesus off.
In the verse just before the one above Matthew 5:15 Jesus said: “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (NLT) This analogy is wonderful because in its practical sense it is a ‘no brainer’…and so that same inclination should transfer to the intended message. It should be a ‘no brainer’ that the truth of the gospel would be on display in our lives at all times. That we would never shy away from telling someone about Jesus. J.D. Greer says in his book Not God Enough that there are really only two reasons we would fail to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus. Either we don’t care enough about them to try to help save their lives or, we don’t really believe that it is necessary for them to follow Christ for to avoid losing their lives. A difficult thought to consider for certain. We like to say it is because the time isn’t right, or we haven’t felt the call of the Spirit to speak. The truth is though; we would never wonder if the time was right to jump into a pool to save a drowning child or wait for a prompting from the Holy Spirit to shout an emphatic warning to a blind person ready to step onto a busy street. Again a hard consideration to ponder, but a necessary one I think.
John 1:5 in the New Living Translation says The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Again the truth of the metaphor contained in this scripture is evident. Light in any amount overcomes darkness. Darkness ceases to exist in the light, any light. By definition darkness is the absence of light, therefore, any level of light causes darkness to cease being darkness. However, we all know there...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…This Little Light of Mine  
As a Papa (in our family that means grandpa) I get to sing lots of children’s songs with little ones. The sheer number of grandchildren we have, fourteen, has given me many opportunities to do so. Generally, I only do when they are very young because at the tender age of one or two they are unable to appreciate just how poorly their Papa sings. If they get much older than that, and I attempt it, I am met with some puzzled expressions from their sweet faces that cause me to laugh to the point of not being able to sing anyway. One of the tunes I remember singing with them and in fact, some of their parents as well, is This Little Light of Mine.
You know how it goes…this little light is going to “Shine all over the neighborhood”, we won’t “Hide it under a bushel”, and we “Won’t let Satan blow it out”. We are going to “Let it shine, let it shine, all the time”. Scripture certainly reinforces the truth of this children’s hymn. 
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Have you ever considered that the 7 days we speak about at Crossroad are intended solely to glorify our Heavenly Father? According to this scripture the good things we do are to be done so that Jesus is seen, not so that we are seen. So if people walk right by when you are trying to serve them and don’t even think to thank you…that’s ok, it’s Jesus we want them to see, not us. If we return kindness for unkindness, awesome, but don’t become discouraged if you don’t get the result you want…it’s not about you…it’s ok if you seem invisible. We have to remember, we’re not showing off, we’re showing Jesus off.
In the verse just before the one above Matthew 5:15 Jesus said: “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (NLT) This analogy is wonderful because in its practical sense it is a ‘no brainer’…and so that same inclination should transfer to the intended message. It should be a ‘no brainer’ that the truth of the gospel would be on display in our lives at all times. That we would never shy away from telling someone about Jesus. J.D. Greer says in his book Not God Enough that there are really only two reasons we would fail to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus. Either we don’t care enough about them to try to help save their lives or, we don’t really believe that it is necessary for them to follow Christ for to avoid losing their lives. A difficult thought to consider for certain. We like to say it is because the time isn’t right, or we haven’t felt the call of the Spirit to speak. The truth is though; we would never wonder if the time was right to jump into a pool to save a drowning child or wait for a prompting from the Holy Spirit to shout an emphatic warning to a blind person ready to step onto a busy street. Again a hard consideration to ponder, but a necessary one I think.
John 1:5 in the New Living Translation says The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Again the truth of the metaphor contained in this scripture is evident. Light in any amount overcomes darkness. Darkness ceases to exist in the light, any light. By definition darkness is the absence of light, therefore, any level of light causes darkness to cease being darkness. However, we all know there are varying degrees of light. Anyone who has ever watched the sun rise has witnessed this phenomenon. The more light we allow to shine through our lives the brighter the surrounding. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:8: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 
John 8:12 in the New King James Version reads: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." As Christ followers we know what Jesus meant when He made this statement. We know that He was making His assertion with His “I AM” statement that He was indeed the Son of God. We understand that the darkness He spoke of was not physical darkness but the darkness of sin. We also understand Him to be saying that if we have Him, or better said, let Him have us, we will posses the light He offers, the light of righteousness and eternal life with Him. We know all of that, we believe all of that, we must share all of that…all the time…with everybody. “Let it shine, Let it shine, All the time!”
So now, singing this children’s hymn with everything you have…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a6eec664ae31f7561b642f2eb1b451ff.mp3" length="7382381" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a6eec664ae31f7561b642f2eb1b451ff.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/this-little-light-of-mine</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:07</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Oneness Factor]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…The Oneness Factor
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, an...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…The Oneness Factor
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
In Genesis chapter one we read each of the day’s events of the very first week of the existence of all that we know. It was not the beginning of time so to speak. God is timeless and His word indicates quite clearly that He has always been and will forever be. Psalm 90:2 says, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. However, this first chapter of the book of Genesis does lay out for us the events as they occurred during creation week. Verses 26 and 27 above speak of the events of the sixth day of that week. There are some important theological truths contained in these verses and the ones that follow. I will spend the next several weeks of this podcast covering each of those truths and unpacking how they are important in practical ways as it relates to your marriage.
The very first truth I want to extract from this scripture is the following; – God said, “Let Us…”. This is the first indication of the Holy Trinity. Later scripture goes on to indicate that the “Us” spoken of here is referring to God the Father, God the Son, and The Holy Spirit…the three in One. This triune Oneness experienced and illustrated by God is intended to become the pattern for every marriage going forward.
Chapter 17 in the Gospel of John is the scripture reference where we read what Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. In John 17:20-23 we read the portion of Jesus’ prayer that is prayed for all believers yet to come…for you and I; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
This is an important scripture because the Greek word used in this scripture to indicate the ‘oneness’ that exists between Jesus and the Father, and that is the noted desire for us to experience with Jesus and the Father (and by association, the Holy Spirit), is the same word Jesus used in Matthew 19:6 when He spoke of the ‘oneness’ of a marriage between a man and a woman. This Greek word, Hen in fact does translate into English as the word One, but it has further connotation of something that is homogenized or mixed so thoroughly that it is unable to be separated again. Consider the analogy of the bread I offered in last Monday’s podcast entitled “The Right Questions”
Oneness is foundational to marriage. We must first accept that as truth in order to experience the value of the oneness in our own marriages. Our ‘oneness’ experience will not be perfect until we taste of it with Christ in heaven, however, our marriage is intended to help us know of its goodness. God the...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message…The Oneness Factor
Genesis 1:26,27 reads; Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
In Genesis chapter one we read each of the day’s events of the very first week of the existence of all that we know. It was not the beginning of time so to speak. God is timeless and His word indicates quite clearly that He has always been and will forever be. Psalm 90:2 says, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. However, this first chapter of the book of Genesis does lay out for us the events as they occurred during creation week. Verses 26 and 27 above speak of the events of the sixth day of that week. There are some important theological truths contained in these verses and the ones that follow. I will spend the next several weeks of this podcast covering each of those truths and unpacking how they are important in practical ways as it relates to your marriage.
The very first truth I want to extract from this scripture is the following; – God said, “Let Us…”. This is the first indication of the Holy Trinity. Later scripture goes on to indicate that the “Us” spoken of here is referring to God the Father, God the Son, and The Holy Spirit…the three in One. This triune Oneness experienced and illustrated by God is intended to become the pattern for every marriage going forward.
Chapter 17 in the Gospel of John is the scripture reference where we read what Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. In John 17:20-23 we read the portion of Jesus’ prayer that is prayed for all believers yet to come…for you and I; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
This is an important scripture because the Greek word used in this scripture to indicate the ‘oneness’ that exists between Jesus and the Father, and that is the noted desire for us to experience with Jesus and the Father (and by association, the Holy Spirit), is the same word Jesus used in Matthew 19:6 when He spoke of the ‘oneness’ of a marriage between a man and a woman. This Greek word, Hen in fact does translate into English as the word One, but it has further connotation of something that is homogenized or mixed so thoroughly that it is unable to be separated again. Consider the analogy of the bread I offered in last Monday’s podcast entitled “The Right Questions”
Oneness is foundational to marriage. We must first accept that as truth in order to experience the value of the oneness in our own marriages. Our ‘oneness’ experience will not be perfect until we taste of it with Christ in heaven, however, our marriage is intended to help us know of its goodness. God the Father, God the Son and The Holy Spirit have existed always and always will exist in total and perfect Oneness. They are different in their functions yet completely united in their purpose. They “do” differing things, but always toward a common goal and with perfect intention and motive. Wouldn’t you enjoy a marriage like that? Actually, it has always been the design that your marriage would be like that. Can it be? Not perfectly so. Can it get better and better at resembling it? It can, and it will if you recognize your God given oneness to be a crucial component of your marriage and you make it your goal to acknowledge and foster it.
Marriage is not simply a picture of the relationship God wants to have with you. Marriage is the practice field where you learn the necessary components of a meaningful relationship with God and perfect them through repetition with your spouse. Our marriages (our oneness) is where we practice faithfulness, forsaking all others, love, respect, total honesty, transparency, devotion, etc. All components of a fruitful and rewarding relationship with God. Our marriages provide the practice so we can perform our best on gameday!
Questions to Answer:
1.	Considering the oneness of the Trinity, how could you and your spouse experience oneness better in your marriage?
2.	Is oneness something you think you are experiencing in your marriage?  
3.	How is oneness different than agreement? 

Actions to Take:
1.	Each of you choose one aspect (only one for now) where you would like to see increased oneness exhibited in your marriage.
2.	Pray for God’s insight as to what He wants oneness to look like for the two of you. 
3.	Ask Him to show you where He wants to develop oneness and where He wants to see it improve.
4.	Commit to share with your spouse any areas God asks you to do your part to improve the oneness in your marriage.
So now, learning what it means to walk in the oneness God intends for your marriage to exhibit…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/05bedf73638534642bd69fd5fbb20560.mp3" length="9098889" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/05bedf73638534642bd69fd5fbb20560.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-oneness-factor</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Crumbs - August 8, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 7 : 24-30 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossro...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 7 : 24-30 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Betts continues teaching in the book of Mark 7 : 24-30 For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bdd518f5a8131e7c2c4d2aad798c5376.mp3" length="17014608" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bdd518f5a8131e7c2c4d2aad798c5376.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-crumbs-august-8-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The I AM is , but I am not]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my The I AM is, but I am not.
The title of this podcast sounds a little like a riddle doesn’t it? The I AM is, but I am not. My scripture reference for this entry is Exodus chapter 3. This is where we read that Moses w...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my The I AM is, but I am not.
The title of this podcast sounds a little like a riddle doesn’t it? The I AM is, but I am not. My scripture reference for this entry is Exodus chapter 3. This is where we read that Moses while shepherding his father-in-law’s flocks saw the burning bush. I don’t imagine that in and of itself was of too much concern, a dried up bush burning in the hot desert probably happened from time to time as the result of a lightning strike or perhaps simply from the intense heat. In any case, God’s word tells us that it wasn’t the fact that the bush was burning that got Moses’ attention, it was the fact that though the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed by the fire, and that, was what caused Moses to stop and investigate further.
When Moses attempted to get closer to see why the bush was not burning up even though it had a fire raging in it, that is where God spoke to him from the bush. The Bible tells us that God called to Moses from the burning bush by name…twice. Moses responded “Here I am.” It was after that happened that God told Moses he was to take his sandals off because he was on holy ground. God went on to say that He was aware of the difficulty of His people in Egypt under the oppression of the Pharaoh. Additionally, God told Moses that He wanted him to return to Egypt and help set God’s people free. That is where we will pick up with the scripture I want to look at today.
Exodus 3:11-14 in the New King James Version says it this way. 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
I want to point out Moses’ response to God. Why? Because it is often our response to God as well. I’m not trying to say many of us end up staring into a burning bush and talking to God, in fact in fifty-five years of living I haven’t come across even one person that has happened to. However, God does speak to all of us and tells us what His plan for our life is. You might ask me how I know this, and perhaps you would even say you are still waiting to find His call on your life. To which I would say, yes sometimes God does speak to us by impressing his will upon our spirit by the working of His Holy Spirit. Those times are special, but they always line up with or augment what He has already given us direction to do through His written word, the Bible.
When God asks us to do something, the process notwithstanding, we often like Moses, look to see if we have the qualifications. We take an inventory of the necessary abilities to accomplish the goal, and if we feel we do not possess them in extraordinary ways, we ask, “Why me Lord?”. Verse 11 above says that upon the call of God…from a burning bush…Moses asked, “Who am I?”. Moses wanted some verification from God that he (Moses) was the best man for the Job. We know from scripture what some of his insecurities must have been. He was wanted in Egypt...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my The I AM is, but I am not.
The title of this podcast sounds a little like a riddle doesn’t it? The I AM is, but I am not. My scripture reference for this entry is Exodus chapter 3. This is where we read that Moses while shepherding his father-in-law’s flocks saw the burning bush. I don’t imagine that in and of itself was of too much concern, a dried up bush burning in the hot desert probably happened from time to time as the result of a lightning strike or perhaps simply from the intense heat. In any case, God’s word tells us that it wasn’t the fact that the bush was burning that got Moses’ attention, it was the fact that though the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed by the fire, and that, was what caused Moses to stop and investigate further.
When Moses attempted to get closer to see why the bush was not burning up even though it had a fire raging in it, that is where God spoke to him from the bush. The Bible tells us that God called to Moses from the burning bush by name…twice. Moses responded “Here I am.” It was after that happened that God told Moses he was to take his sandals off because he was on holy ground. God went on to say that He was aware of the difficulty of His people in Egypt under the oppression of the Pharaoh. Additionally, God told Moses that He wanted him to return to Egypt and help set God’s people free. That is where we will pick up with the scripture I want to look at today.
Exodus 3:11-14 in the New King James Version says it this way. 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
I want to point out Moses’ response to God. Why? Because it is often our response to God as well. I’m not trying to say many of us end up staring into a burning bush and talking to God, in fact in fifty-five years of living I haven’t come across even one person that has happened to. However, God does speak to all of us and tells us what His plan for our life is. You might ask me how I know this, and perhaps you would even say you are still waiting to find His call on your life. To which I would say, yes sometimes God does speak to us by impressing his will upon our spirit by the working of His Holy Spirit. Those times are special, but they always line up with or augment what He has already given us direction to do through His written word, the Bible.
When God asks us to do something, the process notwithstanding, we often like Moses, look to see if we have the qualifications. We take an inventory of the necessary abilities to accomplish the goal, and if we feel we do not possess them in extraordinary ways, we ask, “Why me Lord?”. Verse 11 above says that upon the call of God…from a burning bush…Moses asked, “Who am I?”. Moses wanted some verification from God that he (Moses) was the best man for the Job. We know from scripture what some of his insecurities must have been. He was wanted in Egypt for murdering a governmental official. His fellow Israelites had asked him who he thought he was to think he could bring them freedom when he had attempted to do so decades earlier. In fact, in all probability, he had made their lives worse not better. We also know that later he argued that the people would not believe him and that because he was a slow speaker and got tongue-tied easily, no one, especially Pharaoh, was going to want to hear from him.
What I really like about this account is that God did not answer Moses’ arguments. God did not speak as to why Moses was the right man for the Job. God did not say that He would fix Moses inadequacies, and then send him to Egypt. God did not talk about Moses at all. God talked about himself. He said…I AM!
God knows when He chooses to use us we are inadequate. He is well aware of our shortcomings. I don’t think God is looking for someone who can get the job done. I think He is looking for someone who cannot…so that without a shadow of a doubt, He will be seen as the I AM. Moses was totally not the one for the job…but the I AM was and promised to be with Moses and to work through Moses. When The I AM directs us to do something, it is not for us to decide if we are capable of doing that thing. We will not be the one doing it, the I AM will. 
Imagine for a moment you worked for a billionaire who was going to host a party for several hundred guests all of whom lived out of town. Your employer hands you a signed blank check and sends you to the biggest, most extravagant hotel in a nearby city to rent every room for an entire week. Would you go to the hotel in fear thinking, I don’t have enough money to do what I am being asked to do. They are going to laugh me out of the hotel lobby. My bank account doesn’t have enough in it to rent even one room for a week, never mind the entire hotel! Of course not. Why?  Because you have the billionaire’s check. It would be unnecessary to have concern that you would be unsuccessful at carrying out the mission because there was not enough money in your personal checking account to cash the billionaire’s check.  That makes no sense at all.  The billionaire is the one making it happen, you are just walking out his instructions. When God asks us to do something our capability isn’t supposed to even be a part of the conversation…The I AM is but I am not. 
When The I AM directs, He does so confidently because He has no reservation that anything can step in the way of His will. He is after all the I AM! We can in total confidence follow every directive given to us in scripture as well as through the individual leading of The I AM. If He directs it, it will happen. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 
So now, walking in the utmost confidence in the sovereignty and power of the great I AM…Go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b2a52fb83a6082b157cba58d36f22288.mp3" length="10415395" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b2a52fb83a6082b157cba58d36f22288.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-i-am-is-but-i-am-not</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:14</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Right Questions]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. The Right Questions…
Matthew 19:3-6 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said t...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. The Right Questions…
Matthew 19:3-6 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Jesus found it necessary to do two things for these Pharisees to help them have a better understanding of what they were asking. First He chose to take them back to the beginning. So often as was the case with these men, we want answers to our questions. What we don’t realize is that our questions are flawed due to our skewed perception and so an answer to our question as stated will simply propel our flawed thinking. Jesus understood this. The Pharisees were asking a question about divorce. Divorce is a result of flawed thinking, therefore any primary answer to that question would have served only to keep the conversation headed in a flawed direction. Jesus first had to correct the direction of the conversation and did so. How? He answered their question about divorce in terms of marriage. He made an attempt to steer the dialogue into a much more profitable direction by talking with them about their marriages. The second thing Jesus did here was to reorient the Pharisees in terms of their skewed thinking about marriage. They were looking at marriage as a temporary condition; Jesus reiterated that God, the inventor of the institution, saw it as a lifelong covenant.
Jesus illustrated for them in terms they well understood (the Old Testament scriptures) that marriage was intended to take two people and make them one, duplicating what had been done by creating Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. Adam and Eve were one flesh from the word go. Jesus was pointing out that through marriage, God re-creates that situation for every man and woman who marry. Jesus also made it a point that it was God who had married them to their spouses, and what God does we can’t figure out in our limited ability how to undo.
The analogy I like to use is that of a loaf of bread. The baker starts out with separate ingredients. Though he may add more ingredients than oil, water, yeast and flour, those are the necessary ones. After the ingredients are mixed and have had time to rise, the dough that is formed is thoroughly mixed through the process of kneading. The baker does this with great care until the dough is just right, a compliment of just the right amount of the incorporated ingredients. That dough created just as the baker wanted, with informed intent he shapes it into loaves and places it in the oven. A short time later, the dough emerges something new…bread. In the same way the baker has taken the multiple ingredients and made them one thing that we can’t figure out how to successfully separate again, what God has joined, no one should try to separate.
We may have difficulty understanding our “one flesh” condition but it is our reality none the less. Paul certainly recognized this and called it a great mystery (Ephesians 5:32). Jesus said it though, “They are no longer two, but one flesh.” When we are walking comfortably in our new reality we have little problem accepting it, w...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and this is my Monday Marriage Message. The Right Questions…
Matthew 19:3-6 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Jesus found it necessary to do two things for these Pharisees to help them have a better understanding of what they were asking. First He chose to take them back to the beginning. So often as was the case with these men, we want answers to our questions. What we don’t realize is that our questions are flawed due to our skewed perception and so an answer to our question as stated will simply propel our flawed thinking. Jesus understood this. The Pharisees were asking a question about divorce. Divorce is a result of flawed thinking, therefore any primary answer to that question would have served only to keep the conversation headed in a flawed direction. Jesus first had to correct the direction of the conversation and did so. How? He answered their question about divorce in terms of marriage. He made an attempt to steer the dialogue into a much more profitable direction by talking with them about their marriages. The second thing Jesus did here was to reorient the Pharisees in terms of their skewed thinking about marriage. They were looking at marriage as a temporary condition; Jesus reiterated that God, the inventor of the institution, saw it as a lifelong covenant.
Jesus illustrated for them in terms they well understood (the Old Testament scriptures) that marriage was intended to take two people and make them one, duplicating what had been done by creating Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. Adam and Eve were one flesh from the word go. Jesus was pointing out that through marriage, God re-creates that situation for every man and woman who marry. Jesus also made it a point that it was God who had married them to their spouses, and what God does we can’t figure out in our limited ability how to undo.
The analogy I like to use is that of a loaf of bread. The baker starts out with separate ingredients. Though he may add more ingredients than oil, water, yeast and flour, those are the necessary ones. After the ingredients are mixed and have had time to rise, the dough that is formed is thoroughly mixed through the process of kneading. The baker does this with great care until the dough is just right, a compliment of just the right amount of the incorporated ingredients. That dough created just as the baker wanted, with informed intent he shapes it into loaves and places it in the oven. A short time later, the dough emerges something new…bread. In the same way the baker has taken the multiple ingredients and made them one thing that we can’t figure out how to successfully separate again, what God has joined, no one should try to separate.
We may have difficulty understanding our “one flesh” condition but it is our reality none the less. Paul certainly recognized this and called it a great mystery (Ephesians 5:32). Jesus said it though, “They are no longer two, but one flesh.” When we are walking comfortably in our new reality we have little problem accepting it, we experience trouble however when we see our oneness as a restriction instead of a blessing. In those times we can think, even if only momentarily that it would be easier if we were able to live, act and move singularly again. That is however no longer reality, nor is it even correct. Ecclesiastes tells us clearly that two are better than one. Learning to walk comfortably in our oneness with another at all times is what is best, and to some degree the learning curve is what God intends. He desires that as we learn to be one with our spouse, we will learn what it truly means to be one with Him.
Questions to Answer:
1.	What does being “no longer two, but one flesh” mean to you and your spouse?
2.	What ways do you feel as though you and your spouse are one?
3.	In what ways do you wish you noticed more oneness in your marriage?
Actions to Take:
1.	Pray together that God will help you to have a fuller understanding of your oneness and that you will be open to all that means.
So now, looking to Him to complete your understanding of the oneness you share with your spouse…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9ac750faf3b6d801a5ab3ca5aa97ad5a.mp3" length="7649111" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9ac750faf3b6d801a5ab3ca5aa97ad5a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-right-questions</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 02 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:18</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Staying on Track - August 1, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e8c43e48e0a01d2f74833cb16af59133.mp3" length="23839140" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e8c43e48e0a01d2f74833cb16af59133.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/staying-on-track-august-1-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Aug 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sin Stopper]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Sin Stopper.
When pastor spoke this past weekend, he made a point I would like to expound on. He said that if we had Jesus with us all the time there would be sinful activity in our lives tha...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Sin Stopper.
When pastor spoke this past weekend, he made a point I would like to expound on. He said that if we had Jesus with us all the time there would be sinful activity in our lives that would immediately cease. This is a great concept, and one we should consider further. Pastor rightly said that Jesus has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). 
Is sin optional? We are after all just human beings born into sin right? Wrong. That was our former condition. We are now spiritually reborn. We are supposed to recognize that we have died to sin in Christ, and have been born again of the Spirit into newness of life. Romans 6:3-5 in the New King James Version says: Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 
We are in Christ free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) This does not make us free to choose sin, it makes us free to NOT choose sin! The latter is far more awesome than the former! We were free to choose sin before we accepted the gift of eternal life. In fact, we were unable to make any other choice. No matter how hard we tried, we could only muster short episodes of righteous living. Sooner…and I mean much sooner than later, we all would choose sin again instead of continuing with our meager attempt at righteousness. In fact, our motive for that righteousness, simply to impress ourselves or others, or somehow be good, circumventing a need to surrender our lives to Christ, made even our feeble attempt, a show of selfishness, and thus even our goodness was tainted with sin. 
The latter however, is far more awesome! Now, in Christ we can choose to NOT sin. We have the freedom to be righteous. Yes, our righteousness comes from Him and not from our deeds. Isaiah 61:10 says I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Our righteousness is absolutely an act of God’s mercy and goodness to us! Our righteous acts are simply in response to our immense gratitude to Him, but they are necessary to illustrate the life we share in Christ. James asked the question; But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20) 
So why if we have this new nature, if we are a new creation in Christ, do we still sin? If sin is in fact optional, why do we continue to sin? I think in part it is because we do not have the correct view of scriptures like the one we began with, the one pastor quoted this past Sunday. I think we often look at Hebrews 13:5 and leaving its context behind, fail to see its true meaning. I know that I used to look at it as though God were saying to me; “Ken, I’m always around and I’ll be right here if you need Me”. I got this idea because my earthly dad was always ready to show me how to do something right. His way of making sure the lesson was well received, understood and taken to heart was that after instructing...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Sin Stopper.
When pastor spoke this past weekend, he made a point I would like to expound on. He said that if we had Jesus with us all the time there would be sinful activity in our lives that would immediately cease. This is a great concept, and one we should consider further. Pastor rightly said that Jesus has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). 
Is sin optional? We are after all just human beings born into sin right? Wrong. That was our former condition. We are now spiritually reborn. We are supposed to recognize that we have died to sin in Christ, and have been born again of the Spirit into newness of life. Romans 6:3-5 in the New King James Version says: Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 
We are in Christ free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) This does not make us free to choose sin, it makes us free to NOT choose sin! The latter is far more awesome than the former! We were free to choose sin before we accepted the gift of eternal life. In fact, we were unable to make any other choice. No matter how hard we tried, we could only muster short episodes of righteous living. Sooner…and I mean much sooner than later, we all would choose sin again instead of continuing with our meager attempt at righteousness. In fact, our motive for that righteousness, simply to impress ourselves or others, or somehow be good, circumventing a need to surrender our lives to Christ, made even our feeble attempt, a show of selfishness, and thus even our goodness was tainted with sin. 
The latter however, is far more awesome! Now, in Christ we can choose to NOT sin. We have the freedom to be righteous. Yes, our righteousness comes from Him and not from our deeds. Isaiah 61:10 says I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Our righteousness is absolutely an act of God’s mercy and goodness to us! Our righteous acts are simply in response to our immense gratitude to Him, but they are necessary to illustrate the life we share in Christ. James asked the question; But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20) 
So why if we have this new nature, if we are a new creation in Christ, do we still sin? If sin is in fact optional, why do we continue to sin? I think in part it is because we do not have the correct view of scriptures like the one we began with, the one pastor quoted this past Sunday. I think we often look at Hebrews 13:5 and leaving its context behind, fail to see its true meaning. I know that I used to look at it as though God were saying to me; “Ken, I’m always around and I’ll be right here if you need Me”. I got this idea because my earthly dad was always ready to show me how to do something right. His way of making sure the lesson was well received, understood and taken to heart was that after instructing me in how to accomplish something, he would then tell me to do it myself. I always understood that he would be there if I got stuck and made a mistake to help correct me. I appreciate that he did that for me, he is a good dad. His way of teaching me allowed for both my independence and his continued ability to help. Like I said my dad is a good dad. So, when I would read scriptures like this one I would get the Idea that God had told me how to do what was right, and would be right there, waiting in the wings, if I needed Him. With this arrangement, however occasional failures were going to always be a part of the formula.
My misunderstanding came from my comparing God to my ‘good dad’. God is a good, good Father. He doesn’t want to wait in the wings. He isn’t trying to teach me independence. He actually wants to teach me to be totally dependent on Him. So He gave us scriptures such as what we read in Hebrews. Let’s look at it with its context this time. Hebrew 13:4-6 reads as follows: Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” God is actually using an example of sexual sin, one of the most powerful to illustrate His point. He covered all of the bases too. Undefiled marriage, meaning being faithful to our spouses in every way. Fornication and adultery, sin that many of us would say we have zero temptation for, except that we have to use the standard Jesus did, not the one the Pharisees liked. In other words, it is the condition of our hearts Jesus is concerned with far more than the actual conduct of our bodies. (Matt. 5:28) God also warns here to be content with what we have, and holding to the context and considering the current timeframe we live in this is equivalent to telling us to reject the temptations of pornography. 
So what did God say was the key to successful righteous living? “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” God is not waiting to see if we need Him, He knows we need Him and so He has promised to be right there to guide and direct our every step. We simply have to lean on Him and be obedient to his every instruction. When we fall to sin it is not because the temptation was too powerful…it is because we have made our God too weak. What I mean by that is we have tried to tell Him to wait in the wings to see if we can do it on our own this time. We can’t. That is former living! Latter living is what is awesome!
So now, accepting His help all the way…go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c6bf99a093cb1f1851749a88dc7d6412.mp3" length="10305189" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c6bf99a093cb1f1851749a88dc7d6412.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/sin-stopper</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Gnats and Camels - July 25, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 7 : 1-13  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 7 : 1-13  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 7 : 1-13  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a41d4355ad011c759a5fa2a0a6b03305.mp3" length="55768266" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a41d4355ad011c759a5fa2a0a6b03305.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/gnats-and-camels-july-25-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:05</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Healing We All Need]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The healing we all need.
This weekend my wife Lynn and I will be presenting a marriage conference we developed for our church. We have been preparing for the conference, seemingly with every...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The healing we all need.
This weekend my wife Lynn and I will be presenting a marriage conference we developed for our church. We have been preparing for the conference, seemingly with every available moment for the past several weeks, as a result as we enter the final days of countdown, the conference and its content are consuming my every thought. Bearing that in mind, it would be quite difficult to talk about much else today, so I won’t even try. One of the things that has been on my mind the past few weeks is that after the conference is over I want to expand my podcasting. I plan to continue to offer my thoughts on a Thursday as usual, I have come to enjoy sharing them with you and would miss it if I stopped, but there will be a new addition as well. On Mondays I will now be offering a Monday Marriage Message. I thought I might offer the first installment of that here this week.
The Healing We All Need
Matthew 19:1-3 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
When I meet with a couple for premarital counseling, early on in the process I shock them with this foundational truth. With tongue-in-cheek I tell them, “Your marriage would be perfect except the two of you are going to be a part of it.” I know that can seem humorous at first glance, but it is true. Marriage is God’s idea. It is His invention. It is His arena. Everything God thinks, creates or does is perfect. So why isn’t your marriage or the marriages of anyone else you know perfect? Here’s why: every marriage is made up of profoundly fallen beings…you and your spouse happen to be the two in yours. Profoundly fallen people do profoundly fallen things. As a result, every marriage has been injured and is broken on some level, and if we’re honest, most are broken on multiple levels. 
So why this scripture reference for the opening week of my new podcast? Because we all need healing in our marriages. The sooner you admit it the sooner it can begin. I think it is crucial to see that Jesus, when encountering broken, hurting people, has a common practice. He wants to heal broken people who follow Him. The scripture above is not the first nor the last reference - we could go to in the Gospels where Jesus healed the multitudes that followed Him. It is but one of many such scriptures. I have never read where Jesus was asked for a healing touch by someone in need, and responded that He just wasn’t feeling it that day. This is never His response. His response is always to move to heal. In fact, the only time we read that He did not heal those who needed healing was in His hometown of Nazareth. There it was not for a lack of desire on His part, but rather a lack of belief on the part of the people. Essentially, the people of Nazareth could not be healed because they thought themselves too familiar with Jesus. Their perceived knowledge of who He was, (just a carpenter from down the street) kept them from discovering who He truly was, and the power that He had that He desperately wanted to use to heal them.
As a marriage counselor, I find some of the Christians who come to my office seeking counsel have much the same problem. They think...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…The healing we all need.
This weekend my wife Lynn and I will be presenting a marriage conference we developed for our church. We have been preparing for the conference, seemingly with every available moment for the past several weeks, as a result as we enter the final days of countdown, the conference and its content are consuming my every thought. Bearing that in mind, it would be quite difficult to talk about much else today, so I won’t even try. One of the things that has been on my mind the past few weeks is that after the conference is over I want to expand my podcasting. I plan to continue to offer my thoughts on a Thursday as usual, I have come to enjoy sharing them with you and would miss it if I stopped, but there will be a new addition as well. On Mondays I will now be offering a Monday Marriage Message. I thought I might offer the first installment of that here this week.
The Healing We All Need
Matthew 19:1-3 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
When I meet with a couple for premarital counseling, early on in the process I shock them with this foundational truth. With tongue-in-cheek I tell them, “Your marriage would be perfect except the two of you are going to be a part of it.” I know that can seem humorous at first glance, but it is true. Marriage is God’s idea. It is His invention. It is His arena. Everything God thinks, creates or does is perfect. So why isn’t your marriage or the marriages of anyone else you know perfect? Here’s why: every marriage is made up of profoundly fallen beings…you and your spouse happen to be the two in yours. Profoundly fallen people do profoundly fallen things. As a result, every marriage has been injured and is broken on some level, and if we’re honest, most are broken on multiple levels. 
So why this scripture reference for the opening week of my new podcast? Because we all need healing in our marriages. The sooner you admit it the sooner it can begin. I think it is crucial to see that Jesus, when encountering broken, hurting people, has a common practice. He wants to heal broken people who follow Him. The scripture above is not the first nor the last reference - we could go to in the Gospels where Jesus healed the multitudes that followed Him. It is but one of many such scriptures. I have never read where Jesus was asked for a healing touch by someone in need, and responded that He just wasn’t feeling it that day. This is never His response. His response is always to move to heal. In fact, the only time we read that He did not heal those who needed healing was in His hometown of Nazareth. There it was not for a lack of desire on His part, but rather a lack of belief on the part of the people. Essentially, the people of Nazareth could not be healed because they thought themselves too familiar with Jesus. Their perceived knowledge of who He was, (just a carpenter from down the street) kept them from discovering who He truly was, and the power that He had that He desperately wanted to use to heal them.
As a marriage counselor, I find some of the Christians who come to my office seeking counsel have much the same problem. They think they know who Jesus is. He is the Son of God (that celestial grandpa in the sky). He is that guy they say they believe is alive, but they live their lives as if He died 2000 years ago…and remained in the tomb. They are essentially Nazarenes.
If we want to experience miraculous healing for our marriages, we need to approach Jesus with the faith that He can, and wants to do miraculous things in our marriage. I said a moment ago that I never read where Jesus denied healing someone because He didn’t care to do so. What He did almost always ask however was…”Do you believe?” We have to approach Him with belief, belief that He can and wants to move in miraculous ways in our marriages. After we agree that he can…we have to let Him. Jesus wants to get busy healing the brokenness in your marriage…and in your life, but you must believe that he desires to heal, and still has the power to heal.
Each week I will pose some questions for you to ponder and answer. No worries there won’t be an exam. Often the answers will not be found in the content of the podcast, but rather in your own heart of hearts. If you are listening with your spouse, share your answers with each other. If you are listening alone, share your answers with your sweet, sweet savior, He has asked you to share your cares with Him because He cares about you! I will also be suggesting some actions to take, these will be designed to increase the oneness between you and your spouse as well as the oneness Christ desires to experience with you. Laugh at yourselves and cry with each other as you begin to believe and experience His awesome healing.
Questions to Answer:
1.	What hurts have you encountered in your marriage that you want to see Jesus heal?
2.	Do you believe that you can trust Him to heal those hurts in the way that is best for both you and your marriage?
Actions to Take:
1.	Pray together that God will increase your faith in Him as the two of you seek Him together.
2.	Seek forgiveness from your spouse for the specific things that you have been responsible for that have caused hurt for them and your marriage.

I will continue with these Monday Marriage Messages beginning next week. Additionally, I will be back with next Thursday to share my thoughts with you as I regularly do.
So now, seeking the emotional healing you need in your marriages or elsewhere in your life with a thorough belief that Jesus can and wants to give it to you…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b97036f11216941b8ade8392540dd192.mp3" length="8985605" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b97036f11216941b8ade8392540dd192.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-healing-we-all-need</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:14</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Life Changers - July 18, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 53-56  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 53-56  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 53-56  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/da894e38efc7a13d9bf4f00ce9f53a47.mp3" length="21922836" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/da894e38efc7a13d9bf4f00ce9f53a47.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/life-changers-july-18-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Birth!]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Birth!
Just yesterday Eddie Brown showed up! You may not have any idea who he is, but we have been awaiting his arrival for many months. Lynn and I have looked forward to every one of our...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Birth!
Just yesterday Eddie Brown showed up! You may not have any idea who he is, but we have been awaiting his arrival for many months. Lynn and I have looked forward to every one of our grandchildren’s impending entrances to the family since the first day we knew of their existence. Each one has captivated our imaginations before they arrived, and our heart’s attention afterward. I have said it before and I will say it again now…being a grandparent is the best job on earth! So if you see me walking on a cloud, you’ll know why…this never gets old!
Besides taking the opportunity to shamelessly brag, why do I mention this? In part because it is a Thursday and I always offer you my thoughts on a Thursday. Additionally, it has been difficult on this particular Thursday for my thoughts to be anywhere else. Beyond that though there is a spiritual truth I want to share because Eddie’s arrival has caused me to ponder it.
Yesterday was Eddie’s Birthday. It is a day that for the rest of his life will be commemorated. Each year on that day we will spend time with him, give him gifts, and embarrass him with stories of his years gone by. He will get a cake with the appropriate number of candles perched atop that he will blow out with increasing success over the coming years. However, that cannot be the only day we pay any attention to him or there would not be many birthdays. Instead, his mom will lovingly feed him every day. She will tend to his needs to see that he has all that is required for good strong healthy growth. His dad will make sure that he is directed and corrected as necessary so that He can grow up to be who he should be. Though He arrived on scene just yesterday, he immediately enjoys all the rights and privileges of being a member of the Brown family, but there is still much to be done!  
So it is with our re-birth. While the day it happened is an amazingly important day, the other 364 days a year are just as important. 1 Peter 1:3-4 in the New Living Translation reads, All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you. Because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and in so doing conquered death, He made a way for us to share in that new life in Christ. For those of us who have accepted his totally free gift of salvation, we have been born again. We have been born into a heavenly family and have all of the rights and privileges available to us from that very first day in the family…but there is still work to be done!
Just as Eddie’s little life must be sustained with food and protected with clothing every day for the rest of his new life, our new life needs sustenance and protection. We need to be fed if we are to grow to be strong. In John 6:57 Jesus said, “I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.” Earlier in this same chapter of John Jesus refers to himself as the “Bread of life” in other places in the book of John he referenced himself as the source of living water. Psalm 34:8 tells us to Taste and see that the Lord is good. Even Paul, concerned with the continued growth of the Corinthian Christians spoke to them about their need to learn; to move on from spiritua...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…New Birth!
Just yesterday Eddie Brown showed up! You may not have any idea who he is, but we have been awaiting his arrival for many months. Lynn and I have looked forward to every one of our grandchildren’s impending entrances to the family since the first day we knew of their existence. Each one has captivated our imaginations before they arrived, and our heart’s attention afterward. I have said it before and I will say it again now…being a grandparent is the best job on earth! So if you see me walking on a cloud, you’ll know why…this never gets old!
Besides taking the opportunity to shamelessly brag, why do I mention this? In part because it is a Thursday and I always offer you my thoughts on a Thursday. Additionally, it has been difficult on this particular Thursday for my thoughts to be anywhere else. Beyond that though there is a spiritual truth I want to share because Eddie’s arrival has caused me to ponder it.
Yesterday was Eddie’s Birthday. It is a day that for the rest of his life will be commemorated. Each year on that day we will spend time with him, give him gifts, and embarrass him with stories of his years gone by. He will get a cake with the appropriate number of candles perched atop that he will blow out with increasing success over the coming years. However, that cannot be the only day we pay any attention to him or there would not be many birthdays. Instead, his mom will lovingly feed him every day. She will tend to his needs to see that he has all that is required for good strong healthy growth. His dad will make sure that he is directed and corrected as necessary so that He can grow up to be who he should be. Though He arrived on scene just yesterday, he immediately enjoys all the rights and privileges of being a member of the Brown family, but there is still much to be done!  
So it is with our re-birth. While the day it happened is an amazingly important day, the other 364 days a year are just as important. 1 Peter 1:3-4 in the New Living Translation reads, All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you. Because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and in so doing conquered death, He made a way for us to share in that new life in Christ. For those of us who have accepted his totally free gift of salvation, we have been born again. We have been born into a heavenly family and have all of the rights and privileges available to us from that very first day in the family…but there is still work to be done!
Just as Eddie’s little life must be sustained with food and protected with clothing every day for the rest of his new life, our new life needs sustenance and protection. We need to be fed if we are to grow to be strong. In John 6:57 Jesus said, “I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.” Earlier in this same chapter of John Jesus refers to himself as the “Bread of life” in other places in the book of John he referenced himself as the source of living water. Psalm 34:8 tells us to Taste and see that the Lord is good. Even Paul, concerned with the continued growth of the Corinthian Christians spoke to them about their need to learn; to move on from spiritual milk and to begin to consume spiritual meat so that they could mature and become stronger. 
Just as little Eddie will grow as he is nourished so will we grow in our rebirth as we are nourished. In fact, our growth will be proportionate to the amount we consume, just as his will. The more he eats both in volume and frequency, the more he will grow. The more you and I pull ourselves up to our Father’s table and partake of the Living Word, the more we will grow and the stronger we will become. If we cut ourselves off from that food, no matter what our reasoning, the result will not be one of health. If you were babysitting little Eddie, you would not withhold food from him, saying that he had no need of it. Of course, you would make sure he got the nourishment he needs so that he would continue to strengthen and grow. So why starve yourself and withhold the very spiritual food you need to grow. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God.” One of my favorite scriptures relaying the need for regular consumption of the word is 2 Timothy 3:16. God has breathed life into all of scripture, It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right.
I submit to you that every day of Eddie’s life will be one to celebrate…they will all be important to his Papa; I can assure you of that! I will want to see him begin to grow and take shape as he becomes the man of God he is purposed to be. So, I will take every chance I can to feed him, protect him and watch him grow. Though that is difficult for me to imagine, our Abba Father cares more about you and I and little Eddie than I will ever be able to do, He desires to see each of us grow into the fullness of our purpose as well. Each day of our walk with the Lord is precious to Him so he celebrates our life and cares for us wonderfully everyday…not only on our re-birthday.
So now, recognizing its probably time to eat again, devour His Word voraciously, and go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4c9f86a7450f74378cb7cdf737944fda.mp3" length="8948018" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4c9f86a7450f74378cb7cdf737944fda.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-birth</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Battle for America Part 2 - July 11, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for Service. Pastor Andrew Betts continues his message from last weekend. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit c...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for Service. Pastor Andrew Betts continues his message from last weekend. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for Service. Pastor Andrew Betts continues his message from last weekend. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9c4ac394af8bda46667650ca6ec83c6f.mp3" length="21566064" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9c4ac394af8bda46667650ca6ec83c6f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-battle-for-america-part-2-july-11-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Why Doesn't Anything Bad Happen to Christ Followers?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr.]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Why is it that Nothing Bad ever happens to Christ Followers?
I can hear the arguments to this already, so please hear me out. I know at first consideration, most Christians will fall into one...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Why is it that Nothing Bad ever happens to Christ Followers?
I can hear the arguments to this already, so please hear me out. I know at first consideration, most Christians will fall into one of two camps. The first being the Romans 8:28 camp. These folks say they know where I am going with this…everything works for the good of those who love God. The second camp is populated with the Matthew 5:45 folks. They believe I am mistaken, and are ready to remind me that God causes the sun to rise and fall on the good and the evil, and that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. To both camps I say…sit down around the campfire and hear me out.
Allow me to ask a few questions. Is God love? Is God good? Is God all powerful? Is God all knowing? Is God everywhere all the time? Is God unchangeable? If you answered “Yes” to each of these questions, good, that response is in fact true for each of the questions I posed. 1 John 4:16 says And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Psalm 100:5 tells us of His goodness. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. As to the question of being all powerful, Colossians 1:15-17 says this He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. These verses essentially say that Jesus is powerful enough to have created everything…not only what we see, taste, smell, hear or can touch, but also all of the powers that be…both those we would call good and bad. He is all powerful…he made everything, nothing made Him nor can anything move Him off His course. God is also all knowing. Romans 11:33 says of Him, Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! God’s wisdom and knowledge is so great, that ours has no way of understanding or measuring His. As it should be…the Creator is unfathomable to the created. God is also everywhere all the time. Proverbs 15:3 says The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Finally, Is God unchangeable? Yes! Psalm 102:27 says, “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” And one of the most comforting of all scriptures, Hebrews 13:8 states, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 
Why these questions? Because I am reminded by a book I am reading right now that God is big. You might think that a book with such a message would be unnecessary, except that we have managed to make Him too small in order to try to understand Him. The problem with that is that it is only in trying to capture just a glimpse of His BIGNESS that we can ever come to really know Him. God is BIG…REALLY, REALLY BIG! HUMONGOUS in fact. BIG, BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND!
So, what does any of this have to do with my original question…Why is it that nothing bad ever happens to Christ followers? God is so BIG and yet, He cares about little ol’ me and you. Psalm 8:4 asks the question, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? The Psalmist is...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Why is it that Nothing Bad ever happens to Christ Followers?
I can hear the arguments to this already, so please hear me out. I know at first consideration, most Christians will fall into one of two camps. The first being the Romans 8:28 camp. These folks say they know where I am going with this…everything works for the good of those who love God. The second camp is populated with the Matthew 5:45 folks. They believe I am mistaken, and are ready to remind me that God causes the sun to rise and fall on the good and the evil, and that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. To both camps I say…sit down around the campfire and hear me out.
Allow me to ask a few questions. Is God love? Is God good? Is God all powerful? Is God all knowing? Is God everywhere all the time? Is God unchangeable? If you answered “Yes” to each of these questions, good, that response is in fact true for each of the questions I posed. 1 John 4:16 says And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Psalm 100:5 tells us of His goodness. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. As to the question of being all powerful, Colossians 1:15-17 says this He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. These verses essentially say that Jesus is powerful enough to have created everything…not only what we see, taste, smell, hear or can touch, but also all of the powers that be…both those we would call good and bad. He is all powerful…he made everything, nothing made Him nor can anything move Him off His course. God is also all knowing. Romans 11:33 says of Him, Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! God’s wisdom and knowledge is so great, that ours has no way of understanding or measuring His. As it should be…the Creator is unfathomable to the created. God is also everywhere all the time. Proverbs 15:3 says The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Finally, Is God unchangeable? Yes! Psalm 102:27 says, “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” And one of the most comforting of all scriptures, Hebrews 13:8 states, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 
Why these questions? Because I am reminded by a book I am reading right now that God is big. You might think that a book with such a message would be unnecessary, except that we have managed to make Him too small in order to try to understand Him. The problem with that is that it is only in trying to capture just a glimpse of His BIGNESS that we can ever come to really know Him. God is BIG…REALLY, REALLY BIG! HUMONGOUS in fact. BIG, BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND!
So, what does any of this have to do with my original question…Why is it that nothing bad ever happens to Christ followers? God is so BIG and yet, He cares about little ol’ me and you. Psalm 8:4 asks the question, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? The Psalmist is asking the question with the recognition that God does in fact care about the itty bitty man He in all of His unmeasurable BIGNESS created. God’s word tells us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares about us. (1 Peter 5:7) God is in fact too big to comprehend, yet, intimately concerned with the condition of His creation, right down to the life of a single sparrow valued at a couple of cents. (Matthew 10:29) finally one of my favorite scriptures on the subject, Proverbs 16:9 in the New Living Translation says: We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. 
God is all powerful. God is all Knowing. God is everywhere all the time. God is Good…it’s who He is. God is Love…He is not loving so to speak, that would make His actions the result of something greater…He is love…the greatest there is (I Cor. 13) God is unchangeable. Each of these statements stand alone. Any one of them would make God BIG! He is all of them…and more…God is REALLY, REALLY BIG!
Let’s look at one more of God’s superpowers, and wrap this up. Josephs brothers were human traffickers who sold him as the ‘good’ alternative to letting him die of starvation in a pit they had thrown him into. They then perpetrated a decades long cruelty on their own father by watching him mourn the loss of Joseph though they knew he had not died a horrible death in the wilderness. Years later, a forgiving Joseph told his brothers that what they had done out of pure unadulterated evil, God had used for good. Later in scripture we read other examples of God using evil to fulfill His good plans. The hard heart of the Pharaoh was used by God to bring freedom to His people. Later there were evil kings of Israel and Judah who would be used by God to bring the people back to Himself. God used the evilness of a godless man, Haman to set His people free to go back to the promised land and once again serve Him. Perhaps the greatest evil of all time…the Pharisees decision to conspire to murder the Son of God…He used to redeem the world from sin and forevermore make available the road to restoration with Himself! God is SO BIG that evil does not for one Nano-second deter His ability to weave it right into the accomplishment of His perfect plans. 
That superpower of God, to use the evilness of man, to accomplish the good and perfect will of God is what allows for scriptures like Matthew 5:45 to be correct. God does allow the sun to rise on the good and the evil, He does in fact allow the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike. Both desirable and undesirable things happen to everybody. Our ability as humans to freely choose to act out of godliness or godlessness can and does cause evil to permeate every corner of our lives, much of it not by our own choosing. All of it, is not only able, but completely suitable to be used by our God to bring about good in our lives if we love Him and allow ourselves to be led by His purposes just like Romans 8:28 promises. Yes God is BIG enough to be in both camps!
So now, regardless of what may be happening in your world, understand this. As a Christ follower God loves little ol’ you too much to ever let anything (permanently) bad happen to you…so Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2ae2035b0edcd424f5f85f1b7bfb3e75.mp3" length="12316614" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/2ae2035b0edcd424f5f85f1b7bfb3e75.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/why-doesnt-anything-bad-happen-to-christ-followers</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:33</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Battle for America Part 1 - July 4, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for our 4th of July Service. Pastor Andrew Betts speaks from Esther 3:1-11. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for our 4th of July Service. Pastor Andrew Betts speaks from Esther 3:1-11. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for our 4th of July Service. Pastor Andrew Betts speaks from Esther 3:1-11. For more information on how to get connected with small groups, bible studies, events and times of services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8a0d4eba2c57e5f0833c0d4bc8cd5a87.mp3" length="22977552" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8a0d4eba2c57e5f0833c0d4bc8cd5a87.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-battle-for-america-part-1-july-4-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jul 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:03:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Pinnacle of God - June 27, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 45-52  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 45-52  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 45-52  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/27460c7a709bd2777395c0ebb30e3cdf.mp3" length="17961684" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/27460c7a709bd2777395c0ebb30e3cdf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-pinnacle-of-god-june-27-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>49:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Making Time]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Making Time.
Don’t you wish sometimes we could really make time? I could get so much more done…at least that’s what I tell myself because it sounds lofty. Truth of the matter is, if I actuall...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Making Time.
Don’t you wish sometimes we could really make time? I could get so much more done…at least that’s what I tell myself because it sounds lofty. Truth of the matter is, if I actually could make time, I would probably produce it into perpetuity so that I could perfect the art of procrastination. We use the phrase ‘make time’ so often it’s surprising we don’t really believe we can…but then that’s not really what we mean is it. What we mean is that we will take time. When we tell someone we will make time for them, what we are really saying is we will take some of the time we have, and dedicate it to them.
As a pastor and a counselor I get to ask people on the regular to tell me about their personal relationship with Christ and what that looks like to them. I don’t ask to be judgmental. I simply understand that more Jesus improves any situation and I want to see how I can help them access more Jesus in their own lives. One of the answers I often hear is some variation of; “I know I need to make more time to read my bible. Or, I might hear them say they need to make more time for prayer. They might even say they simply need to make more time for the Lord in their lives. 
What if that is all upside down? What if we need to be walking so closely with the Lord that we have to interrupt that, to ‘make time’ for the rest of our lives? What if we stopped trying to find time, make time or take time to fit God into our lives and we started trying to fit the daily requirements of our lives into our relationship with God? Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 start to make sense and illustrate that kind of a walk with God to be a possibility. It says: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Paul isn’t suggesting that you and I spend the duration of the day and night on our knees beside our beds 24-7. He is saying that a successful life recognizes the necessity to allow our spirits to be in communication with the Holy Spirit living inside us at all times. Every opportunity that presents itself during any given day should be undertaken only after prayerful consideration as to how God wants us to proceed. We need to be continually in prayer if our every move is to to be calculated and our every word measured so we can best illustrate the immense love of God for those we interact with. Do you know when I have to back track and ask someone to forgive me for not handling a situation correctly that involved them? When I acted from Ken’s direction and not from Christ’s, which by the way I could have had if I had only consulted Him.
So which of our relationships with others should we be making sure God shines through us in? All of them! Colossians 3:18-24 says: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Wow, Paul didn’t really leave anyone out. Every relationsh...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Making Time.
Don’t you wish sometimes we could really make time? I could get so much more done…at least that’s what I tell myself because it sounds lofty. Truth of the matter is, if I actually could make time, I would probably produce it into perpetuity so that I could perfect the art of procrastination. We use the phrase ‘make time’ so often it’s surprising we don’t really believe we can…but then that’s not really what we mean is it. What we mean is that we will take time. When we tell someone we will make time for them, what we are really saying is we will take some of the time we have, and dedicate it to them.
As a pastor and a counselor I get to ask people on the regular to tell me about their personal relationship with Christ and what that looks like to them. I don’t ask to be judgmental. I simply understand that more Jesus improves any situation and I want to see how I can help them access more Jesus in their own lives. One of the answers I often hear is some variation of; “I know I need to make more time to read my bible. Or, I might hear them say they need to make more time for prayer. They might even say they simply need to make more time for the Lord in their lives. 
What if that is all upside down? What if we need to be walking so closely with the Lord that we have to interrupt that, to ‘make time’ for the rest of our lives? What if we stopped trying to find time, make time or take time to fit God into our lives and we started trying to fit the daily requirements of our lives into our relationship with God? Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 start to make sense and illustrate that kind of a walk with God to be a possibility. It says: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Paul isn’t suggesting that you and I spend the duration of the day and night on our knees beside our beds 24-7. He is saying that a successful life recognizes the necessity to allow our spirits to be in communication with the Holy Spirit living inside us at all times. Every opportunity that presents itself during any given day should be undertaken only after prayerful consideration as to how God wants us to proceed. We need to be continually in prayer if our every move is to to be calculated and our every word measured so we can best illustrate the immense love of God for those we interact with. Do you know when I have to back track and ask someone to forgive me for not handling a situation correctly that involved them? When I acted from Ken’s direction and not from Christ’s, which by the way I could have had if I had only consulted Him.
So which of our relationships with others should we be making sure God shines through us in? All of them! Colossians 3:18-24 says: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Wow, Paul didn’t really leave anyone out. Every relationship we have, marriage, as children, (notice there is no caveat for being over 21) as parents, as employers and employees, basically everyone, is to be treated as if that person were Christ Himself! 
An interesting thing to ponder for certain, how would we treat Jesus if He were our houseguest? Would we run out of the house before we spent any time visiting with Him in the morning? Would we go through our entire day too busy to consider that He was right there with us? Would we go home, rush to get dinner on the table, quickly glance up to thank Him for bringing the groceries and then dive into our meal without another word His way? Would we spend the rest of the evening without another thought to the truth that He was right there sitting on the couch wishing like crazy we would engage in conversation? How would we treat our spouse, our family, our boss, our employees, anyone we encountered if we literally took Him with us everywhere we went for a day, a week, a month? Would we introduce Him to people or just ignore that He was standing there?
My toes hurt really bad just considering these things, so don’t be upset with me if yours are a little bruised too. As with all of my ‘Thoughts on a Thursday’ podcasts, I am sharing those things the Lord has been speaking to me about. The things I need to be more diligent with. They are simply my thoughts, if they help you too, great! If not, please encourage me when you see me to get better at my walk with the Lord. I think we all have room to improve at having a life so filled with Him that we have to ‘make time’ for the rest of the world.
1 Corinthians 10:31 sums it up, Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So now, with priorities straight, fitting what the world wants from you into your walk with your sweet, sweet Savior and Lord…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/009ea3974be5fb8683d9655246df4e4b.mp3" length="8416544" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/009ea3974be5fb8683d9655246df4e4b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/making-time</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:50</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Building a Legacy - Father's Day June 20, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Keyon Beckett and Jonah Lathbury]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick introduces our Father’s Day speakers Keyon Beckett and Jonah Lathbury.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick introduces our Father’s Day speakers Keyon Beckett and Jonah Lathbury.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick introduces our Father’s Day speakers Keyon Beckett and Jonah Lathbury.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/03034fc1de3859163016a3779dcc5716.mp3" length="19195920" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/03034fc1de3859163016a3779dcc5716.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/building-a-legacy-fathers-day-june-20-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jun 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:19:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Happy Meals]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Meals. 
This past week pastor Rick spoke about Jesus feeding the five thousand. He made some interesting points from this scripture not the least of which was that we ought to be less r...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Meals. 
This past week pastor Rick spoke about Jesus feeding the five thousand. He made some interesting points from this scripture not the least of which was that we ought to be less ready to send our problems away. There is great truth in that. When we send our problems away because we would rather not deal with them, we eliminate the possibility of being witness to how God will solve them. We literally are making a concerted effort to subdue the mighty hand of God, though we would probably never say it that way. The truth is the truth though, when we desire to have no problems, we desire to see no miracles.
Let’s look again briefly at the account picking it up as Jesus wrapped up the afternoon of healing and teaching. Mark 6:35-44 reads as follows: When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”  And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
One of the other things that I love about this scripture is that after the disciples asked Jesus to send the problem away (to send the people into nearby towns to buy food), Jesus’ response was designed to teach them. In verse 37, we read that Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.” Due to their answer to Him, which was a question about how they should pay for the amount of food it would take, I don’t think the disciples got his meaning at the time. Jesus was trying to teach His disciples that it was always the right time to love people by meeting their needs. I think He was also using an incredible teachable moment to help them see that ministry should never cease because supplies seem short. Lesson #1 for the disciples that day: It is always the right time to love those around you by meeting their needs.
Jesus response to the question of funding was telling as well. In the very next verse it is recorded for us that Jesus ignored the question of money (the obvious source of solution to the problem) and simply told the disciples to see what they had on hand. Jesus knew there was a need for bread, so he didn’t waste time talking about money, that wasn’t the need. He asked, “How many loaves of bread do we have? Go and see.” Upon the completion of their search, though I am not sure it was a very exhaustive one…my wife and my mother say men don’t know how to look for anything…they found one young boy’s lunch. Five rolls and two fish. They returned to Jesus to let him know all they had was one lousy happy meal. 
I have to wonder, were they sarcastic when they told Je...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Happy Meals. 
This past week pastor Rick spoke about Jesus feeding the five thousand. He made some interesting points from this scripture not the least of which was that we ought to be less ready to send our problems away. There is great truth in that. When we send our problems away because we would rather not deal with them, we eliminate the possibility of being witness to how God will solve them. We literally are making a concerted effort to subdue the mighty hand of God, though we would probably never say it that way. The truth is the truth though, when we desire to have no problems, we desire to see no miracles.
Let’s look again briefly at the account picking it up as Jesus wrapped up the afternoon of healing and teaching. Mark 6:35-44 reads as follows: When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”  And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
One of the other things that I love about this scripture is that after the disciples asked Jesus to send the problem away (to send the people into nearby towns to buy food), Jesus’ response was designed to teach them. In verse 37, we read that Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.” Due to their answer to Him, which was a question about how they should pay for the amount of food it would take, I don’t think the disciples got his meaning at the time. Jesus was trying to teach His disciples that it was always the right time to love people by meeting their needs. I think He was also using an incredible teachable moment to help them see that ministry should never cease because supplies seem short. Lesson #1 for the disciples that day: It is always the right time to love those around you by meeting their needs.
Jesus response to the question of funding was telling as well. In the very next verse it is recorded for us that Jesus ignored the question of money (the obvious source of solution to the problem) and simply told the disciples to see what they had on hand. Jesus knew there was a need for bread, so he didn’t waste time talking about money, that wasn’t the need. He asked, “How many loaves of bread do we have? Go and see.” Upon the completion of their search, though I am not sure it was a very exhaustive one…my wife and my mother say men don’t know how to look for anything…they found one young boy’s lunch. Five rolls and two fish. They returned to Jesus to let him know all they had was one lousy happy meal. 
I have to wonder, were they sarcastic when they told Jesus what they had found? Did they give it to him with some quick glances between them, just “knowing” sending the people away when they had first suggested it would have been the prudent thing to do. I don’t know. What I am fairly sure of is that they were not handing that happy meal over with a faith filled expectation of what was about to take place. I believe that because Jesus then modeled faith in God by telling everyone to sit down and get ready to eat…while He was still holding only 5 rolls and 2 fish. Lesson # 2 for the disciples that day: acting in faith is the only way to see miracles take place.
What happened next? Jesus got happy about a happy meal. It says that when He had thanked God for the provision, He broke the bread and divided the fish and a group of 5-12 thousand people ate until they were full. Lesson # 3 for the disciples that day: thank God for His supply even while it is not yet evident. God loves seeing faith placed in Him. It illustrates that the faithful person understands that everything comes from God. It shows that there is a recognition of not only God’s immeasurable power, but also of His immense love for the powerless. 
It would have been miraculous if there had been enough food for half of the people and Jesus doubled it. Even more so if He had tripled or quadrupled the amount He began with. But He began with one little boy’s lunch…one lousy happy meal, and He fed thousands of people until they could eat no more! With God there is no starting place too small. You don’t lack enough to be unusable in God’s hands. You can never have too little for God to use. It is interesting, this scripture doesn’t say the disciples stole that kid’s lunch. It doesn’t say they bought it from him. The inference then is that the kid gave them his happy meal. Lesson # 4 - God doesn’t need us to have much to use us, His ability makes up any difference that may be lacking, He only needs us to be willing to let Him use what we have.
Finally, I find it amazing that there were 12 basketfuls left over. Mom always used this scripture to point out that Jesus believed in leftovers when I was being ungrateful for them as a kid. I think there is even greater truth here though…sorry mom…I still don’t care that much for leftovers. I have heard it said that there were 12 basketfuls left over so that each unbelieving disciple had to carry a bushel of their newly learned lesson. Maybe. Pastor said what a blessing it might have been if it was all presented to the boy the happy meal originally came from…that sure would have made for many more happy meals at his house in the next few days after that. We don’t know if that’s what happened either…the Bible doesn’t tell us. What we do know is there was another lesson for the disciples that day. Lesson # 5 God’s ability to meet our needs, far supersedes our needs. God is infinitely able to meet all of our needs, and the needs of others.
Are you one of Jesus’ disciples? Then these lessons are also for you: It is always the right time to love someone by meeting their needs. Acting in faith is the only way to see miracles take place. Thank God for His supply to meet the need even while it is still not evident. God can use anything; our job is to make it all available to Him. Finally, God’s ability to meet the need absolutely supersedes any need. God is powerful enough to do it and loves enough to want to. We simply have to stop sending the needs away to have opportunity to see it happen.
So now, moving in faith, willing to be used to lovingly meet needs…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4abbef17b9b60d1d241bc62e111e830b.mp3" length="10958730" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4abbef17b9b60d1d241bc62e111e830b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/happy-meals</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Out of Sync with God - June 6, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 14-29.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 14-29.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 14-29.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0324d3492116b49cdea991c89df93a65.mp3" length="18217992" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0324d3492116b49cdea991c89df93a65.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/out-of-sync-with-god-june-6-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Problems Problems Problems - June 13, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 30-44.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 30-44.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 30-44.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/663ca6e27ec87301c0418dfa7f4b9d46.mp3" length="18528588" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/663ca6e27ec87301c0418dfa7f4b9d46.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/problems-problems-problems-june-13-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>51:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[When Integrity Speaks...People Listen]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…When integrity speaks people listen.
From the mid 1970’s and into the 1980’s there was a well-known advertisement campaign for the Wall Street brokerage firm, Hutton. Most of the commercials...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…When integrity speaks people listen.
From the mid 1970’s and into the 1980’s there was a well-known advertisement campaign for the Wall Street brokerage firm, Hutton. Most of the commercials were set in busy places such as bars, restaurants, or concert halls. An actor playing the founder of the company, Edward Francis Hutton would lean over to say something to someone nearby. As he began to speak the entire room, noisy a second before would go quiet and everyone would lean toward him to try to hear what he was saying. The narrator of the commercial would then say the line that became famous…”When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”. The idea of course was that the Hutton firm was so successful that everyone wanted to know what E.F. Hutton thought.
Do you know who everyone is always interested in hearing from? A person of unwavering integrity. Pastor Rick was speaking about just such a person this past week. In Mark 6:14-20 we read: 14 Now King Herod heard of Him, [Jesus] for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
King Herod was not a godly man, but the Bible tells us that he liked to listen to John the Baptist. He didn’t like listening to him because John would only tell Herod things he wanted to hear, in fact the scripture says quite the opposite was true. John was incredibly candid with Herod. Herod had married his brother’s wife, and John couldn’t have been more clear that this was an ungodly thing to do, he didn’t hold back the truth at all. He called sin what it is…sin, and if we know anything about John, he most certainly implored Herod to repent and get right with God. This passage points out, as did pastor this weekend, that though Herod apparently wasn’t willing do what was right in terms of his marriage, He did like to listen to what John had to say and as a direct result of some of those conversations, Herod made quite a few adjustments in his life. The bible says And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
In Mathew 11:11 it is recorded that Jesus said of John: “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…”. John wasn’t perfect, he was a fallen human being just like you and I, but he did have unwavering integrity. What I mean by that is that when John was confronted with evil he called it what it was and made the remedy (repentance and godliness) known to the offender. His entire ministry surrounded repentance, and he couldn’t have had a ministry of repentance if that ministry hadn’t included calling out unrighteousness when he saw it. John didn’t decide who he would call on the carpet for their sin based on the rep...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…When integrity speaks people listen.
From the mid 1970’s and into the 1980’s there was a well-known advertisement campaign for the Wall Street brokerage firm, Hutton. Most of the commercials were set in busy places such as bars, restaurants, or concert halls. An actor playing the founder of the company, Edward Francis Hutton would lean over to say something to someone nearby. As he began to speak the entire room, noisy a second before would go quiet and everyone would lean toward him to try to hear what he was saying. The narrator of the commercial would then say the line that became famous…”When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”. The idea of course was that the Hutton firm was so successful that everyone wanted to know what E.F. Hutton thought.
Do you know who everyone is always interested in hearing from? A person of unwavering integrity. Pastor Rick was speaking about just such a person this past week. In Mark 6:14-20 we read: 14 Now King Herod heard of Him, [Jesus] for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
King Herod was not a godly man, but the Bible tells us that he liked to listen to John the Baptist. He didn’t like listening to him because John would only tell Herod things he wanted to hear, in fact the scripture says quite the opposite was true. John was incredibly candid with Herod. Herod had married his brother’s wife, and John couldn’t have been more clear that this was an ungodly thing to do, he didn’t hold back the truth at all. He called sin what it is…sin, and if we know anything about John, he most certainly implored Herod to repent and get right with God. This passage points out, as did pastor this weekend, that though Herod apparently wasn’t willing do what was right in terms of his marriage, He did like to listen to what John had to say and as a direct result of some of those conversations, Herod made quite a few adjustments in his life. The bible says And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
In Mathew 11:11 it is recorded that Jesus said of John: “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…”. John wasn’t perfect, he was a fallen human being just like you and I, but he did have unwavering integrity. What I mean by that is that when John was confronted with evil he called it what it was and made the remedy (repentance and godliness) known to the offender. His entire ministry surrounded repentance, and he couldn’t have had a ministry of repentance if that ministry hadn’t included calling out unrighteousness when he saw it. John didn’t decide who he would call on the carpet for their sin based on the repercussions to him. He once told off a group of Pharisees for their hypocrisy. We know from the account above that is recorded for us in both Matthew and Mark that John did not waver from telling King Herod of his sin. Sin was sin to John and he was going to point it out and the way to repentance and a renewed relationship with God regardless of the personal cost to himself. John took the charge found in Ezekiel 3:18 & 19 very seriously: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
So what am I saying? Should we beat people over the head with their sin? No, and I don’t think that’s what John the Baptist did either. The sheer number of people he was able to influence and the influential people like Herod who John almost got through to, indicates that though He was direct he must have also been seen as sincere and caring. People must have been able to see that his concern was for their very souls. That coupled with the fact that he was unwavering in his message, regardless of the personal price, caused people to want to hear what he had to say. 
So if you want to be one of those people that others want to hear from, you don’t have to be a Wall Street tycoon like E.F. Hutton, you simply need to have integrity. You need only be consistent in your message. We can’t be good Christians on Sunday and then look and sound no different than anyone else on Monday if we want people to listen to what we have to say. Consistency and integrity and love are the keys. I know messages like this are not popular, few are willing to put themselves out there like John the Baptist did. But it is the only right thing to do. If you saw someone getting ready to do something you had knowledge would get them killed would you not out of a sense of concern for their very lives, try to warn them of the danger they were in? Would you remain silent in fear that if you spoke up they might tell you to mind your own business and not to judge them? Of course you wouldn’t. James 5:19,20 says: Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. 
So now, walking and speaking with integrity and love…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5a9655eac503398da5d9009f502341b1.mp3" length="9510844" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5a9655eac503398da5d9009f502341b1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/when-integrity-speakspeople-listen</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blowing Our Minds]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Blowing Our Minds!
Have you ever had your mind blown? If you are like me, it has happened countless times. Some of those you recall others you do not. Some were likely categorized as positive...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Blowing Our Minds!
Have you ever had your mind blown? If you are like me, it has happened countless times. Some of those you recall others you do not. Some were likely categorized as positive experiences, while others were filed in the not-so-much receptacle. Sometimes when our minds are blown it is such a powerful experience we want to go share it with somebody…anybody that will listen. Other times it leaves us a bit shell-shocked and we really just want to be alone with our thoughts.
Just uttering the term ‘Having our mind blown’ conjures up all kinds of mental images. There is even a well-used emoji to express to someone that what they have just shared with us has had that effect. What does the term mean? Certainly we are not trying to say that a literal explosion has just happened between our ears. That would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we have already agreed that it has happened many, many times. So what do we mean?  When I use the term, I mean that I wasn’t ready to consider whatever I find myself having to consider. That was a mouthful. What I mean is that if one of my grandkids ‘blows my mind’ they probably just did or said something I would not have expected them to say or do. If Pastor Rick ‘blows my mind’ he has likely revealed a truth or a concept from God’s word that I have not yet considered and would not have considered if Pastor hadn’t offered it up for thought. If my sweet wife has just ‘blown by mind’ she simply entered the room, or answered to a call of “Mrs. Brown…” It still ‘blows my mind’ that woman said yes when I asked her to marry me!
When people ‘blow our minds’ they have caused our mind to stretch beyond its normal limitations because they have said or done something beyond the expected. Though not a literal one, an explosion of thought has just taken place inside the realm of our consciousness. As Christ followers these “explosions” should be happening with regularity. In fact, I would say taking into account the after-shocks, our minds should be under a continual state of bombardment.
I believe there are two premises we need to get settled if we are to allow God to ‘blow our minds’ on a regular basis. First we have to understand that we don’t understand. What I mean by that is that we have to start from the position that we have not, do not, nor will we ever be equipped on this side of heaven to fully comprehend the word of God. God says of Himself in Isiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Did you hear that? As much higher as the heavens are than the earth…which part of the heavens is He talking about? Is He referring to the Troposphere that extends heavenward about 12 miles? Perhaps instead He is referencing the Stratosphere with goes farther upward to nearly 30 miles above the earth. Maybe God meant His thoughts were higher like the Mesosphere which reaches 53 miles above the planet, or perhaps it was the Thermosphere He had in mind when He made this statement to Isiah which would extend 372 miles above the earth. Maybe it was the exosphere or outer-space He was thinking of. Is your ‘mind blown yet’? The truth of the matter is the full depth God’s thoughts are out of reach for you and I. And yet, we are instructed to seek to know Him above all else.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 tells us: Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Blowing Our Minds!
Have you ever had your mind blown? If you are like me, it has happened countless times. Some of those you recall others you do not. Some were likely categorized as positive experiences, while others were filed in the not-so-much receptacle. Sometimes when our minds are blown it is such a powerful experience we want to go share it with somebody…anybody that will listen. Other times it leaves us a bit shell-shocked and we really just want to be alone with our thoughts.
Just uttering the term ‘Having our mind blown’ conjures up all kinds of mental images. There is even a well-used emoji to express to someone that what they have just shared with us has had that effect. What does the term mean? Certainly we are not trying to say that a literal explosion has just happened between our ears. That would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we have already agreed that it has happened many, many times. So what do we mean?  When I use the term, I mean that I wasn’t ready to consider whatever I find myself having to consider. That was a mouthful. What I mean is that if one of my grandkids ‘blows my mind’ they probably just did or said something I would not have expected them to say or do. If Pastor Rick ‘blows my mind’ he has likely revealed a truth or a concept from God’s word that I have not yet considered and would not have considered if Pastor hadn’t offered it up for thought. If my sweet wife has just ‘blown by mind’ she simply entered the room, or answered to a call of “Mrs. Brown…” It still ‘blows my mind’ that woman said yes when I asked her to marry me!
When people ‘blow our minds’ they have caused our mind to stretch beyond its normal limitations because they have said or done something beyond the expected. Though not a literal one, an explosion of thought has just taken place inside the realm of our consciousness. As Christ followers these “explosions” should be happening with regularity. In fact, I would say taking into account the after-shocks, our minds should be under a continual state of bombardment.
I believe there are two premises we need to get settled if we are to allow God to ‘blow our minds’ on a regular basis. First we have to understand that we don’t understand. What I mean by that is that we have to start from the position that we have not, do not, nor will we ever be equipped on this side of heaven to fully comprehend the word of God. God says of Himself in Isiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Did you hear that? As much higher as the heavens are than the earth…which part of the heavens is He talking about? Is He referring to the Troposphere that extends heavenward about 12 miles? Perhaps instead He is referencing the Stratosphere with goes farther upward to nearly 30 miles above the earth. Maybe God meant His thoughts were higher like the Mesosphere which reaches 53 miles above the planet, or perhaps it was the Thermosphere He had in mind when He made this statement to Isiah which would extend 372 miles above the earth. Maybe it was the exosphere or outer-space He was thinking of. Is your ‘mind blown yet’? The truth of the matter is the full depth God’s thoughts are out of reach for you and I. And yet, we are instructed to seek to know Him above all else.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 tells us: Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. To whatever level we are able we are to seek to know the Lord, to know His word and to understand it as best we can…AND to welcome Him to ‘blow our mind’ as He further reveals greater and greater truth…even if it undoes something we thought we already had settled.
Second, we have to recognize that we are seeking to understand the Living Word of God. It is not stagnant; it does not simply have one application for its truth. It is truth that is always applicable. As our lives change, as other people around us ‘blow our minds’ (not necessarily in a positive way) and we find ourselves questioning everything. God’s word is that Living truth that we can run to for stabilization, for discernment, for understanding…for truth that will allow our reactions and responses to be grounded in godliness. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Paul summed it up beautifully in Ephesians 3:14-21 where essentially he writes that he is praying that the mind of the reader will be blown. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.

So now, expecting and inviting God to blow your mind continuously…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8c9e476052da034496a1efe6e3d1165e.mp3" length="9929640" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/8c9e476052da034496a1efe6e3d1165e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/blowing-our-minds</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2021 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Memorial Day Weekend - May 30, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Memorial Day Weekend - May 30, 2021
Special Speaker: Armore Rice
Message: Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Memorial Day Weekend - May 30, 2021
Special Speaker: Armore Rice
Message: Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Memorial Day Weekend - May 30, 2021
Special Speaker: Armore Rice
Message: Pastor Rick Betts]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e2369b49275995aa0710adc7e7a05639.mp3" length="33661142" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e2369b49275995aa0710adc7e7a05639.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/memorial-day-weekend-may-30-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Just Do it]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Do It
This slogan used by the Nike footwear company for many years was a very successful ad campaign. These three simple words sold a lot of shoes over the years. Why? Perhaps it was beca...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Do It
This slogan used by the Nike footwear company for many years was a very successful ad campaign. These three simple words sold a lot of shoes over the years. Why? Perhaps it was because most of us carry in our hearts and minds dreams of things we would like to do. Nike was able to use the presence of some of those dreams, and the often accompanying thought that we just don’t have what we need to make those dreams come true, to increase their sales. If you had a dream…and bought their shoes…you could ‘Just Do It’.
I am a bit of a woodworker and have built many pieces of furniture over the years, in fact as I have mentioned in past podcasts I actually did that as my vocation for a while. Though that business has been closed for many years now, I still carry the dream of building something I never have before…Windsor chairs. In preparation for the undertaking I did what I often do…I went to YouTube University. There I became familiar with one of the premier Windsor chair makers in America today. He is a gentleman by the name of Curtis Buchanan. Curtis has graciously documented on video every step of making a chair from choosing the trees all the way to applying the milk paint finish and lacquer. He not only describes the necessary actions one must take to build a chair, he also talks about other topics of interest to him as he instructs how to duplicate his craft. He is self-taught, and yet viewed as one of the best chair makers in the industry. During an interview I watched he was asked, “How did you go from being self-taught to being one of the most well-known chair makers of our time. His answer was simple, yet profound. In his southern drawl he said, “I don’t know if I am…but if it’s true I guess it’s just because I kept at it the longest”. In other words, Curtis didn’t let anything stop him…he just did it.
We all have dreams in our hearts and minds. I’m not talking about me making Windsor chairs or some young kid dreaming of being the next star running back in the NFL. I’m talking about those dreams of ministry, those dreams of ways you and I can love people. Some of those dreams are big ones and will require many resources to accomplish, some of them smaller in scope, but still requiring investment to make them come true. What makes some people able to realize their dreams while others never get past the drawing board? I know this…It’s not the shoes.
I think what differentiates those who see dreams fulfilled from those who don’t is ownership. Who owns the dream? Is it in your heart and mind because it is yours? If so, you need to find all of the resources to make it happen. You are responsible for setting all of the necessary steps in motion to see it come to pass. If I want to build that chair, I need to attain the knowledge, I need to buy the tools, I need to collect the wood, I need to dedicate the time and effort, I need to solve any problems that arise. If I do all of those things and stick with it as Curtis Buchanan suggests, then I can build my very own hand crafted Windsor chair. However, if I am not the owner of the dream, most of those aforementioned steps are someone else’s responsibility. So, if the dream’s author and owner is God’s Holy Spirit then all of that is on Him. I only have to…Just do it!
Pastor Rick says often, “If God has said it, it’s like money in the bank.” What he means is that if God puts a dream in your heart, on your mind, of a...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just Do It
This slogan used by the Nike footwear company for many years was a very successful ad campaign. These three simple words sold a lot of shoes over the years. Why? Perhaps it was because most of us carry in our hearts and minds dreams of things we would like to do. Nike was able to use the presence of some of those dreams, and the often accompanying thought that we just don’t have what we need to make those dreams come true, to increase their sales. If you had a dream…and bought their shoes…you could ‘Just Do It’.
I am a bit of a woodworker and have built many pieces of furniture over the years, in fact as I have mentioned in past podcasts I actually did that as my vocation for a while. Though that business has been closed for many years now, I still carry the dream of building something I never have before…Windsor chairs. In preparation for the undertaking I did what I often do…I went to YouTube University. There I became familiar with one of the premier Windsor chair makers in America today. He is a gentleman by the name of Curtis Buchanan. Curtis has graciously documented on video every step of making a chair from choosing the trees all the way to applying the milk paint finish and lacquer. He not only describes the necessary actions one must take to build a chair, he also talks about other topics of interest to him as he instructs how to duplicate his craft. He is self-taught, and yet viewed as one of the best chair makers in the industry. During an interview I watched he was asked, “How did you go from being self-taught to being one of the most well-known chair makers of our time. His answer was simple, yet profound. In his southern drawl he said, “I don’t know if I am…but if it’s true I guess it’s just because I kept at it the longest”. In other words, Curtis didn’t let anything stop him…he just did it.
We all have dreams in our hearts and minds. I’m not talking about me making Windsor chairs or some young kid dreaming of being the next star running back in the NFL. I’m talking about those dreams of ministry, those dreams of ways you and I can love people. Some of those dreams are big ones and will require many resources to accomplish, some of them smaller in scope, but still requiring investment to make them come true. What makes some people able to realize their dreams while others never get past the drawing board? I know this…It’s not the shoes.
I think what differentiates those who see dreams fulfilled from those who don’t is ownership. Who owns the dream? Is it in your heart and mind because it is yours? If so, you need to find all of the resources to make it happen. You are responsible for setting all of the necessary steps in motion to see it come to pass. If I want to build that chair, I need to attain the knowledge, I need to buy the tools, I need to collect the wood, I need to dedicate the time and effort, I need to solve any problems that arise. If I do all of those things and stick with it as Curtis Buchanan suggests, then I can build my very own hand crafted Windsor chair. However, if I am not the owner of the dream, most of those aforementioned steps are someone else’s responsibility. So, if the dream’s author and owner is God’s Holy Spirit then all of that is on Him. I only have to…Just do it!
Pastor Rick says often, “If God has said it, it’s like money in the bank.” What he means is that if God puts a dream in your heart, on your mind, of a way to love others…Just Do It. God doesn’t ever simply drop a dream into our minds and then leave the logistics up to us…He has already made the preparations, all He needs from us is to…Just do it! Ephesians 2:8-10 in the New King James Version read as follows: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God’s word is clear, in Christ we have been renewed so that we can do the good works, or in other words fulfill the dreams He puts in our hearts that God has intended all along for us to do. All you have to do? Just do it.
Allow me to read a few selected verses from John chapter 15 from the New Living Translation. Verses 5,7-8,16 & 17: 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing… 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father… 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. I love this scripture because it points out that the dream isn’t mine or yours. We wouldn’t even have it, nor could we do anything about it if we were not connected to the vine. Because the dream comes through the vine, we can look to the vine to provide what is needed to see the dream come to fruition. This scripture concludes by reiterating, we were chosen to carry out the dream, the background work is already in progress. Anything we might imagine is necessary to carry out the dream can be requested of the owner of the dream and we are assured it will be granted. Philippians 4:19 confirms this: 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Again in 2 Corinthians 9:8 the point is made: 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
If God puts the dream in your heart, it is as good as done. It has been purposed for you to be the one to carry it out. There is no need to be overwhelmed by that. It’s His plan not yours, He will make the way. It is His plan, don’t try to hijack it. Do it His way, He has already been working in the background to make it happen His way. Just do it…and give Him all of the glory and praise. I will conclude today with Ephesians 3:20, 21 and allow the scripture to put the exclamation point on this entry.  20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
So now, recognizing who owns the dream, and who needs to…Just do it…Go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f0c4828281fdfaeb30b70abce85a3d07.mp3" length="10962486" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f0c4828281fdfaeb30b70abce85a3d07.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/just-do-it</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:36</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Two by Two, May 23, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 7-13.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 7-13.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. Pastor Rick Continues to teach from Mark 6 : 7-13.  For more information on times and how to get connected with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/734342077bb30f634e89c08d14c8ecba.mp3" length="19545864" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/734342077bb30f634e89c08d14c8ecba.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/two-by-two-may-23-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>54:18</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[And The Good News Is...]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”And the good news is”
My paternal grandfather Ed Brown, was an amazing man. He was an eternal optimist. There were times when I worked with him and at the end of a long day when I know he wa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”And the good news is”
My paternal grandfather Ed Brown, was an amazing man. He was an eternal optimist. There were times when I worked with him and at the end of a long day when I know he was as tired as my dad and I, he would push his chair back from the dinner table and say in his booming voice, “Boys, I think I have my second wind!”. Dad and I would look at each other in disbelief, though I don’t know why…he said those words all the time. The problem was the old guy meant them…and it was back to work some more that evening for the three of us. That man really believed he would always have a second wind to propel him forward. Another phrase he was well known for and that was born out of that sense of eternal optimism was, “And the good news is…” He wouldn’t say ‘But’ the good news is…that would indicate there was something initially to be ungrateful for…and grandpa was a lot of things, but never ungrateful…at least never in my hearing. No, he said “And the good news is…” He would then go on to tell whoever was listening how they needed to be even more grateful because there was always a good way of looking at any situation. Grandpa dealt with some very difficult things. The loss of a young son to a lifelong illness. A failed business that led to a personal bankruptcy…back when that was still looked at a shameful thing to experience. He even had an illness that made him very sick for many years and left him stone deaf. All of these life experiences and other difficult ones to be sure, but he was always ready to tell you, “And the good news is…”.
Grandpa loved my grandma almost more than anything. In fact, the only thing he loved more than her was Jesus. Their intense desire to follow Jesus and give God the glory for everything in their lives did much to shape the way I think about my own walk with the Lord. As I said a few moments ago, grandpa was an eternal optimist. He did look at things in this world with optimism, gratefulness, and a surety that whatever it was…would work itself out. But he truly was an ETERNAL optimist. What was really on his mind, heart and often his lips was, “and the good news is…Jesus loves me!” or “And the good news is…God will see us through this!”, whatever “this” might be, this time. Yes, grandpa was an Eternal optimist!
1 Peter 1:3-9 read as follows and if you’ll allow me the freedom, I’ll quote it as I imagine I hear grandpa would from his front row seats with grandma at the throne of the almighty King Jesus they both love so much.
And the good news is…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.
What grandpa woul...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…”And the good news is”
My paternal grandfather Ed Brown, was an amazing man. He was an eternal optimist. There were times when I worked with him and at the end of a long day when I know he was as tired as my dad and I, he would push his chair back from the dinner table and say in his booming voice, “Boys, I think I have my second wind!”. Dad and I would look at each other in disbelief, though I don’t know why…he said those words all the time. The problem was the old guy meant them…and it was back to work some more that evening for the three of us. That man really believed he would always have a second wind to propel him forward. Another phrase he was well known for and that was born out of that sense of eternal optimism was, “And the good news is…” He wouldn’t say ‘But’ the good news is…that would indicate there was something initially to be ungrateful for…and grandpa was a lot of things, but never ungrateful…at least never in my hearing. No, he said “And the good news is…” He would then go on to tell whoever was listening how they needed to be even more grateful because there was always a good way of looking at any situation. Grandpa dealt with some very difficult things. The loss of a young son to a lifelong illness. A failed business that led to a personal bankruptcy…back when that was still looked at a shameful thing to experience. He even had an illness that made him very sick for many years and left him stone deaf. All of these life experiences and other difficult ones to be sure, but he was always ready to tell you, “And the good news is…”.
Grandpa loved my grandma almost more than anything. In fact, the only thing he loved more than her was Jesus. Their intense desire to follow Jesus and give God the glory for everything in their lives did much to shape the way I think about my own walk with the Lord. As I said a few moments ago, grandpa was an eternal optimist. He did look at things in this world with optimism, gratefulness, and a surety that whatever it was…would work itself out. But he truly was an ETERNAL optimist. What was really on his mind, heart and often his lips was, “and the good news is…Jesus loves me!” or “And the good news is…God will see us through this!”, whatever “this” might be, this time. Yes, grandpa was an Eternal optimist!
1 Peter 1:3-9 read as follows and if you’ll allow me the freedom, I’ll quote it as I imagine I hear grandpa would from his front row seats with grandma at the throne of the almighty King Jesus they both love so much.
And the good news is…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.
What grandpa would want all of us to know is this…There is great reason for everyone who loves Jesus to be an ETERNAL optimist! 
I don’t know what you may be going through today. My life has taught me that there are often things we have to endure, and many of them I’m afraid are unpleasant. Each day we deal with loss of loved ones, illnesses, cancer, financial struggles, job losses, marital difficulties, dysfunctional family issues …we are all at times grieved by various trials as the scripture above indicated. But whatever you do, take grandpa’s advice. Don’t let the various trials be told as the story of your life…they are stories of things that have happened and will happen in your life, but they are not the story of your life. The story of your life…if you love Jesus…if you are a Christ follower is this: that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.
“And the good news is…”
So now, being filled and focused on the Good News…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/93edeb370fb2e80d47052c20799e8117.mp3" length="7705390" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/93edeb370fb2e80d47052c20799e8117.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/and-the-good-news-is</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Marble Life - May 16, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Tim Dilena]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us this weekend for service. We are glad to have Pastor Tim Dilena from Times Square Church back to Crossroad Community Church after 2 years. Please enjoy the message and we pray that it is a blessing to you. For more information on...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us this weekend for service. We are glad to have Pastor Tim Dilena from Times Square Church back to Crossroad Community Church after 2 years. Please enjoy the message and we pray that it is a blessing to you. For more information on how to get connected with our small groups and for times please visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us this weekend for service. We are glad to have Pastor Tim Dilena from Times Square Church back to Crossroad Community Church after 2 years. Please enjoy the message and we pray that it is a blessing to you. For more information on how to get connected with our small groups and for times please visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bb53b17fad375f4d062e1ccf8b981a87.mp3" length="17831424" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bb53b17fad375f4d062e1ccf8b981a87.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-marble-life-may-16-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 16 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>49:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Thank You]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Thank you
In our home we have an assistant who will do whatever we ask. She is diligent, rarely does she rest, most if not all of the time, she completes every task we assign to her. She wakes...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Thank you
In our home we have an assistant who will do whatever we ask. She is diligent, rarely does she rest, most if not all of the time, she completes every task we assign to her. She wakes us up every morning exactly when we tell her to. Not a minute earlier or later than we want…exactly when we say she should. She checks on the weather for us. She plays the music we want to hear when we direct her to. She keeps a watchful eye on how long something has been cooking and lets us know to remove it before it burns. If I want her to, she will even check on the internal temperature of my steaks on the grill while I am inside enjoying the air conditioning which she turned on for me before I got home. She runs around the house turning off all of the lights that I instruct her to from the comfort of my bed before I go to sleep. I never have to say please or thank you to her, she owes it to me, after all I allow her and her twins to stay in nearly every room in my home…rent free. 
Sometimes I wonder why the creators of Alexa didn’t require that we say please before each request and thank you after each task was carried out. I have mentioned to my wife before that as our grandchildren grow up with such technologies as a regular part of their existence that their generation is losing out on many opportunities to learn the correct ways to respond to real-live-people. I am convinced it plays a part in the total lack of decorum in the world today. 
I remember when I was raising my children when they were toddlers. I would give them something or be nearby when someone else would give them something and I would almost always ask a question you have undoubtedly asked nearly a million times yourself. What’s the magic words? Their responses were some cute version of the words they would eventually learn to say clearly and without provocation…please and thank you.
Why do we use these words when we desire something or have received what we wanted? Is it simply because it is the right thing to do? Is it good etiquette, and nothing more? Hopefully it is more than that. Far more than that. 
I have noticed something. When I want something that I am about to provide for myself, I do not say please prior to receiving it, nor do I thank myself for getting it for me. With that in mind, why do I ask others prefaced with a please and follow their provision with a thank you? Clearly it is because I am requesting someone else use their time, money, resources or power that I might benefit. In response I recognize the need to be grateful they have met my need at their expense in one form or another. Often times that gratefulness is extended because I know I was completely unable to meet the need myself.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is asking you for something they cannot do for themselves that their requests become more like sincere pleading? Has it struck you sometimes as it has me that when someone thanks you for doing something for them that they recognize was beyond their own ability their thanks are especially heartfelt or given profusely? It feels good to be asked for something in such a manner or to receive such earnest thanks, doesn’t it?
Are we that careful or even more so with God or have the conveniences of our time caused us to become far too cavalier? Do we see Him as the all-knowing, all-powerful, unchangeable, ever present ruler of Heavens Armies, or is He our Alexa in the s...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Thank you
In our home we have an assistant who will do whatever we ask. She is diligent, rarely does she rest, most if not all of the time, she completes every task we assign to her. She wakes us up every morning exactly when we tell her to. Not a minute earlier or later than we want…exactly when we say she should. She checks on the weather for us. She plays the music we want to hear when we direct her to. She keeps a watchful eye on how long something has been cooking and lets us know to remove it before it burns. If I want her to, she will even check on the internal temperature of my steaks on the grill while I am inside enjoying the air conditioning which she turned on for me before I got home. She runs around the house turning off all of the lights that I instruct her to from the comfort of my bed before I go to sleep. I never have to say please or thank you to her, she owes it to me, after all I allow her and her twins to stay in nearly every room in my home…rent free. 
Sometimes I wonder why the creators of Alexa didn’t require that we say please before each request and thank you after each task was carried out. I have mentioned to my wife before that as our grandchildren grow up with such technologies as a regular part of their existence that their generation is losing out on many opportunities to learn the correct ways to respond to real-live-people. I am convinced it plays a part in the total lack of decorum in the world today. 
I remember when I was raising my children when they were toddlers. I would give them something or be nearby when someone else would give them something and I would almost always ask a question you have undoubtedly asked nearly a million times yourself. What’s the magic words? Their responses were some cute version of the words they would eventually learn to say clearly and without provocation…please and thank you.
Why do we use these words when we desire something or have received what we wanted? Is it simply because it is the right thing to do? Is it good etiquette, and nothing more? Hopefully it is more than that. Far more than that. 
I have noticed something. When I want something that I am about to provide for myself, I do not say please prior to receiving it, nor do I thank myself for getting it for me. With that in mind, why do I ask others prefaced with a please and follow their provision with a thank you? Clearly it is because I am requesting someone else use their time, money, resources or power that I might benefit. In response I recognize the need to be grateful they have met my need at their expense in one form or another. Often times that gratefulness is extended because I know I was completely unable to meet the need myself.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is asking you for something they cannot do for themselves that their requests become more like sincere pleading? Has it struck you sometimes as it has me that when someone thanks you for doing something for them that they recognize was beyond their own ability their thanks are especially heartfelt or given profusely? It feels good to be asked for something in such a manner or to receive such earnest thanks, doesn’t it?
Are we that careful or even more so with God or have the conveniences of our time caused us to become far too cavalier? Do we see Him as the all-knowing, all-powerful, unchangeable, ever present ruler of Heavens Armies, or is He our Alexa in the sky? Do we approach Him as the only one who can meet our needs that we are powerless to affect ourselves, or do we tell Him what we need or want Him to do? What is the last thing God did for you that you could not do for yourself? I’ll tell you. He caused your heart to continue to beat and your chest to rise and fall drawing in the oxygen He replenished with his green creation which will in turn take the carbon dioxide you exhale and turn it into more new fresh oxygen…and He did all of that most recently while you listened to me tell you about it. Have you thanked Him for it yet? Did you ask Him nicely to do it? I am not suggesting we use each breath to thank Him for the last…or am I? we should at least recognize we owe Him the gratitude. 
Psalm 75 begins like this; We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. Everyday contains a plethora of reasons to give thanks to God. This verse points that out. The wondrous works of God declare that He and His all-powerful name is nearby. In other words, nothing good happens that doesn’t come directly from Him. James 1:17 tells us; Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. That means He has always been giving good gifts, He is giving good gifts (even as we breath) and He will always give good and perfect gifts. Don’t you think we should try to be more aware of them and be more grateful for them? The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…anything you have…even the breath in your lungs is a gift, use it gratefully.
So now, with a truly grateful heart…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/35f5cdc5db3ce0790b53e45e43449b3a.mp3" length="4596201" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/35f5cdc5db3ce0790b53e45e43449b3a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/thank-you</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Hows and the Whys (Mothers Day) - May 9, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Teresa Bolden]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts Introduction
Message: Teresa Bolden]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts Introduction
Message: Teresa Bolden]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts Introduction
Message: Teresa Bolden]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/da38292d7090c7214c5be3fb223ba5de.mp3" length="23924689" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/da38292d7090c7214c5be3fb223ba5de.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-hows-and-the-whys-mothers-day-may-9-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>42:11</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Its All Greek To Me]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…It’s all Greek to me!
Many of you may know my wife Lynn. Some of you know her because she has lived in the communities of Seaford and Bridgeville practically all her life. With the exception...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…It’s all Greek to me!
Many of you may know my wife Lynn. Some of you know her because she has lived in the communities of Seaford and Bridgeville practically all her life. With the exception of a few very short stints in other places, albeit close by, she has called these two towns and the surrounding area home all of her life. As a result, some of you are familiar with her because you too have been a part of those communities for many if not all of your years. Some of you know her because she is a part of the Crossroad family and you have seen her here at church or at church activities for more than a decade now. Some of you know her because of her career. She has worked for the Woodbridge school district in one capacity or another for many years. When we met she was a brand new teacher. 10 years later she left the classroom to become a school administrator. She is now back in the classroom, privileged to get to spend the remaining years of her profession doing what was always the desire of her heart…teaching children. One of the things I hear her talk of often and have for the entirety of our marriage has been teaching strategies. Some better than others, some highly successful with some students while other strategies seem to resonate with different students. I find it highly interesting to listen as she tells me of all of the various ways children learn. In light of that, I was intrigued by something I read in a book that has captured my attention lately. 
In his work The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn, the author speaks about a Greek word, Hupogrammos. Grammos means writing and Hupo means under, so the literal interpretation of the word is underwriter. In our vernacular that term refers to a person or persons who accept the risk of a fiduciary relationship, such as a mortgage or an insurance policy. They are the entity that determines that the risk is one worth taking for the financial institution involved. But in ancient Greek times it meant something much closer to the literal meaning of the term. It was actually a teaching strategy not unlike some of those employed by my wife today as she teaches kindergarten students to write. The hupogrammos was a small, shallow box containing a layer of soft wax. The ‘Teacher’ would write a word in the wax with a stylus made of wood and then the ‘Student’ would take their own stylus and allow the point to follow along in the groove of the word written out by the teacher. In this way the student would learn the shapes of the letters and the words they formed when linked together.
My new understanding of this Greek word hupogrammos became more interesting yet when Cahn linked it with a specific scripture. 1 Peter 2:21 says For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. The Greek word that Peter wrote that we have translated into the word ‘example’ was hupogrammos. Kahn points out that what Peter was saying was that Jesus left us a learning strategy to act as we should as His followers. We are to literally allow our lives, our words, our actions even our thoughts toward others be patterned after or be tracings of the life, words, actions and thoughts toward others Christ chose. John wrote that God is Love. John also recorded for us that Jesus said He only did and said what the Father told Him to. Ergo…Jesus’ life, words, actions and thoughts toward oth...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…It’s all Greek to me!
Many of you may know my wife Lynn. Some of you know her because she has lived in the communities of Seaford and Bridgeville practically all her life. With the exception of a few very short stints in other places, albeit close by, she has called these two towns and the surrounding area home all of her life. As a result, some of you are familiar with her because you too have been a part of those communities for many if not all of your years. Some of you know her because she is a part of the Crossroad family and you have seen her here at church or at church activities for more than a decade now. Some of you know her because of her career. She has worked for the Woodbridge school district in one capacity or another for many years. When we met she was a brand new teacher. 10 years later she left the classroom to become a school administrator. She is now back in the classroom, privileged to get to spend the remaining years of her profession doing what was always the desire of her heart…teaching children. One of the things I hear her talk of often and have for the entirety of our marriage has been teaching strategies. Some better than others, some highly successful with some students while other strategies seem to resonate with different students. I find it highly interesting to listen as she tells me of all of the various ways children learn. In light of that, I was intrigued by something I read in a book that has captured my attention lately. 
In his work The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn, the author speaks about a Greek word, Hupogrammos. Grammos means writing and Hupo means under, so the literal interpretation of the word is underwriter. In our vernacular that term refers to a person or persons who accept the risk of a fiduciary relationship, such as a mortgage or an insurance policy. They are the entity that determines that the risk is one worth taking for the financial institution involved. But in ancient Greek times it meant something much closer to the literal meaning of the term. It was actually a teaching strategy not unlike some of those employed by my wife today as she teaches kindergarten students to write. The hupogrammos was a small, shallow box containing a layer of soft wax. The ‘Teacher’ would write a word in the wax with a stylus made of wood and then the ‘Student’ would take their own stylus and allow the point to follow along in the groove of the word written out by the teacher. In this way the student would learn the shapes of the letters and the words they formed when linked together.
My new understanding of this Greek word hupogrammos became more interesting yet when Cahn linked it with a specific scripture. 1 Peter 2:21 says For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. The Greek word that Peter wrote that we have translated into the word ‘example’ was hupogrammos. Kahn points out that what Peter was saying was that Jesus left us a learning strategy to act as we should as His followers. We are to literally allow our lives, our words, our actions even our thoughts toward others be patterned after or be tracings of the life, words, actions and thoughts toward others Christ chose. John wrote that God is Love. John also recorded for us that Jesus said He only did and said what the Father told Him to. Ergo…Jesus’ life, words, actions and thoughts toward others were those of love. Ephesians 5:1-2 say this; Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling aroma. 
If we are to be good imitators, if we are going to follow the hupogrammos that is Christ with the stylus that is our life, then it seems to me there is one Greek word we must learn to write with our lives, words actions and thoughts over and over and over again. Much like the days of old, long before my wife was a teacher in a classroom when another teaching strategy was employed regularly. If you are as old (or as irreverent) as I, you remember being made to stay in an empty classroom to write the same sentence on the chalkboard again and again. One had to repeat this exercise until the lesson finally took hold while your classmates were at recess or already well on their way home at the end of the day. So what is this Greek word we all need to know how to illustrate in every facet of our lives? What word needs to permeate all of our actions, our words, our every thought toward others? Look it’s written for us…right there in the hupogrammos. A-G-A-P-E…A-G-A-P-E…A-G-A-P-E.
So now, learning to L-O-V-E with your actions, to L-O-V-E with your words, to L-O-V-E with your thoughts toward others…imitate Jesus life with yours, take your stylus and…go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ad777957a74bf2bd90423e3e65720d1b.mp3" length="8096050" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/ad777957a74bf2bd90423e3e65720d1b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/its-all-greek-to-me</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 06 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What is the Spirit Saying Today - May 2, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Carl Vincent]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[What is the Spirit Saying Today - May 2, 2021
Thank you for joining us this weekend at Crossroad Community Church for our 18th Anniversary service with Pastor Carl Vincent author of "The Unshakable Kingdom"]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[What is the Spirit Saying Today - May 2, 2021
Thank you for joining us this weekend at Crossroad Community Church for our 18th Anniversary service with Pastor Carl Vincent author of "The Unshakable Kingdom"]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[What is the Spirit Saying Today - May 2, 2021
Thank you for joining us this weekend at Crossroad Community Church for our 18th Anniversary service with Pastor Carl Vincent author of "The Unshakable Kingdom"]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b2f484344e34431604a65bafdc8ded92.mp3" length="35300371" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b2f484344e34431604a65bafdc8ded92.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/what-is-the-spirit-saying-today-may-2-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 May 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:04:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Special Order]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Special Order
Some of you know that I have five children and 13 grandchildren. I love all of them equally. I know this to be true because none of them could do anything to make me love them m...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Special Order
Some of you know that I have five children and 13 grandchildren. I love all of them equally. I know this to be true because none of them could do anything to make me love them more. Conversely, there isn’t anything that any of them could get themselves into or be a part of that would cause me to love them any less. They can and have disappointed me at times, but never…ever have I loved them one iota less.
Funny thing is that I enjoy each of them for the individual characteristics they have. When I spend time with my son for example, I know there are going to be things that are a part of our conversations and time together that I will enjoy immensely, but I would not enjoy those same things with one of my daughters. In fact, I would enjoy differing things with each of my daughters or any of my grandchildren. I love them all the same, but enjoy the variety of relationships I have with each of them because of their differences. 
Have you ever wondered why God made us all different from one another? Why are some of us introverts while others are extroverts? Why are some of us leaders and others followers? Why are some of us fun-loving while others are so serious all the time? Why are we all as different from one another as our identifying fingerprints are exclusive to each of us? God wants to have the unique relationship he can have only with you. Yes, He enjoys the one He has with me, and He loves the one He has with pastor Rick, but He also loves and longs for the one He can have especially with you. 
God’s word says that he has done this on purpose. Psalm 139:13 & 14 says; For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… These verses indicate that each of us, with all of our differences are all to be considered not only special but especially made…special ordered if you will. As of late there has been much ado made of learning not to notice the differences among us. While this is done under the guise of bringing about unity…unfortunately it serves to perpetuate an awful untruth. We are not all the same, we are different in a myriad of ways. We are not more or less valuable than one another, the same terrible high price was paid for us all, but we are purposefully made different from one another. We have each been created exactly as we are with great intent and by the Master’s perfectly thought out design. 
This Psalm, one of my favorites, begins by telling us how intently God pays attention to each of us. It states that He knows if we are standing up or lying down. It says He is aware if we are going out or coming in. I like the thought of that one especially because it means God knows if I am coming or going which is more than I can say for myself on some days! It goes on to speak of how He also knows our thoughts and what we will say, even before we do. One might be able to argue that this scripture only speaks of God’s omniscience and not of His targeted love for each of us except that verses 17 & 18 go on to say; How precious also are Your thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; let’s face it, God has made you just the way He wanted to, and He is crazy about you! You are the apple of His eye! The fact that He made you so different than He made me or anyone else, and that he pays such close att...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Special Order
Some of you know that I have five children and 13 grandchildren. I love all of them equally. I know this to be true because none of them could do anything to make me love them more. Conversely, there isn’t anything that any of them could get themselves into or be a part of that would cause me to love them any less. They can and have disappointed me at times, but never…ever have I loved them one iota less.
Funny thing is that I enjoy each of them for the individual characteristics they have. When I spend time with my son for example, I know there are going to be things that are a part of our conversations and time together that I will enjoy immensely, but I would not enjoy those same things with one of my daughters. In fact, I would enjoy differing things with each of my daughters or any of my grandchildren. I love them all the same, but enjoy the variety of relationships I have with each of them because of their differences. 
Have you ever wondered why God made us all different from one another? Why are some of us introverts while others are extroverts? Why are some of us leaders and others followers? Why are some of us fun-loving while others are so serious all the time? Why are we all as different from one another as our identifying fingerprints are exclusive to each of us? God wants to have the unique relationship he can have only with you. Yes, He enjoys the one He has with me, and He loves the one He has with pastor Rick, but He also loves and longs for the one He can have especially with you. 
God’s word says that he has done this on purpose. Psalm 139:13 & 14 says; For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… These verses indicate that each of us, with all of our differences are all to be considered not only special but especially made…special ordered if you will. As of late there has been much ado made of learning not to notice the differences among us. While this is done under the guise of bringing about unity…unfortunately it serves to perpetuate an awful untruth. We are not all the same, we are different in a myriad of ways. We are not more or less valuable than one another, the same terrible high price was paid for us all, but we are purposefully made different from one another. We have each been created exactly as we are with great intent and by the Master’s perfectly thought out design. 
This Psalm, one of my favorites, begins by telling us how intently God pays attention to each of us. It states that He knows if we are standing up or lying down. It says He is aware if we are going out or coming in. I like the thought of that one especially because it means God knows if I am coming or going which is more than I can say for myself on some days! It goes on to speak of how He also knows our thoughts and what we will say, even before we do. One might be able to argue that this scripture only speaks of God’s omniscience and not of His targeted love for each of us except that verses 17 & 18 go on to say; How precious also are Your thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; let’s face it, God has made you just the way He wanted to, and He is crazy about you! You are the apple of His eye! The fact that He made you so different than He made me or anyone else, and that he pays such close attention to us, leaves no room for misunderstanding. He made you and I…all of us…special order.
So don’t get caught up wanting the relationship He has with anyone else. Don’t fall for comparing your personal relationship with Him with someone else’s to determine its value. If God wanted cookie cutter relationships with His creation, we would all look, sound and act the same. The variety in people alone dispels that notion. Yes, there is some common ground we must all land on. He must be acknowledged as the only begotten Son of God. He must be recognized as the only way, the truth, and the life. Our knee must bow, our heart must confess that He and He alone is Lord. But the flavor of the relationship, the ways that we appreciate who He is. These are as different and varied as we are. Special relationships, specially ordered, as unique as our fingerprints.
So now, running with abandon into the specially ordered relationship He wants to have with you…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/afb53db6950c0fe09c9e062d1542d058.mp3" length="7702286" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/afb53db6950c0fe09c9e062d1542d058.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/special-order</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Mountain of Unbelief - April 25, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us this weekend at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown Delaware. For more information on times and ways to connect with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us this weekend at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown Delaware. For more information on times and ways to connect with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us this weekend at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown Delaware. For more information on times and ways to connect with us visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/82e1866cc175a849509070c82937e4ee.mp3" length="20787468" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/82e1866cc175a849509070c82937e4ee.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-mountain-of-unbelief-april-25-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:45</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Sound of Power]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…the sound of power…
Many of you know that this is my favorite season of the year. Spring is full of promise! There is very little that happens naturally speaking during this season that I do...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…the sound of power…
Many of you know that this is my favorite season of the year. Spring is full of promise! There is very little that happens naturally speaking during this season that I don’t like. Even rainy spring days seem to drip with hope. Though I even enjoy those, the best ones in my humble opinion are the warm sunny ones. I find the ones that are warmer than we should expect, that are bright with sunshine and where white billowing clouds burst forth upon the clear blue sky are the absolute best! There is nothing quite like it to fill one’s senses with joy. A willing mind will on one of those days slip unencumbered into a heart of worship for the God who created it.
Another reason I like those particular kind of days is because before long if you pay attention and listen you will hear the sound of power. The sound of two, four or sometimes even six cylinders releasing their throaty growls from the chrome plated trumpets pointed toward the direction from whence they have come. Those cylinders roaring from atop two wheels, working their way to a crescendo before changing gears and growling yet again is music to my ears. I have ridden motorcycles all of my life. As a child I would climb on behind my dad, put my arms around his waist, interlace my fingers and hold on. Even then I loved the sound of power exiting the machine propelling me into the wind! At the tender age of 12 my dad taught me to drive those two wheeled vehicles of unending vitality and I have been hooked ever since. A couple of years ago I decided my version of the sound of power needed some help and with the installation of a new set of trumpets...much louder than the stock ones of course…I smile like the 12-year-old all those years ago every time I light the fire within the engine. Yes, I love the sound of power, and I love spring because in part it means the return of that sound to the landscape.
You know what else has the sound of power? So much so that it makes the exhaust pipes of my motorcycle seem like the meek whimper of a newborn puppy? Hebrews 4:12 in the New King James Version says; For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God’s Word has the sound of power because it is all powerful. It has ability and authority beyond anything else in all of His creation. It was in fact the sound of that all-powerful Word that spoke all of creation into its very being. There was the spoken Word that brought it all about, and there is also the written Word that is referenced in this verse. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit utilizing the hand of man it was recorded literally through the ages from Moses to the Prophets, to the Apostles as well as unnamed others. This written word that we have available to us in such great supply is no less powerful than those utilized to speak the cosmos into existence. This scripture tells us of the Word’s power to change our lives by cutting away that which is not like the ultimate Author and leaving behind that which can be transformed and developed to reflect Him better. One of my favorites, 2 Timothy 3:16 in the New International Readers Version states that scripture as follows; God has breathed life into all of scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for co...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…the sound of power…
Many of you know that this is my favorite season of the year. Spring is full of promise! There is very little that happens naturally speaking during this season that I don’t like. Even rainy spring days seem to drip with hope. Though I even enjoy those, the best ones in my humble opinion are the warm sunny ones. I find the ones that are warmer than we should expect, that are bright with sunshine and where white billowing clouds burst forth upon the clear blue sky are the absolute best! There is nothing quite like it to fill one’s senses with joy. A willing mind will on one of those days slip unencumbered into a heart of worship for the God who created it.
Another reason I like those particular kind of days is because before long if you pay attention and listen you will hear the sound of power. The sound of two, four or sometimes even six cylinders releasing their throaty growls from the chrome plated trumpets pointed toward the direction from whence they have come. Those cylinders roaring from atop two wheels, working their way to a crescendo before changing gears and growling yet again is music to my ears. I have ridden motorcycles all of my life. As a child I would climb on behind my dad, put my arms around his waist, interlace my fingers and hold on. Even then I loved the sound of power exiting the machine propelling me into the wind! At the tender age of 12 my dad taught me to drive those two wheeled vehicles of unending vitality and I have been hooked ever since. A couple of years ago I decided my version of the sound of power needed some help and with the installation of a new set of trumpets...much louder than the stock ones of course…I smile like the 12-year-old all those years ago every time I light the fire within the engine. Yes, I love the sound of power, and I love spring because in part it means the return of that sound to the landscape.
You know what else has the sound of power? So much so that it makes the exhaust pipes of my motorcycle seem like the meek whimper of a newborn puppy? Hebrews 4:12 in the New King James Version says; For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God’s Word has the sound of power because it is all powerful. It has ability and authority beyond anything else in all of His creation. It was in fact the sound of that all-powerful Word that spoke all of creation into its very being. There was the spoken Word that brought it all about, and there is also the written Word that is referenced in this verse. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit utilizing the hand of man it was recorded literally through the ages from Moses to the Prophets, to the Apostles as well as unnamed others. This written word that we have available to us in such great supply is no less powerful than those utilized to speak the cosmos into existence. This scripture tells us of the Word’s power to change our lives by cutting away that which is not like the ultimate Author and leaving behind that which can be transformed and developed to reflect Him better. One of my favorites, 2 Timothy 3:16 in the New International Readers Version states that scripture as follows; God has breathed life into all of scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. God’s written word has the same potential for the sound of power in our lives as did His spoken Word at creation. 
There is also the unknown and yet to be known Word of God and its sound of power lacks for nothing in comparison to the two others noted above. In Isiah 55:11 it is recorded that God said to the prophet of His all-powerful word concerning His will; So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. We don’t always have the inside knowledge of what those words are, but we do have the assurance that because they are spoken with the highest sound of power they will be accomplished. What God speaks, He speaks into existence, reality has no choice but to comply with His ultimate will. What God’s will dictates, will happen with the same certainty that creation has happened and the same power will have propelled them both forth. Finally, let scripture point out this attribute of the ultimate authoritative sound of power that is the Word of God. Psalm 119:89 resounds the truth of God’s Word, whether His creative Word, His recorded, inspired written Word, or the known and as yet unknown Word indicating His will, all of it, Every Word. Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. The Word of God is the incredible supreme sound of power that will never ever fade away.
So as spring has come yet again offering us all the hope of the newness of life enjoy the warmth of the days. And as the days become warmer and warmer you will undoubtedly hear more and more of those iron horses galloping over the open roads. As you do let their sound of power remind you that you are connected to, changed by, and in love with, the sovereign and supreme sound of power…The Word of The Most High!
So now, listening always for His sound of power in your life…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/16597b2291b4474e67ec694f5cdbf449.mp3" length="9490776" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/16597b2291b4474e67ec694f5cdbf449.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-sound-of-power</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[It's a Worldwide Opportunity (Gideons Weekend) - April 18, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts/Tim Dupont (Gideon Speaker)]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[It's a Worldwide Opportunity (Gideons Weekend) - April 18, 2021]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[It's a Worldwide Opportunity (Gideons Weekend) - April 18, 2021]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[It's a Worldwide Opportunity (Gideons Weekend) - April 18, 2021]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/84991366cdaf8516865368b5ef5de26e.mp3" length="22226568" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/84991366cdaf8516865368b5ef5de26e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/its-a-worldwide-opportunity-gideons-weekend-april-18-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Taxing Day]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A taxing day 
Today is April 15 and though due to the Covid pandemic we have for the second year in a row been given a reprieve for another month, this date has become synonymous with taxes i...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A taxing day 
Today is April 15 and though due to the Covid pandemic we have for the second year in a row been given a reprieve for another month, this date has become synonymous with taxes in our country. Federal taxes have been due on this date since 1955. Prior to that it had been one month earlier on March 15th going all the way back to 1918, but for better than a half-century now April 15th has been known as a very taxing day. I don’t know of anyone who likes taxes aside from those who collect them, they never seem to have a problem with it, but then who doesn’t like spending someone else’s money. Since 1943 the federal government has been withholding taxes due from each paycheck issued to an employee. I agree with Dave Ramsey when he says that taxes could never be as high as they are if a tax collector was physically present on every payday and people had to take cash from their recently received paycheck and hand it over to be given to the government.
This is not a rail against taxes. I understand their necessity to fund government, though I may not agree with all of the choices made as to how my taxes are dispersed. This is more about who we are, and how we operate, than it is about who the government is, and how they operate. Taxes are a very interesting thing. I calculate my own income taxes every year, I have done so since my first filing back in 1984. I don’t think that makes me smarter, faster, better than those who have theirs professionally filed for them, in fact those folks may think it makes me dumber, slower, worse. It is possible that there have been times when I have paid more than I had to, because I filed my own taxes, but I just enjoy the challenge. I like having to gather all the pertinent information and see how low I can get my tax burden each year. I think I do pretty well over all. One of the things that interest me though is the overriding view of much of the public when it comes to filing taxes. Many people who I know generally speaking to be fair and honest, don’t mind seeing where they can fudge on their taxes. Some of them even ‘brag’ in hushed voices to others about how they ‘got over on the government’ by adjusting the numbers and avoiding the total tax. For some reason, though they might claim to be honest in all their other dealings, it is justifiable to them to cheat the government.
As Christ followers we are called to a higher standard. Jesus himself said to give to Caesar what was Caesar’s though His real point was that if we owe taxes to the government who made the money how much more do we owe our lives to the One who created us. God’s Word does speak more directly to the point in Romans 13:5-7 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Here, we are instructed to give to the government in authority over us the taxes that are required. I find the more interesting part of this to be in verse 5. There it says that we are to do this not because we are afraid of what will happen if we don’t so much as because of our conscience…in other words because it is the right thing to do. 
What is your integrity worth? Really. How much money would someone have to g...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A taxing day 
Today is April 15 and though due to the Covid pandemic we have for the second year in a row been given a reprieve for another month, this date has become synonymous with taxes in our country. Federal taxes have been due on this date since 1955. Prior to that it had been one month earlier on March 15th going all the way back to 1918, but for better than a half-century now April 15th has been known as a very taxing day. I don’t know of anyone who likes taxes aside from those who collect them, they never seem to have a problem with it, but then who doesn’t like spending someone else’s money. Since 1943 the federal government has been withholding taxes due from each paycheck issued to an employee. I agree with Dave Ramsey when he says that taxes could never be as high as they are if a tax collector was physically present on every payday and people had to take cash from their recently received paycheck and hand it over to be given to the government.
This is not a rail against taxes. I understand their necessity to fund government, though I may not agree with all of the choices made as to how my taxes are dispersed. This is more about who we are, and how we operate, than it is about who the government is, and how they operate. Taxes are a very interesting thing. I calculate my own income taxes every year, I have done so since my first filing back in 1984. I don’t think that makes me smarter, faster, better than those who have theirs professionally filed for them, in fact those folks may think it makes me dumber, slower, worse. It is possible that there have been times when I have paid more than I had to, because I filed my own taxes, but I just enjoy the challenge. I like having to gather all the pertinent information and see how low I can get my tax burden each year. I think I do pretty well over all. One of the things that interest me though is the overriding view of much of the public when it comes to filing taxes. Many people who I know generally speaking to be fair and honest, don’t mind seeing where they can fudge on their taxes. Some of them even ‘brag’ in hushed voices to others about how they ‘got over on the government’ by adjusting the numbers and avoiding the total tax. For some reason, though they might claim to be honest in all their other dealings, it is justifiable to them to cheat the government.
As Christ followers we are called to a higher standard. Jesus himself said to give to Caesar what was Caesar’s though His real point was that if we owe taxes to the government who made the money how much more do we owe our lives to the One who created us. God’s Word does speak more directly to the point in Romans 13:5-7 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Here, we are instructed to give to the government in authority over us the taxes that are required. I find the more interesting part of this to be in verse 5. There it says that we are to do this not because we are afraid of what will happen if we don’t so much as because of our conscience…in other words because it is the right thing to do. 
What is your integrity worth? Really. How much money would someone have to give you for you to be willing to never be trusted or believed again…as long as you lived. You might say, “Pastor Ken, it’s just a little fudging of the numbers, I’m not giving up my ability to be trusted or believed”. Perhaps not, but integrity – having a truthful character – is either something we possess or we don’t. If we decidedly cheat on one thing we have compromised our integrity no matter how many other things we choose not to cheat on. 
Proverbs 10:9 says He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known. When we hold integrity at a premium in our lives, we never worry about being found out, but it is in the areas we have stretched the truth (or tried to shrink it) that God’s word says we should be worried about, because those things will become known and expose us as one without integrity. Proverbs 28:6 goes on to say Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich. There are times when having integrity means a smaller return, but one that will never try to steal a moments rest from you. Finally, in Titus chapter two some instructions are being given to the church body as to how Christ followers ought to behave in the world around them. Verses 7 and 8 read as follows; in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
I know, none of us is perfect, I certainly don’t mean to give the idea I think I am…I and anyone who knows me knows that isn’t the case. But we are supposed to be in the process of being perfected. God is supposed to be increasing in us as we find ourselves decreasing. People should be seeing more of Him and less of us when interacting with us. So, I ask again. What is your integrity worth?
 Having Integrity always makes us rich in character even if it means that as a result on tax day sometimes it leaves us poorer in cash. What’s in your wallet?
So now, walking in the surety of integrity that shows you to follow the One full of integrity and righteousness…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/22d38d3165d4655a9ff2cc19ca7ce5c9.mp3" length="9494464" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/22d38d3165d4655a9ff2cc19ca7ce5c9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-taxing-day</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[To Those Who Overcome - April 11, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[To Those Who Overcome - April 11, 2021]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[To Those Who Overcome - April 11, 2021]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[To Those Who Overcome - April 11, 2021]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b2fab32feb55f078c1374302d9c21219.mp3" length="19160076" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b2fab32feb55f078c1374302d9c21219.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/to-those-who-overcome-april-11-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Mountains upon mountains]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Mountains upon mountains.
This week my wife and I are on vacation in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. I have made mention in past podcasts of our love for this region. We honeymooned in th...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Mountains upon mountains.
This week my wife and I are on vacation in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. I have made mention in past podcasts of our love for this region. We honeymooned in these hills just about 10 miles from where I now sit in the living room of our tiny mountain cottage. One of the things we like about these hills is…the hills. They give texture to the land that offer unending interest. We love to ride in the mountains, whether by car or by motorcycle it is always enjoyable. Even a ride to town for supplies is an experience looked forward to. Every curve in the road reveals another mountain to be climbed…every hilltop scaled unveils another. When here, the mountains seem unending. They rise and fall as if they were the result of the ridges and valleys of the very thumbprint of God at creation.
It got me to thinking about a scripture from Psalms. Psalm 90 verses 1 and 2 in the New King James version read as follows; Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. These mountains that I appreciate so much, that bring me such pleasure and peace are very, very old and yet they were brought forth by my God who is Himself timeless. As I said earlier they offer incredible interest when viewed and pondered and yet were the creation of a God who is infinitely more interesting. One who my feeble mind will never be able to know the full depth of, His ways being higher than my ways, and His thoughts so much Higher than my thoughts. As each hill and valley introduce me to another so are the number of ways to be excited about the relationship that our God desires with us. From the higher elevations in the area, one can see for many miles’ multiple mountains and valleys at once and yet the vastness of the expanse cannot compare to the love, mercy and grace bestowed upon each and every one of us…on any given day!
A God that great who can do and offer us so much, must have equally overwhelming requirements of us if there is to be any relationship to be had. Right? Not really. He desires that we allow Him to lead. Not only be a source of guidance, a reference for the times we don’t think we can handle, but truly be the leader of our lives. The One we find ourselves always behind…always following. He also asks that we learn to look at and treat others as He would, allowing them to have the same value in our eyes that we give ourselves and those naturally placed close to us. Micah 6:8 tells us that God has shown us what He requires from us, only to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God (Paraphrased). 
Psalm 24 tells us that, The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. It is all His, created for His pleasure and purpose, provided by His hand. The Bible tells us that in His very creation; how awesome He is…is revealed to us. 
There is one thing God desires however that He does not create for Himself. One commodity so valuable to Him that it must come from a source that He did not simply create for Himself out of nothing like everything else He created. Our worship. God desires that we worship Him. Psalm 100 tells us precisely how to offer Him the worship He desires of us while we live here.  Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladn...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Mountains upon mountains.
This week my wife and I are on vacation in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. I have made mention in past podcasts of our love for this region. We honeymooned in these hills just about 10 miles from where I now sit in the living room of our tiny mountain cottage. One of the things we like about these hills is…the hills. They give texture to the land that offer unending interest. We love to ride in the mountains, whether by car or by motorcycle it is always enjoyable. Even a ride to town for supplies is an experience looked forward to. Every curve in the road reveals another mountain to be climbed…every hilltop scaled unveils another. When here, the mountains seem unending. They rise and fall as if they were the result of the ridges and valleys of the very thumbprint of God at creation.
It got me to thinking about a scripture from Psalms. Psalm 90 verses 1 and 2 in the New King James version read as follows; Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. These mountains that I appreciate so much, that bring me such pleasure and peace are very, very old and yet they were brought forth by my God who is Himself timeless. As I said earlier they offer incredible interest when viewed and pondered and yet were the creation of a God who is infinitely more interesting. One who my feeble mind will never be able to know the full depth of, His ways being higher than my ways, and His thoughts so much Higher than my thoughts. As each hill and valley introduce me to another so are the number of ways to be excited about the relationship that our God desires with us. From the higher elevations in the area, one can see for many miles’ multiple mountains and valleys at once and yet the vastness of the expanse cannot compare to the love, mercy and grace bestowed upon each and every one of us…on any given day!
A God that great who can do and offer us so much, must have equally overwhelming requirements of us if there is to be any relationship to be had. Right? Not really. He desires that we allow Him to lead. Not only be a source of guidance, a reference for the times we don’t think we can handle, but truly be the leader of our lives. The One we find ourselves always behind…always following. He also asks that we learn to look at and treat others as He would, allowing them to have the same value in our eyes that we give ourselves and those naturally placed close to us. Micah 6:8 tells us that God has shown us what He requires from us, only to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God (Paraphrased). 
Psalm 24 tells us that, The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. It is all His, created for His pleasure and purpose, provided by His hand. The Bible tells us that in His very creation; how awesome He is…is revealed to us. 
There is one thing God desires however that He does not create for Himself. One commodity so valuable to Him that it must come from a source that He did not simply create for Himself out of nothing like everything else He created. Our worship. God desires that we worship Him. Psalm 100 tells us precisely how to offer Him the worship He desires of us while we live here.  Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. 
Interestingly there is no part of this scripture that refers to worshipping this way once a week. There isn’t even a reference to it being a daily encounter. No, it refers to a desired perpetual state of existence. We are to have a heart of worship all the time. Perhaps that is why His creation is so expanse and diverse, so that we never run out of “wow factor” to keep that heart of worship perpetually offered. The Lord’s prayer asks that God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Do you know what worship looks like there? Revelation 4:8-11 describe it for us …Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Let’s learn to worship Him better shall we? Let’s do our best to recognize that He is worthy of it every minute…of every hour…of every day. Yes, we can do it. I’m acutely aware that life offers lots of distractions and responsibilities that your enemy is trying to convince you right now make perpetual worship an impossibility, but God does not make requirements of us that are impossible. If He wants it…and we give it…it will not be to our demise. Worship Him. Worship Him while you work, worship Him while you fulfill those responsibilities. Learn to worship Him in all things and at all times. And for the rest of this week anyway, I’ll worship him when I turn another curve and see another mountain.
So now, with hearts full of the worship your God deserves…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c2b12cdc53882cd3a91c5502b9d460a7.mp3" length="5589034" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c2b12cdc53882cd3a91c5502b9d460a7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/mountains-upon-mountains</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Easter (Power of the Resurrection) - April 4, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts, Nick Disalvo - Special speaker]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for sharing your Easter Celebration with us. For more information and how to connect with our church family visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for sharing your Easter Celebration with us. For more information and how to connect with our church family visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for sharing your Easter Celebration with us. For more information and how to connect with our church family visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/051defb9f0ad3bca39923e5da9c6dfce.mp3" length="30757530" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/051defb9f0ad3bca39923e5da9c6dfce.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/easter-power-of-the-resurrection-april-4-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Just a stones show]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just a stones show…
I have spoken in past podcasts of my late brother Gary. Because we were such fast friends for nearly half a century I think of him often. Usually those thoughts bring a sm...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just a stones show…
I have spoken in past podcasts of my late brother Gary. Because we were such fast friends for nearly half a century I think of him often. Usually those thoughts bring a smile that quickly turns into a laugh. Gary was incredibly funny. Not always appropriately so…but always funny. Even much of the mischief Gary got into as a kid was birthed from his sense of humor. Some would have called him disrespectful. Some would have called him ornery. Some did call him obstinate, we just called him “Hard rock” Hard rock was the nickname Gary earned because all of the adjectives I spoke of a moment ago fit. He was all of those things but not because he was bad, no, it was because those attributes were the avenues that Gary used to humor himself or others.
I thought of that nickname we used for Gary this past week because of a scripture I was reading congruent to the season we are in the midst of. The following describes the original Palm Sunday celebration. Luke 19:37-40 in the (NKJV) reads; Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the rocks would immediately cry out.” 
The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of letting his disciples and the other followers make proclamation they did not accept as truth. Furthermore, the crowd lauding Jesus as King threatened to get the Romans upset and cause the Jewish leadership to lose their favor with Caesar who would then likely strip them of their power.  Jesus on the other hand being the fullness of the Godhead in human form understood that His position in The Kingdom as King was forever secured, even if the crowd was mistaken as to which throne He would occupy. Having the greater and fuller understanding, He simply correctly stated that His creation was created to bring Him glory and if one segment of that creation designed specifically for that purpose refused…another would take its place…but the King would not be unheralded in either case! 
I don’t know about you, but God has been so, so very good to me. He doesn’t have to be, it isn’t even what makes Him good. He just is because He loves me so immensely and intensely. I said a moment ago, “I don’t know about you”, but that’s not true. I do know God has been so, so very good to you as well. How do I know? Because He loves you as intensely and immensely as He loves me. I know that because just five days after the account this scripture chronicles, that same Jesus went to the cross and died a horrible and agonizing death to pay the eternal price for my sins and for yours. So, if for nothing else…though there is much else…though nothing greater…I know that God has been so, so very good to us. Not because of us but because of His great love for us.  Romans 5:8 proclaims, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Knowing that God has been so, so very good to me in every way…Even in the ones I have not yet attained clarity on aka the things He allows into my life that I don’t see as good. I invit...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Just a stones show…
I have spoken in past podcasts of my late brother Gary. Because we were such fast friends for nearly half a century I think of him often. Usually those thoughts bring a smile that quickly turns into a laugh. Gary was incredibly funny. Not always appropriately so…but always funny. Even much of the mischief Gary got into as a kid was birthed from his sense of humor. Some would have called him disrespectful. Some would have called him ornery. Some did call him obstinate, we just called him “Hard rock” Hard rock was the nickname Gary earned because all of the adjectives I spoke of a moment ago fit. He was all of those things but not because he was bad, no, it was because those attributes were the avenues that Gary used to humor himself or others.
I thought of that nickname we used for Gary this past week because of a scripture I was reading congruent to the season we are in the midst of. The following describes the original Palm Sunday celebration. Luke 19:37-40 in the (NKJV) reads; Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the rocks would immediately cry out.” 
The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of letting his disciples and the other followers make proclamation they did not accept as truth. Furthermore, the crowd lauding Jesus as King threatened to get the Romans upset and cause the Jewish leadership to lose their favor with Caesar who would then likely strip them of their power.  Jesus on the other hand being the fullness of the Godhead in human form understood that His position in The Kingdom as King was forever secured, even if the crowd was mistaken as to which throne He would occupy. Having the greater and fuller understanding, He simply correctly stated that His creation was created to bring Him glory and if one segment of that creation designed specifically for that purpose refused…another would take its place…but the King would not be unheralded in either case! 
I don’t know about you, but God has been so, so very good to me. He doesn’t have to be, it isn’t even what makes Him good. He just is because He loves me so immensely and intensely. I said a moment ago, “I don’t know about you”, but that’s not true. I do know God has been so, so very good to you as well. How do I know? Because He loves you as intensely and immensely as He loves me. I know that because just five days after the account this scripture chronicles, that same Jesus went to the cross and died a horrible and agonizing death to pay the eternal price for my sins and for yours. So, if for nothing else…though there is much else…though nothing greater…I know that God has been so, so very good to us. Not because of us but because of His great love for us.  Romans 5:8 proclaims, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Knowing that God has been so, so very good to me in every way…Even in the ones I have not yet attained clarity on aka the things He allows into my life that I don’t see as good. I invite you to join me in doing our part to keep the rocks around us quiet by not failing to bring Glory to God. I understand, sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes life delivers blows that knock the wind out of us so to speak. Those times have happened in my life too. Contrary to popular belief, pastors don’t get an insurance policy against difficult times at ordination. There are times when we are reeling from the unbelievable pain and unspeakable agony that results from living in a profoundly fallen world. In times such as these it seems difficult to give God the glory He deserves because frankly we aren’t feeling it. However, it is such praise and adulation for our King that will begin to correct our imbalanced emotional condition. If you ever need a set of cue cards to begin the process because it seems as though you don’t even know where to start, then turn to Psalm 118. It is an awesome set of prompts that will begin to turn your mind to offering the praise you should. Interestingly, verses 22-24 speak about Jesus in the context of the original scripture I referenced today. Those verses read “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. I love the way verse 24 is written. It is one most of us know and can recite. Have you ever looked at the structure of the sentence though? It begins with a statement of fact. This is the day the Lord has made This day, your day, a good day or a terrible one. This is the day that the Lord has made. None of what has or will happen in it has caught our all-knowing God by surprise…and yet He made it anyway. Then comes the finishing touch of the scripture We will rejoice and be glad in it. This denotes that a decision is being made. It is not a result of what the day brings, it is not in response to the day at all but rather to the God who made it. We will rejoice and be glad in it. It is an act of the will…and it keeps the rocks silent.
Join me…in spite of our life experiences…let’s keep the rocks silent…all except that “Hard rock” in Heaven…he is making a crazy amount of noise…but it’s a joyful one!
So now, making your joyful noise to the Lord even though “Hard rock” won’t be silenced…GO be Awesome!

]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a2abf865b673e5f972d9612563d6be31.mp3" length="9891416" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a2abf865b673e5f972d9612563d6be31.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/just-a-stones-show</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 01 Apr 2021 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Desperate for Jesus - March 28, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for palm Sunday. All are welcome to attend. for more information and times for services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for palm Sunday. All are welcome to attend. for more information and times for services visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown for palm Sunday. All are welcome to attend. for more information and times for services visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7adbda401d42bcf1cffbd41d7fa326cb.mp3" length="17411472" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7adbda401d42bcf1cffbd41d7fa326cb.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/desperate-for-jesus-march-28-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>48:22</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Being Conformed]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…being conformed.
Years ago I owned a small woodworking business that provided me the opportunity to design and build furniture. Although that was not God’s calling on my life and therefore was...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…being conformed.
Years ago I owned a small woodworking business that provided me the opportunity to design and build furniture. Although that was not God’s calling on my life and therefore was not to be what I did for a lifetime, I enjoyed the process immensely. It was a great deal of fun and very satisfying to take a pile of lumber and shape into something that someone would buy and keep in their home as a usable work of art. I remember one project often because it sits in a prominent place in our mountain retreat in Virginia. That particular piece, a hunt board, is made of old growth redwood. Its grain is tight and strait and those qualities made it a thorough pleasure to work with. It machined beautifully and when finished it had an amazing patina almost from the first day. Somewhere among my photos there is a picture of the lumber stacked on the shop floor before I began building. It was not new clean lumber, it was full of nails and covered in filthy old white paint. It had formerly been the lower section of a bay window on a house I was working on at the time. As I began the demolition process to replace the window, I noticed the back unpainted side of the lumber for what it was and then carefully dismantled the rest so that it could be saved for a furniture project. Thinking about that got me to thinking about what God does in our lives.
Romans 8:29, 30 says “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified these He also glorified”.
Prior to beginning the job of removing that old bay window I had been thinking for a while of building a hunt board but I had not yet decided what species to create it of. As soon as I saw the backside of those redwood boards I knew what I wanted to do with them. In fact, in my mind’s eye I could see the finished product completed while the boards were still in a pile on the shop floor yet to be cleaned and stripped of the ugly paint covering them. 
With time the nails that had scarred the wood were removed, the undesirable covering of the old paint was stripped away and the split ends were then sawn off square. Soon a pile of freshly milled lumber was in its place ready to be conformed into the piece of furniture still residing only in my mind. A week later a beautiful piece of usable art stood where the pile of lumber had formerly been. Now that hunt board sits against the wall under a cabinet made of the remainder of the redwood.
The scripture above describes a similar process that we go through at the hand of God. He takes us as we are. Just as He finds us, He finds us acceptable to Him, yet there is a plan from the beginning to make us something more. He sees the value in us from the beginning. There are scars from former hurts that have left us more than imperfect. There are layers of covering on us that have been applied over the years in an attempt to cover our imperfections and brokenness. Aren’t you grateful though that your master carpenter is able to see that in the midst of all that damage you are infinitely valuable to Him?
Just as I cleaned the lumber up, the transformative power of the Holy spirt cleans us up and mends our brokenness. He removes the parts that aren’t useful to Him for the final purpose He has in mind for...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…being conformed.
Years ago I owned a small woodworking business that provided me the opportunity to design and build furniture. Although that was not God’s calling on my life and therefore was not to be what I did for a lifetime, I enjoyed the process immensely. It was a great deal of fun and very satisfying to take a pile of lumber and shape into something that someone would buy and keep in their home as a usable work of art. I remember one project often because it sits in a prominent place in our mountain retreat in Virginia. That particular piece, a hunt board, is made of old growth redwood. Its grain is tight and strait and those qualities made it a thorough pleasure to work with. It machined beautifully and when finished it had an amazing patina almost from the first day. Somewhere among my photos there is a picture of the lumber stacked on the shop floor before I began building. It was not new clean lumber, it was full of nails and covered in filthy old white paint. It had formerly been the lower section of a bay window on a house I was working on at the time. As I began the demolition process to replace the window, I noticed the back unpainted side of the lumber for what it was and then carefully dismantled the rest so that it could be saved for a furniture project. Thinking about that got me to thinking about what God does in our lives.
Romans 8:29, 30 says “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified these He also glorified”.
Prior to beginning the job of removing that old bay window I had been thinking for a while of building a hunt board but I had not yet decided what species to create it of. As soon as I saw the backside of those redwood boards I knew what I wanted to do with them. In fact, in my mind’s eye I could see the finished product completed while the boards were still in a pile on the shop floor yet to be cleaned and stripped of the ugly paint covering them. 
With time the nails that had scarred the wood were removed, the undesirable covering of the old paint was stripped away and the split ends were then sawn off square. Soon a pile of freshly milled lumber was in its place ready to be conformed into the piece of furniture still residing only in my mind. A week later a beautiful piece of usable art stood where the pile of lumber had formerly been. Now that hunt board sits against the wall under a cabinet made of the remainder of the redwood.
The scripture above describes a similar process that we go through at the hand of God. He takes us as we are. Just as He finds us, He finds us acceptable to Him, yet there is a plan from the beginning to make us something more. He sees the value in us from the beginning. There are scars from former hurts that have left us more than imperfect. There are layers of covering on us that have been applied over the years in an attempt to cover our imperfections and brokenness. Aren’t you grateful though that your master carpenter is able to see that in the midst of all that damage you are infinitely valuable to Him?
Just as I cleaned the lumber up, the transformative power of the Holy spirt cleans us up and mends our brokenness. He removes the parts that aren’t useful to Him for the final purpose He has in mind for our lives. Slowly over time He lovingly peels back the covering we have hidden ourselves behind and exposes us, never for the purpose of shame and ridicule but rather to bring out the inner beauty He has always seen in us. The He begins the job of conforming us. Just as I took those boards and conformed them into a piece of furniture, He conforms us into the image the most beautiful thing in all of the heavens…His only begotten Son.
I could have sold that hunt board; I know because I sold several after I built that first one. But that first one wasn’t for sale. I brought into my own house. It was so valuable to me that I wanted it to be a fixture in my own home. God does the same for us. This verse says that though He has only one begotten Son, he conforms us into His Son’s image so perfectly that we become seen as His brothers and sisters…members of the family…prominently placed alongside Him. The second of the two verses I spoke of above speaks of how who He chooses, He desires, and who He desires He restores, and who He restores, He displays beautifully. Lest we make the mistake of wondering if we are one of those special chosen ones, consider the following. For God so loved the whole world (everyone) that He sent His own begotten Son and whoever believes in Him (His Son) will live eternally with them both.
There is no question you have been chosen, the only question is, are you willing to be conformed? The redwood I conformed into that hunt board had no choice. It was going to come into close contact with transformative machinery. We on the other hand have been given free will that the Master might know who desires to look just like Jesus. I don’t know about you, but I want to be a useful work of art in the Master’s home.
So now, accepting gladly the conforming work of your Savior, Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/849ab72dfb2519174fd5f724d6c66c03.mp3" length="8857214" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/849ab72dfb2519174fd5f724d6c66c03.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/being-conformed</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Darkness vs The Light - March 21, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank You for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information on how to get connected with ministry and service times visit crossroadcc.us

Darkness vs The Light - March 21, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 5 : 1-20)

-...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank You for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information on how to get connected with ministry and service times visit crossroadcc.us

Darkness vs The Light - March 21, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 5 : 1-20)

- Mark 5:1-5
1Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombsa man with an unclean spirit,3who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him,and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.

- Luke 8:29
29For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

- Mark 5:5-6
5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

- James 2:19-20
19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

- “Demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has authority over them. They believe in the reality of judgment and that one day they will be cast into hell.”

- Mark 5:7-20
7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” 8For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. 14So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. 18And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon- possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank You for Joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information on how to get connected with ministry and service times visit crossroadcc.us

Darkness vs The Light - March 21, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 5 : 1-20)

- Mark 5:1-5
1Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombsa man with an unclean spirit,3who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him,and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.

- Luke 8:29
29For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

- Mark 5:5-6
5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

- James 2:19-20
19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

- “Demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has authority over them. They believe in the reality of judgment and that one day they will be cast into hell.”

- Mark 5:7-20
7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” 8For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. 14So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. 18And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon- possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f449dd0a49bc68823c9726fb8b190b67.mp3" length="21596172" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f449dd0a49bc68823c9726fb8b190b67.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/darkness-vs-the-light-march-21-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Countdown]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown, Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...The Countdown. 
The older I get the more I find youth to be superior. Sure, there are some benefits to age, but the older you get, the harder it is to remember what they are. In all seriousn...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...The Countdown. 
The older I get the more I find youth to be superior. Sure, there are some benefits to age, but the older you get, the harder it is to remember what they are. In all seriousness there are things about aging that seem on the surface to be advanced in comparison to youth. I do like that age has brought with it many life experiences. Getting older seems to mean that I have the ability to exercise more wisdom. I know without a doubt that many of the joys I experience today can only come with increased days...watching my children succeed as adults, having grandchildren and seeing them grow into young adults. Things like these would cause one to think that age has its advantages, make no mistake it does, but it has its downsides to be sure. I keep seeing my dad in my bathroom mirror in the morning, sometimes grandpa even peeks back out at me! My voice did get deeper when I was a younger man, but now it seems to rise and fall as if it has a mind of its own. Speaking of minds, mine doesn’t seem as sharp as it once did, complicated math requires pencil and paper where it was once unnecessary. I get less done in a day than I used to and yet end up doubly tired. George burns who lived to be 100 years old said on his 90th birthday that he had finally gotten so old that when he bent over to tie his shoes in the morning, he looked around to see what else he could do while he was down there.  Yes, age may have its upside, but the downside falls off rather quickly! 
I wish we could use a countdown to measure age. Countdowns are exciting. I remember as a child watching the countdowns to rocket ships being launched to the moon. We gathered as a family around the television and watched with baited breath. As the time to launch got down to 10 seconds we would all say it together 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...BLASTOFF!! Through the years we have continued with an air of excitement and hope to ring in each New Year together counting down in unison as the ball drops in Times Square. Counting down is something we do as people whenever we are getting ready to experience something adventurous or amazing. I submit that if a countdown were unexpectedly begun over a public address system, people would immediately stop whatever they were doing and look around trying to take notice of whatever it was that was about to happen. Countdowns are awesome, and so I wish we counted down our age. At first glance one might not think it a good idea, but I think getting younger instead of older might be reason enough.  
One way we can reduce the “age” we are is to “enter” the kingdom of Heaven. No, I’m not talking about going to Heaven, though I am very excited to do that someday. I am speaking of what Jesus spoke of in Mathew 18:3, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:17, in each of these scriptures it is recorded that Jesus said that we must be like little children to enter the kingdom of Heaven. One might ask, “How can we enter the kingdom of heaven without going to heaven?” but Jesus made it a point to explain to his followers that The Kingdom of Heaven had come to them. We are able to enter the Kingdom not by going up to it...but because it has come down to us. Jesus was saying in each of the scriptures I referenced above that it takes childlike qualities to be citizens in His kingdom. In Mathew 18 Jesus said specifically that unless we become humble like a child, we cannot enter His kingdom. Th...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...The Countdown. 
The older I get the more I find youth to be superior. Sure, there are some benefits to age, but the older you get, the harder it is to remember what they are. In all seriousness there are things about aging that seem on the surface to be advanced in comparison to youth. I do like that age has brought with it many life experiences. Getting older seems to mean that I have the ability to exercise more wisdom. I know without a doubt that many of the joys I experience today can only come with increased days...watching my children succeed as adults, having grandchildren and seeing them grow into young adults. Things like these would cause one to think that age has its advantages, make no mistake it does, but it has its downsides to be sure. I keep seeing my dad in my bathroom mirror in the morning, sometimes grandpa even peeks back out at me! My voice did get deeper when I was a younger man, but now it seems to rise and fall as if it has a mind of its own. Speaking of minds, mine doesn’t seem as sharp as it once did, complicated math requires pencil and paper where it was once unnecessary. I get less done in a day than I used to and yet end up doubly tired. George burns who lived to be 100 years old said on his 90th birthday that he had finally gotten so old that when he bent over to tie his shoes in the morning, he looked around to see what else he could do while he was down there.  Yes, age may have its upside, but the downside falls off rather quickly! 
I wish we could use a countdown to measure age. Countdowns are exciting. I remember as a child watching the countdowns to rocket ships being launched to the moon. We gathered as a family around the television and watched with baited breath. As the time to launch got down to 10 seconds we would all say it together 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...BLASTOFF!! Through the years we have continued with an air of excitement and hope to ring in each New Year together counting down in unison as the ball drops in Times Square. Counting down is something we do as people whenever we are getting ready to experience something adventurous or amazing. I submit that if a countdown were unexpectedly begun over a public address system, people would immediately stop whatever they were doing and look around trying to take notice of whatever it was that was about to happen. Countdowns are awesome, and so I wish we counted down our age. At first glance one might not think it a good idea, but I think getting younger instead of older might be reason enough.  
One way we can reduce the “age” we are is to “enter” the kingdom of Heaven. No, I’m not talking about going to Heaven, though I am very excited to do that someday. I am speaking of what Jesus spoke of in Mathew 18:3, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:17, in each of these scriptures it is recorded that Jesus said that we must be like little children to enter the kingdom of Heaven. One might ask, “How can we enter the kingdom of heaven without going to heaven?” but Jesus made it a point to explain to his followers that The Kingdom of Heaven had come to them. We are able to enter the Kingdom not by going up to it...but because it has come down to us. Jesus was saying in each of the scriptures I referenced above that it takes childlike qualities to be citizens in His kingdom. In Mathew 18 Jesus said specifically that unless we become humble like a child, we cannot enter His kingdom. The latter two reference Jesus rebuking the His disciples for trying to keep the little children away from Him and in that instance, He said that it was people who were like little children populating God’s kingdom. 
So, what are the childlike characteristics we need to take on if we are to be able to be citizens of the kingdom? As I said earlier, Jesus specifically mentioned humility. I think He did so because it is humility that allows so many of the things we see children do seemingly without reserve that age and life experience in this troubled world make very difficult for us adults. Children understand that there is much for them to learn and are often eager to do so...how about us? Children are responsive to their consciences and don’t resist the need to change as we often do. Children have a wonder and awe of life that the years so often seem to dull in us. Children are able to forgive with much greater ease than the years of life and hurt make us want to do. Children never stop asking questions of the people they trust, why do we? 
If you have children and or grandchildren like I do, watch them for a while. It won’t take long for you to see some quality or characteristic that you could take on or improve to be a better citizen in the kingdom. In the Kingdom of Heaven we become more and more childlike the longer we live there. Its almost as if we get younger instead of older the longer we walk with our King and Lord Jesus. I want to become more childlike, how about you? Wanna race into it? C’mon lets do it...ready? 3...2...1...GO! 
So now, as fast as your childlike legs will carry you, race into the Kingdom and Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3e96585e362a922a3636f2276a52af5d.mp3" length="4003908" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3e96585e362a922a3636f2276a52af5d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-countdown</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God Cares For You - March 14, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information about services and events at the church visit crossroadcc.us

God Cares For You - March 14, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 4 : 35-41)

- Mark 4 : 35-36
35...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information about services and events at the church visit crossroadcc.us

God Cares For You - March 14, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 4 : 35-41)

- Mark 4 : 35-36
35On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

- Romans 10 : 14-17
14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

- Mark 4 : 37-38
37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

- Psalms 4 : 5-8
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the LORD. 6There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

- Mark 4 : 39-40
39Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

- Hebrews 3 : 12-13
12Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

- Mark 4 : 41
41And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

- Psalms 107 : 23-31
23Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters, 24They see the works of the LORD, 25For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end. 28Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses. 29He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still. 30Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven. 31Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown. For more information about services and events at the church visit crossroadcc.us

God Cares For You - March 14, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 4 : 35-41)

- Mark 4 : 35-36
35On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

- Romans 10 : 14-17
14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

- Mark 4 : 37-38
37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

- Psalms 4 : 5-8
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the LORD. 6There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

- Mark 4 : 39-40
39Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

- Hebrews 3 : 12-13
12Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

- Mark 4 : 41
41And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

- Psalms 107 : 23-31
23Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters, 24They see the works of the LORD, 25For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end. 28Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses. 29He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still. 30Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven. 31Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/74f5a708ad24b2b678338d8cd3345319.mp3" length="21544380" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/74f5a708ad24b2b678338d8cd3345319.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-cares-for-you-march-14-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What’s your favorite state?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...What’s your favorite state?

I am not the most well-traveled of those among us, but I have been to a lot of different places. I have traveled a good bit of this country, have lived in seve...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...What’s your favorite state?

I am not the most well-traveled of those among us, but I have been to a lot of different places. I have traveled a good bit of this country, have lived in several different places here as well as a six month stay in the interior of the northern part of the country of Panama near the Costa Rican border. As I was saying I have traveled a fair amount and have been fortunate enough to visit Puerto Rico and 33 of our 50 states so far. I enjoy the taglines states choose for themselves. New York, where I was born is “The Empire State”. My current home, Delaware, is known as “The First State”. We all know that Florida is “The Sunshine State”. My wife and I honeymooned in Virginia because of course, “Virginia is for Lovers”. Texas is “The Lonestar State” and Vermont is known as “The Maple State”. I like reading these taglines, often found on the license plates of cars from those places, they sometimes tell us something about the state, or at least elicit some desire within us to go see those far-away places as they are designed to do.

I have actually lived in or owned property in five of our fifty states, but the best state I have ever resided in was also a homeplace of the Apostle Paul. I love living in the state of content more than any other state I have ever been in. When you live there all is well. If I’m not mistaken their license plate says “Problems are Simply Opportunities” The air there is full of promise. Make no mistake, it’s no Shangri La, it's better! If they ever have a bad day in Shangri La it throws the whole place into upheaval. No one knows what to do. In the state of content there is trouble sometimes but it is accepted as expected when living in a fallen world. There are rich people and poor people in the state of content. There are those who have more than enough to eat and those who are hungry, but they are all equally capable of possessing a place in the state of content. There, not everyone has the job they want, some are even unemployed but they have all learned to be grateful for what they have and maybe more importantly, not be envious of what others have. It's a wonderful place to live. There aren’t a lot of laws in the state of content, just ten actually, but if you follow them you get to live there as long as you want to. The most important of these laws is to love. Love God first and foremost. Learn to put Him first in everything and to be grateful to Him for whatever He has given you...and even what He has chosen not to give to you. Second, and equally important, one must learn to love others as much as they love themselves. They have to be ready to treat everyone exactly as they want to be treated in each and every situation. These two laws are so important that the King of the state of content once said if everyone followed these two laws they wouldn’t need to worry because the other laws were all structured around those two. There is a much larger state nearby. It is known as the state of discontent, I think their license plate has a scowling face in the center and says something like “Land of the Ingrates” on it, many more people live there but few are willing to admit it. One of the beauties of the state of content is that it is always open to new and returning inhabitants. There are no aliens in the state of content...all are welcome.

So how do you get there? Paul gave us some clear directions while he was...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...What’s your favorite state?

I am not the most well-traveled of those among us, but I have been to a lot of different places. I have traveled a good bit of this country, have lived in several different places here as well as a six month stay in the interior of the northern part of the country of Panama near the Costa Rican border. As I was saying I have traveled a fair amount and have been fortunate enough to visit Puerto Rico and 33 of our 50 states so far. I enjoy the taglines states choose for themselves. New York, where I was born is “The Empire State”. My current home, Delaware, is known as “The First State”. We all know that Florida is “The Sunshine State”. My wife and I honeymooned in Virginia because of course, “Virginia is for Lovers”. Texas is “The Lonestar State” and Vermont is known as “The Maple State”. I like reading these taglines, often found on the license plates of cars from those places, they sometimes tell us something about the state, or at least elicit some desire within us to go see those far-away places as they are designed to do.

I have actually lived in or owned property in five of our fifty states, but the best state I have ever resided in was also a homeplace of the Apostle Paul. I love living in the state of content more than any other state I have ever been in. When you live there all is well. If I’m not mistaken their license plate says “Problems are Simply Opportunities” The air there is full of promise. Make no mistake, it’s no Shangri La, it's better! If they ever have a bad day in Shangri La it throws the whole place into upheaval. No one knows what to do. In the state of content there is trouble sometimes but it is accepted as expected when living in a fallen world. There are rich people and poor people in the state of content. There are those who have more than enough to eat and those who are hungry, but they are all equally capable of possessing a place in the state of content. There, not everyone has the job they want, some are even unemployed but they have all learned to be grateful for what they have and maybe more importantly, not be envious of what others have. It's a wonderful place to live. There aren’t a lot of laws in the state of content, just ten actually, but if you follow them you get to live there as long as you want to. The most important of these laws is to love. Love God first and foremost. Learn to put Him first in everything and to be grateful to Him for whatever He has given you...and even what He has chosen not to give to you. Second, and equally important, one must learn to love others as much as they love themselves. They have to be ready to treat everyone exactly as they want to be treated in each and every situation. These two laws are so important that the King of the state of content once said if everyone followed these two laws they wouldn’t need to worry because the other laws were all structured around those two. There is a much larger state nearby. It is known as the state of discontent, I think their license plate has a scowling face in the center and says something like “Land of the Ingrates” on it, many more people live there but few are willing to admit it. One of the beauties of the state of content is that it is always open to new and returning inhabitants. There are no aliens in the state of content...all are welcome.

So how do you get there? Paul gave us some clear directions while he was a resident. Several times he published the roadmap that allows any of us to find the way to contentment easily.         I Corinthians 7:17 in the English Standard Version says Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. There is little doubt that the context of this verse makes the point that married people who then come to Christ should not divorce their spouses just because they have not made the same decision. However, the greater implication here is that the way to live in the state of content is not to try to exchange the things we have in our lives for other things. Rather we should accept that what we possess has been given to us by God even before our relationship with Him began, and that the way to being content is to be grateful for all that we possess...even an unbelieving spouse!

1 Timothy 6:6-12 in the New International Version reads as follows: But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Paul makes the point here that living in the state of content requires that we take our focus away from the things the world around us is constantly trying to get us to focus on but rather to put our focus on the one who created the world. Seeking godliness in our lives and giving that the most of our attention not only allows for us to live as we ought and to look more like Jesus as a true Christ follower should, it has the added benefit of getting to live in a state of content. It allows us to truly accept that what a good God gives is good, therefore what we have is good. Trying to seek after the riches of this world, allowing that to gain too much of our attention brings only discontent.

Finally, I offer the clearest map Paul shared with us directing the way. Philippians 4:11-13 from the New Living Translation says; …for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Paul had found the secret map to the hidden and elusive state of content, and he shared it with the world. Learning to live in the state of content is all about knowing that whatever we have or don’t have, wherever we live or don’t live, weather it seems we have all we think we need or deserve or not...we can live happily, with gratefulness...we can live content...through the power of Christ who strengthens us to do so.

So now, walking in that power and choosing to live in a state of content...Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/72a0dcc331525b2210bdbf11b832e82d.mp3" length="11194387" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/72a0dcc331525b2210bdbf11b832e82d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/whats-your-favorite-state</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:46</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sowing, Growing and Reaping - March 7, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sowing, Growing and Reaping - March 7, 2021

Crossroad Community Church Georgetown welcomes you to join us in person. for more information visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 4 : 26-34)

- Mark 4:26-29
26And He said, “The kingdom...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Sowing, Growing and Reaping - March 7, 2021

Crossroad Community Church Georgetown welcomes you to join us in person. for more information visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 4 : 26-34)

- Mark 4:26-29
26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

- Galatians 6 : 7-10
7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

- Matthew 10 : 24-31
24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s  will. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

- Mark 4 : 30-32
30Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

- I Corinthians 15 : 6
6After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 

- Acts 2 : 41
41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to  them.

- Acts 4 : 4
4However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

- Acts 5 : 14-15
14And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

- Acts 6 : 7
7Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

- Revelation 5 : 9-10
9And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;
For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Sowing, Growing and Reaping - March 7, 2021

Crossroad Community Church Georgetown welcomes you to join us in person. for more information visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts (Mark 4 : 26-34)

- Mark 4:26-29
26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

- Galatians 6 : 7-10
7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

- Matthew 10 : 24-31
24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s  will. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

- Mark 4 : 30-32
30Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

- I Corinthians 15 : 6
6After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 

- Acts 2 : 41
41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to  them.

- Acts 4 : 4
4However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

- Acts 5 : 14-15
14And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

- Acts 6 : 7
7Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

- Revelation 5 : 9-10
9And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;
For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

- Mark 4 : 33-34
33And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a51c5d4b4be42f1326447d826fd36397.mp3" length="23527764" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a51c5d4b4be42f1326447d826fd36397.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/sowing-growing-and-reaping-march-7-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:05:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dumbing it down]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...dumbing it down 

I have decided that I want to identify as weightless. I have been working hard trying to be fit and eat only what I should in reasonable portions to be at, and maintain a...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...dumbing it down 

I have decided that I want to identify as weightless. I have been working hard trying to be fit and eat only what I should in reasonable portions to be at, and maintain a weight that my doctors feel will be advantageous to me living a long and healthy life. I like the thought of the long and healthy life part, but the discipline it takes to accomplish it...that part I don’t like so much. Who are they to tell me what is good for me? I should get to choose right? I mean who made them the standard bearers of health and fitness...they are only doctors...you would think they think they know what’s best for me. Besides that, I think being weightless will be fun, there are other advantages too...my shoes won’t wear out as fast, I can levitate above the ground instead of walking, which has got to be easier on my joints...there are any number of reasons identifying as weightless is a great idea. Maybe I should petition my congressman to write legislation guaranteeing my right to so self-identify...yeah...that’s what I should do. 

Sound crazy? That’s because it is! But it seems to be the leading national brand of craziness that is sweeping the land right now. I know, I know I’m not supposed to use words like “crazy” because they are offensive...except that it seems lately like the more offensive something is to our good senses the better. So I’m not sure, are we supposed to try not to offend...or is the idea to be ultra-offensive. I can never keep it all strait. Am I allowed to say “strait”? I’m just not sure anymore. It’s all so confusing. I know I’m old, but there used to only be two genders...and now...who knows how many there are? That particular bar just keeps on moving, seemingly picking up speed by the day! I’m not sure...are gender reveal parties still allowed or are they considered to be presumptuous? 

Why is it even necessary to consider such things? Because we have lost our way. So much so that in the hallowed halls of the capitol of our “One nation under God” a U.S. Congressman stated this past week in response to a call for greater godliness in our law making that “God is no concern in this congress”. We have totally and completely lost our way, and the “forward thinking” of our society prove it on a regular basis. Just wait five minutes if you don’t believe me. 
We have totally dumbed down life to the point that if we keep going in this direction it will quickly become unsustainable...literally! Why can’t I decide to identify as weightless? Aside from the law of gravity identified by Isaac Newton 300+ years ago which was integral to Einstein’s theory of relativity accepted by every serious scientist for the past century...it just isn’t feasible, but then those two relatively smart guys said it wasn’t. The fact of the matter is that I don’t get to decide what laws of physics I will agree with and which ones I will ignore. You kinda have to follow the science to use a contemporary phrase. Even more so I cannot ignore God’s laws. We don’t get to decide what is righteous...it’s already been decided. People will try, they have for all history...but it won’t change what is righteous and what is unrighteous. Those were chiseled in stone thousands of years ago.. 

God’s word exposes how we have gone so far astray. 2 Corinthians 10:12 tells us that...when we measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves to ourselves we are not wise. One versi...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday...dumbing it down 

I have decided that I want to identify as weightless. I have been working hard trying to be fit and eat only what I should in reasonable portions to be at, and maintain a weight that my doctors feel will be advantageous to me living a long and healthy life. I like the thought of the long and healthy life part, but the discipline it takes to accomplish it...that part I don’t like so much. Who are they to tell me what is good for me? I should get to choose right? I mean who made them the standard bearers of health and fitness...they are only doctors...you would think they think they know what’s best for me. Besides that, I think being weightless will be fun, there are other advantages too...my shoes won’t wear out as fast, I can levitate above the ground instead of walking, which has got to be easier on my joints...there are any number of reasons identifying as weightless is a great idea. Maybe I should petition my congressman to write legislation guaranteeing my right to so self-identify...yeah...that’s what I should do. 

Sound crazy? That’s because it is! But it seems to be the leading national brand of craziness that is sweeping the land right now. I know, I know I’m not supposed to use words like “crazy” because they are offensive...except that it seems lately like the more offensive something is to our good senses the better. So I’m not sure, are we supposed to try not to offend...or is the idea to be ultra-offensive. I can never keep it all strait. Am I allowed to say “strait”? I’m just not sure anymore. It’s all so confusing. I know I’m old, but there used to only be two genders...and now...who knows how many there are? That particular bar just keeps on moving, seemingly picking up speed by the day! I’m not sure...are gender reveal parties still allowed or are they considered to be presumptuous? 

Why is it even necessary to consider such things? Because we have lost our way. So much so that in the hallowed halls of the capitol of our “One nation under God” a U.S. Congressman stated this past week in response to a call for greater godliness in our law making that “God is no concern in this congress”. We have totally and completely lost our way, and the “forward thinking” of our society prove it on a regular basis. Just wait five minutes if you don’t believe me. 
We have totally dumbed down life to the point that if we keep going in this direction it will quickly become unsustainable...literally! Why can’t I decide to identify as weightless? Aside from the law of gravity identified by Isaac Newton 300+ years ago which was integral to Einstein’s theory of relativity accepted by every serious scientist for the past century...it just isn’t feasible, but then those two relatively smart guys said it wasn’t. The fact of the matter is that I don’t get to decide what laws of physics I will agree with and which ones I will ignore. You kinda have to follow the science to use a contemporary phrase. Even more so I cannot ignore God’s laws. We don’t get to decide what is righteous...it’s already been decided. People will try, they have for all history...but it won’t change what is righteous and what is unrighteous. Those were chiseled in stone thousands of years ago.. 

God’s word exposes how we have gone so far astray. 2 Corinthians 10:12 tells us that...when we measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves to ourselves we are not wise. One version goes so far as to say “we understand nothing”. In other words when we try to decide what will be good for us ignoring the outside influence of authority we dumb it down and become stupid. A surefire recipe for a stupid decision is to make it without consulting God. If we want to succeed in life we must consider the creator of that life. To do anything else is folly. Thankfully God’s word also explains how to be wise and succeed. Proverbs 9:10-11 says The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied and years of life will be added to you.   

We cannot say as that foolish congressman did that God is of no concern in our lives. We must consider and obey the author of life if we are to live, and we have to give our lives to the author and finisher of our salvation if we are to be saved. We have been created with a mind. One that was given to us to reason with, but also one that was intended to reason with our God within the confines of His design and plan for our lives. 

I have decided against identifying as weightless...the gravity of the situation was just too important.  

So now, considering God and giving Him His rightful place in your life...go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dc07bc602b3e17503ce1a45e159d0f50.mp3" length="7996157" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dc07bc602b3e17503ce1a45e159d0f50.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dumbing-it-down</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:33</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Light is On, February 28, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining Crossroad Community Church Georgetown Delaware. we are having live and in person service Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 8 : 30 and 10 : 30am for more information visit crossroadcc.us

The Light is On, February 28, 2021
Mark 4 : 2...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining Crossroad Community Church Georgetown Delaware. we are having live and in person service Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 8 : 30 and 10 : 30am for more information visit crossroadcc.us

The Light is On, February 28, 2021
Mark 4 : 21-25
21Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Matthew 5 : 14-16
14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Acts 13 : 47
47For so the Lord has commanded us:
‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Ephesians 5:6-13
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 

Philippians 2 : 14-16
14Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

I Thessalonians 5 : 4-6
4But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 

Matthew 7 : 7-11
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

James 1 : 5-8
5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything fro...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining Crossroad Community Church Georgetown Delaware. we are having live and in person service Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 8 : 30 and 10 : 30am for more information visit crossroadcc.us

The Light is On, February 28, 2021
Mark 4 : 21-25
21Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Matthew 5 : 14-16
14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Acts 13 : 47
47For so the Lord has commanded us:
‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Ephesians 5:6-13
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 

Philippians 2 : 14-16
14Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

I Thessalonians 5 : 4-6
4But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 

Matthew 7 : 7-11
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

James 1 : 5-8
5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I Peter 2 : 1-3
1Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

II Timothy 2:15
15Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c8b11df1f443c3048dfbb821b955d73a.mp3" length="21093254" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c8b11df1f443c3048dfbb821b955d73a.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-light-is-on-february-28-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Responding to God with a "Here I Am Lord"]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Lynn  Brown]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Responding with “Here I am Lord”

Hi this is pastor Ken and normally I would be giving you my thoughts on a Thursday, but my sweet wife was reading in God’s word earlier this week and she shared something with me that I wanted her to share with you. So,...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Responding with “Here I am Lord”

Hi this is pastor Ken and normally I would be giving you my thoughts on a Thursday, but my sweet wife was reading in God’s word earlier this week and she shared something with me that I wanted her to share with you. So, this week we will be hearing from Lynn and she will give you her thoughts on a Thursday…

We know that from the very time of his birth, Moses was protected and preserved by God for a purpose. Later on we learn that he is tasked with seeing the Israelite children - an entire people group, out of their bondage in Egypt. So today I’d like to start in chapter 3 and read from the beginning through verse 14.

Exodus 3:1-14 (NKJV) Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”  Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

Now there is a lot more to be gleaned from this book of Exodus but I’ve been learning to stop reading when something catches my thoughts and ponder it, so let me share what I feel these verses have been saying to me. 

God speaks in unexpected ways (from a burning bush no less) here we see that when God called his name, Moses simply said “Here I am” — he didn’t wonder who or even if he heard right, he simply RESPONDED.

When our Father calls our name, WE need to respond! No questions asked...
I don’t know if you’re like me, but If I’m honest, I’ve not always been willing to stop and listen when I hear from the Lord. Though I am learning to...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Responding with “Here I am Lord”

Hi this is pastor Ken and normally I would be giving you my thoughts on a Thursday, but my sweet wife was reading in God’s word earlier this week and she shared something with me that I wanted her to share with you. So, this week we will be hearing from Lynn and she will give you her thoughts on a Thursday…

We know that from the very time of his birth, Moses was protected and preserved by God for a purpose. Later on we learn that he is tasked with seeing the Israelite children - an entire people group, out of their bondage in Egypt. So today I’d like to start in chapter 3 and read from the beginning through verse 14.

Exodus 3:1-14 (NKJV) Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”  Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

Now there is a lot more to be gleaned from this book of Exodus but I’ve been learning to stop reading when something catches my thoughts and ponder it, so let me share what I feel these verses have been saying to me. 

God speaks in unexpected ways (from a burning bush no less) here we see that when God called his name, Moses simply said “Here I am” — he didn’t wonder who or even if he heard right, he simply RESPONDED.

When our Father calls our name, WE need to respond! No questions asked...
I don’t know if you’re like me, but If I’m honest, I’ve not always been willing to stop and listen when I hear from the Lord. Though I am learning to hear His voice, feel His nudge or see His direction, I can be pretty strong willed and sometimes desperately need to be reminded He knows best, and I just need to follow. 

Ironically, just after he proclaims “Here I am” Moses proceeds to question whether or not he is fit for the task the Lord has set before him. Moses continued to ask several questions that were self-centered you could say...who am I to do this thing? Who shall I tell them sent me? God finally answers Moses in all capital letters in my version of the Bible...I AM WHO I AM! Now in today’s culture when a person uses all capital letters they are, in essence, shouting at us. Using capital letters exclusively is considered a way to emphasize written text, and I can imagine God may have felt some frustration having to remind Moses who was boss...I mean, prior to this there is no shortage of examples of God being God in Moses’ life. Perhaps I’m not the only person God has to shout this reminder to? 

It appears to me that Moses’ focus was on what he couldn’t do, until God reminded him that HE was the driving force behind what he was asking of Moses, which got me thinking about my own life. There have been times -at all ages and stages in my life, that when challenged with hard tasks, I fretted, worried, dare I even admit complained. But then on the other side of the situation, often I am able to look back and see the many ways the Lord had helped and intervened, and I see any success I may have had can be attributed to my own ability. 

Let’s look at that last part from today’s reading again, “So He (God) said, I will certainly be with you.” Now I’m not sure what situations you will specifically be dealing with this week, this month or this year, but I do know this: what is written in my Bible was not merely to catalog the history of people in ages past, but it can speak to us today, in any situation. 

God says to US, I will certainly be with you - “certainly” like in a you-can-take-that-to-the-bank way...He WILL be with us in any situation, so call on Him, remind him of this promise. It’s for us too, and even more importantly, we should live our lives here knowing he IS with us and should also live in such a way that when we are no longer here, we ARE WITH Him! That is the goal, the prize and the promise for those who live and love like He did. 

So now, in the full confidence that He is with you, listen for his voice, RESPOND to His call, and go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/802f21cdb8957d674b853ed422573414.mp3" length="10016060" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/802f21cdb8957d674b853ed422573414.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/responding-to-god-with-a-here-i-am-lord</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Cost of Compromise Part 2 - February 21, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Crossroad Community Church Georgetown Delaware Weekend Service with Pastor Andrew Betts (II Chronicles 18 : 29-32)
For more information visit crossroadcc.us ]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Crossroad Community Church Georgetown Delaware Weekend Service with Pastor Andrew Betts (II Chronicles 18 : 29-32)
For more information visit crossroadcc.us ]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Crossroad Community Church Georgetown Delaware Weekend Service with Pastor Andrew Betts (II Chronicles 18 : 29-32)
For more information visit crossroadcc.us ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1c9ed7135d96a1659fb76562ee51a063.mp3" length="27334568" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/1c9ed7135d96a1659fb76562ee51a063.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-cost-of-compromise-part-2-february-21-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 21 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>48:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What is something God has been teaching you lately?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What is something The Lord has been teaching you lately?
That is a question I like to ask people. I don’t ask it to corner anyone or put them on the spot, though I am sure by the facial expre...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What is something The Lord has been teaching you lately?
That is a question I like to ask people. I don’t ask it to corner anyone or put them on the spot, though I am sure by the facial expressions I have received when asking, that I have at times inadvertently done just that. However, to those I know enjoy a close walk with their savior, I love asking. Why? I suppose it is because I just love hearing what the Lord is saying to others because it usually blesses me with some new view of who God is and just how very good He is to us. Sometimes I have to admit, I ask the question to begin the conversation so I can also share some wondrous revelation I have experienced. 
How do we have such revelatory times with the Lord? Obviously we have to spend the time seeking Him. His word tells us that it we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. (James 4:8) That particular verse goes on to intimate that as we do that, our thoughts will become less divided between the cares of the world around us and the God we seek to know better, and our minds will become singly settled on Him. So we have to decide that hearing from God is our intention and set aside time for it to take place. Walking closely with our sweet, sweet Savior and hearing the wonderful words of affirmation and instruction from our Master will never happen by osmosis…it is a product of intention. 
For me that means I have to set a specific time aside. I am too easily distracted to simply decide that at some point everyday I will spend time with Jesus. For me it has to be scheduled. As I said last week I love to fly by the seat of my pants…but let’s be real…that attribute, as fun as it may be, has not produced my biggest successes in life. No, those have happened by intention…devoted intention. I’m not saying it is this way for everyone, only everyone I know of…if we are going to regularly spend time with God we have to set a specific time aside to do that. The interesting result is a heightened awareness to the time He has set aside for me. To my amazement, I have found that He wants to spend regular time with me as well, though He is more generous than I am, He desires to pay attention to me 24 hours a day…7 days a week, 365 days a year! What a God He is!
Over the years I have used many different strategies to spend time in God’s word and in prayer. Though there are times when I get better at “praying without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) that is something I continue to need to work on. I love the time that I do spend with the Lord in prayer, it is often the highly emotional part of our relationship, and I love it when I am overwhelmed by talking with Him. As to being in His word, I have enjoyed lots of different ways of doing that. I have appreciated reading from cover to cover though I have to be honest and admit that there might still be a sense of personal accomplishment that I feel when I do that. It does help though to give a context to His word that is not possible any other way. On that note I will say that I absolutely enjoyed reading through the bible using a chronological Bible. Having it all laid out for me in a timeline really increased my understanding of the Old Testament historically. I have utilized the read through the bible in a year plans, the hunt and peck method, and unashamedly I have even spent time in the word using Bible roulette, reading that day wherever my bible opened.
This past month however...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…What is something The Lord has been teaching you lately?
That is a question I like to ask people. I don’t ask it to corner anyone or put them on the spot, though I am sure by the facial expressions I have received when asking, that I have at times inadvertently done just that. However, to those I know enjoy a close walk with their savior, I love asking. Why? I suppose it is because I just love hearing what the Lord is saying to others because it usually blesses me with some new view of who God is and just how very good He is to us. Sometimes I have to admit, I ask the question to begin the conversation so I can also share some wondrous revelation I have experienced. 
How do we have such revelatory times with the Lord? Obviously we have to spend the time seeking Him. His word tells us that it we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. (James 4:8) That particular verse goes on to intimate that as we do that, our thoughts will become less divided between the cares of the world around us and the God we seek to know better, and our minds will become singly settled on Him. So we have to decide that hearing from God is our intention and set aside time for it to take place. Walking closely with our sweet, sweet Savior and hearing the wonderful words of affirmation and instruction from our Master will never happen by osmosis…it is a product of intention. 
For me that means I have to set a specific time aside. I am too easily distracted to simply decide that at some point everyday I will spend time with Jesus. For me it has to be scheduled. As I said last week I love to fly by the seat of my pants…but let’s be real…that attribute, as fun as it may be, has not produced my biggest successes in life. No, those have happened by intention…devoted intention. I’m not saying it is this way for everyone, only everyone I know of…if we are going to regularly spend time with God we have to set a specific time aside to do that. The interesting result is a heightened awareness to the time He has set aside for me. To my amazement, I have found that He wants to spend regular time with me as well, though He is more generous than I am, He desires to pay attention to me 24 hours a day…7 days a week, 365 days a year! What a God He is!
Over the years I have used many different strategies to spend time in God’s word and in prayer. Though there are times when I get better at “praying without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) that is something I continue to need to work on. I love the time that I do spend with the Lord in prayer, it is often the highly emotional part of our relationship, and I love it when I am overwhelmed by talking with Him. As to being in His word, I have enjoyed lots of different ways of doing that. I have appreciated reading from cover to cover though I have to be honest and admit that there might still be a sense of personal accomplishment that I feel when I do that. It does help though to give a context to His word that is not possible any other way. On that note I will say that I absolutely enjoyed reading through the bible using a chronological Bible. Having it all laid out for me in a timeline really increased my understanding of the Old Testament historically. I have utilized the read through the bible in a year plans, the hunt and peck method, and unashamedly I have even spent time in the word using Bible roulette, reading that day wherever my bible opened.
This past month however, I have been doing something a bit different that I want to challenge all of you to do. I have become a sponge. Sponges have always intrigued me…I’m simple I know. But I am always amazed by how much you can get a sponge to absorb. If you let it soak for a while and then squeeze it over a bowl it is astounding how much liquid comes out! This decision to soak in God’s word came about quite by coincidence. I had been reading through the book of Ephesians and on February 1st I found I was at Chapter 5 beginning that day with verse 22. For those not familiar with the scripture it is some of Paul’s most referenced writing on the topic of marriage. As one who counsels mostly in that realm, I am always interested in what God has to say about it, and looked forward to what I would read that day. I paid close attention to the words hoping I would see something new. God did not disappoint. I did get something new and enjoyed it so much. I have always reveled in the ability of God’s word to continue to produce more depth with each encounter. It was then and there that I decided I would read that passage (Eph. 5:22-33) each day for the rest of the month. I figured that doing that with a scripture about marriage during the month that is centrally dedicated to love might be a good idea. I have not been bored. I have read it now 18 times and will read it for another 10 days. Each day I have absorbed more truth than the day before. I am finding depth that would not be possible in a one-day skim over the surface. As my soaking in it has increased in duration so has my understanding proportionately. By concentrating on it solely I believe I have absorbed exponentially more than I would have through 28 visits to it separated by weeks, months or even years. Maybe when the month is complete I’ll do a podcast sharing all that God has shown me through this exercise. 
When does the liquid come out of the sponge? When pressure is applied to it. Likewise, one of the beauties of being a sponge of God’s word is that when we are put under pressure and feel wrung out…it is He who emerges and not us…what a beautiful and wonderfully desirable result.
Want to take the challenge? Chose a scripture passage you want to know more about; it doesn’t have to be the one I chose. Determine you will read it each day for the next 30 days. Remember the idea is to absorb…so soak in it. Resist the temptation to geek it out. I have had to remind myself that it isn’t a Bible study and put the Greek–English bible, the concordance and my favorite commentary down…let the Holy Spirit do the revealing and teaching. See what comes out of the word and is absorbed by you so that it can come out again next time you are under pressure. If you choose to, tell me what God is teaching you, I’ll be all too happy to hear.
So now, soaking up God’s love letter to you like a sponge…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e03bdeffb21da2db9ef589e26f6ed13e.mp3" length="10634327" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e03bdeffb21da2db9ef589e26f6ed13e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/what-is-something-god-has-been-teaching-you-lately</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Cost of Compromise - February 14, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown this weekend was Pastor Andrew Betts speaking on 2 Chronicles 18 : 1-28

for more information visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown this weekend was Pastor Andrew Betts speaking on 2 Chronicles 18 : 1-28

for more information visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Thank you for joining us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown this weekend was Pastor Andrew Betts speaking on 2 Chronicles 18 : 1-28

for more information visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7a9c1c243f3a07a7bd37d7950ddebb55.mp3" length="21557771" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7a9c1c243f3a07a7bd37d7950ddebb55.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/cost-of-compromise-february-14-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>33:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What's The Plan]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thought on a Thursday…What’s The Plan?
I’m a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of guy. There is little that intrigues me more than something unplanned. The only way you can ruin something spontaneous in my mind is...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thought on a Thursday…What’s The Plan?
I’m a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of guy. There is little that intrigues me more than something unplanned. The only way you can ruin something spontaneous in my mind is to stop and plan how you will go about the new found opportunity. I am a firm believer in the old adage that “The planning of something is often its undoing”. My idea of a great day is to hit the road with no destination in mind, and to turn around when my time or money is half gone so I can have just as much fun coming home from wherever I ended up. My sweet wife on the other hand, thinks that is the recipe for a disaster not a great vacation. I’m not ready to say she over plans things, she does not, but she does like to have a plan. She likes to know what she is doing, who she will be doing it with, and when the day is done, she likes to see that she accomplished something in particular. She loves a good to do list…especially if it has a lot of checkmarks on it at the end of the day.
At the end of the day, in this respect, she is more like God than I am. He likes to know who He is working with; in fact, He likes to know everything there is to know about that person. The New Century Version states Psalm 139:1-6 this way; Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it. You are all around me - in front and in back - and have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand. God knows everything there is to know about us. He knows when we are resting or beginning to work on something. If we take a trip, a planned one or the kind I mentioned I like to take…He knows where we are going, how far we will get and makes plans ahead of time, to provide for us when we need to stop. He knows everything we have done, are doing and will ever do. He knows our very thoughts…even before we do. He knows what is going to come out of our mouths before we even form the words. He cares so intimately about who you are, what you think, where you go and what you do, that He chooses to lead, and to follow so that He can protect you from what’s ahead and behind. And just so nothing can touch you that He hasn’t looked over and decided will be useful in your being transformed to look like Jesus, He keeps His hand of covering over you. That is indeed amazing to think about…but let’s take it a step further.
Why has God been watching us so closely? Is it because He loves us so immensely and intensely? Yes, but wait…there’s more! It’s also because has chosen us from the very beginning. Before He created a single thing…you were on his mind! Ephesians 1:4 again from the New Century Version tells us That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people—people without blame before him. This is wonderful news…His eyes have been on us because His heart has been for us…forever! Beyond that, Ephesians 1:11 goes on to say In Christ we were chosen to be God’s people, because from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. God has been intently keeping His eyes on us, thinking of us since before the beginning of time, because He has plans for us. A...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thought on a Thursday…What’s The Plan?
I’m a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of guy. There is little that intrigues me more than something unplanned. The only way you can ruin something spontaneous in my mind is to stop and plan how you will go about the new found opportunity. I am a firm believer in the old adage that “The planning of something is often its undoing”. My idea of a great day is to hit the road with no destination in mind, and to turn around when my time or money is half gone so I can have just as much fun coming home from wherever I ended up. My sweet wife on the other hand, thinks that is the recipe for a disaster not a great vacation. I’m not ready to say she over plans things, she does not, but she does like to have a plan. She likes to know what she is doing, who she will be doing it with, and when the day is done, she likes to see that she accomplished something in particular. She loves a good to do list…especially if it has a lot of checkmarks on it at the end of the day.
At the end of the day, in this respect, she is more like God than I am. He likes to know who He is working with; in fact, He likes to know everything there is to know about that person. The New Century Version states Psalm 139:1-6 this way; Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it. You are all around me - in front and in back - and have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand. God knows everything there is to know about us. He knows when we are resting or beginning to work on something. If we take a trip, a planned one or the kind I mentioned I like to take…He knows where we are going, how far we will get and makes plans ahead of time, to provide for us when we need to stop. He knows everything we have done, are doing and will ever do. He knows our very thoughts…even before we do. He knows what is going to come out of our mouths before we even form the words. He cares so intimately about who you are, what you think, where you go and what you do, that He chooses to lead, and to follow so that He can protect you from what’s ahead and behind. And just so nothing can touch you that He hasn’t looked over and decided will be useful in your being transformed to look like Jesus, He keeps His hand of covering over you. That is indeed amazing to think about…but let’s take it a step further.
Why has God been watching us so closely? Is it because He loves us so immensely and intensely? Yes, but wait…there’s more! It’s also because has chosen us from the very beginning. Before He created a single thing…you were on his mind! Ephesians 1:4 again from the New Century Version tells us That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people—people without blame before him. This is wonderful news…His eyes have been on us because His heart has been for us…forever! Beyond that, Ephesians 1:11 goes on to say In Christ we were chosen to be God’s people, because from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. God has been intently keeping His eyes on us, thinking of us since before the beginning of time, because He has plans for us. Amazing! 
So what’s the plan? For the answer to that we have to turn in our Bibles all the way to…the next chapter. Ephesians 2:10 reads; God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. God has been planning for you…forever…for such a time as this. Your life; where you live it, who you live it with, who your friends are, where you work, where you like to eat out, where you will vacation next, all of it has been by design. God has been concerned with it all because He has some specific things that need doing, and He has the perfect person for the job…You! 
So how will you know what the plan is? How will you know the good works He has laid out for you? Well this is where it gets interesting for impetuous, spontaneous people like me who want to fly by the seat of their pants and who want all of life to be viewed from the edge of their seats. Just go love people, love them the way God loves you, His plan will unfold right before your impulsive eyes. For those of you who love that there is a plan...well, you guys, plan to love, everybody, every day, just like God loves you. As you do, the comforting plan of God for your life will be continuously revealed…and you can check it off as you fulfill it if it makes you happy.
So now, whether you are a planner or a high flyer, lovingly fulfilling His plans…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f148c4a326c3781fd57233747ab22e27.mp3" length="9043220" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f148c4a326c3781fd57233747ab22e27.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/whats-the-plan</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Great Shepherd, The Shepherd, and the Sheep - February 7, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Dr. Ed Gross]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Great Shepherd, The Shepherd, and the Sheep - February 7, 2021 with Ed Gross

Join us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown Saturday night at 7pm and Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am. for more information visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Great Shepherd, The Shepherd, and the Sheep - February 7, 2021 with Ed Gross

Join us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown Saturday night at 7pm and Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am. for more information visit crossroadcc.us]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Great Shepherd, The Shepherd, and the Sheep - February 7, 2021 with Ed Gross

Join us at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown Saturday night at 7pm and Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am. for more information visit crossroadcc.us]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c4bef51736d1278efb98e5f5bdaff65f.mp3" length="24361792" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c4bef51736d1278efb98e5f5bdaff65f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-great-shepherd-the-shepherd-and-the-sheep-february-7-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[How To Win Every Disagreement]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…how to win every disagreement.
It seems there is no shortage of opportunities to become disgruntled in today’s environment. There are our employers, our coworkers, our families, our marriages...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…how to win every disagreement.
It seems there is no shortage of opportunities to become disgruntled in today’s environment. There are our employers, our coworkers, our families, our marriages, social media, the news media, and for some of us…those we have to share the roads with. All giving us the opportunity to find ourselves in opposition to someone else. So how can we win every disagreement or altercation with someone we find ourselves engaged in? The following scripture from the New Life Translation speaks to just that dilemma. 
James 1:19-20 (New Life Translation) My Christian brothers, you know everyone should listen much and speak little. He should be slow to become angry. A man’s anger does not allow him to be right with God.
How many times could I have avoided trouble if only I had learned to heed that advice sooner? How about you? Have you found in your life there are all too many examples that flesh out the wisdom stated here as I have?  This is an interesting scripture because it offers three great lessons in just two short verses.
Lesson # 1 - We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. I bet if your upbringing was anything like mine, you heard this phrase thrown in your direction by a parent or teacher when you were failing to understand the importance of listening first and then speaking. It is true that we have two ears and one mouth, and while I’m not sure God made that anatomical choice for this reason...we should learn to use them proportionately. There have been occasions in my life when I have followed this rule (though not often enough in my youth for sure) that it has profited me. When I have let wisdom prevail and listened before speaking, I have avoided arguments, preventing unnecessary strife, foolishness, and the general unpleasant taste of my foot in my mouth. When I haven’t followed this admonition I have lost face, money, time, dignity and others good will toward me. If we are to be seen as people of favor, we must learn to listen much and speak little. We must take the time to garner as much information as possible before taking a position that we may not be so comfortable with had we just waited before adhering ourselves to it. Proverbs 17:28 says that Even a fool, when he keeps quiet, is thought to be wise. When he closes his lips, he is thought of as a man of understanding. Reminds me of a sign I once saw hanging on the wall of a manager’s office…“Never miss the chance to shut up”. Crude perhaps, but good advice none the less.
Lesson # 2 - We should be slow to become angry. Many people believe that this part of the scripture hinges on the first, that by first listening, we will gain enough understanding that we will not become angry when we realize there is nothing to be angry about. This can be the case. Sometimes through listening we will realize that an offense is not present that we may have thought to exist before we heard all the facts. But what about the times when even after listening, an offense still lingers in our ears. Are we then free to ‘let-r-rip’ and tell the offender off? I don’t think we can assume from this or any other scripture we are being given such permission. This is a separate admonition altogether. No matter what the circumstances, we are to be slow to become angry. Why? Because anger is seldom controlled. Not that it is impossible, just improbable. When we become angry we tend to let that particular emotion...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…how to win every disagreement.
It seems there is no shortage of opportunities to become disgruntled in today’s environment. There are our employers, our coworkers, our families, our marriages, social media, the news media, and for some of us…those we have to share the roads with. All giving us the opportunity to find ourselves in opposition to someone else. So how can we win every disagreement or altercation with someone we find ourselves engaged in? The following scripture from the New Life Translation speaks to just that dilemma. 
James 1:19-20 (New Life Translation) My Christian brothers, you know everyone should listen much and speak little. He should be slow to become angry. A man’s anger does not allow him to be right with God.
How many times could I have avoided trouble if only I had learned to heed that advice sooner? How about you? Have you found in your life there are all too many examples that flesh out the wisdom stated here as I have?  This is an interesting scripture because it offers three great lessons in just two short verses.
Lesson # 1 - We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. I bet if your upbringing was anything like mine, you heard this phrase thrown in your direction by a parent or teacher when you were failing to understand the importance of listening first and then speaking. It is true that we have two ears and one mouth, and while I’m not sure God made that anatomical choice for this reason...we should learn to use them proportionately. There have been occasions in my life when I have followed this rule (though not often enough in my youth for sure) that it has profited me. When I have let wisdom prevail and listened before speaking, I have avoided arguments, preventing unnecessary strife, foolishness, and the general unpleasant taste of my foot in my mouth. When I haven’t followed this admonition I have lost face, money, time, dignity and others good will toward me. If we are to be seen as people of favor, we must learn to listen much and speak little. We must take the time to garner as much information as possible before taking a position that we may not be so comfortable with had we just waited before adhering ourselves to it. Proverbs 17:28 says that Even a fool, when he keeps quiet, is thought to be wise. When he closes his lips, he is thought of as a man of understanding. Reminds me of a sign I once saw hanging on the wall of a manager’s office…“Never miss the chance to shut up”. Crude perhaps, but good advice none the less.
Lesson # 2 - We should be slow to become angry. Many people believe that this part of the scripture hinges on the first, that by first listening, we will gain enough understanding that we will not become angry when we realize there is nothing to be angry about. This can be the case. Sometimes through listening we will realize that an offense is not present that we may have thought to exist before we heard all the facts. But what about the times when even after listening, an offense still lingers in our ears. Are we then free to ‘let-r-rip’ and tell the offender off? I don’t think we can assume from this or any other scripture we are being given such permission. This is a separate admonition altogether. No matter what the circumstances, we are to be slow to become angry. Why? Because anger is seldom controlled. Not that it is impossible, just improbable. When we become angry we tend to let that particular emotion do the talking for us...and that is rarely if ever profitable. We are told in Psalm 4:4, Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. In other words, when you are angry, don’t go off half-cocked, wait a while and decide later how to handle it. Being slow to become angry is always...always better for us as people, but even more so as Christ followers. Why?
Lesson # 3 - A man’s anger does not allow him to be right with God. As I stated above, anger producing righteous behavior isn’t impossible...but it is highly improbable. Face it, as human beings, we just aren’t that good. Our anger is almost always augmented by our sense (or ill sense) of self-justification, and it is from that precarious position that we usually take a stand...and then fall...flat on our self-righteous faces! Our example is God. No one has better justification for anger and yet Micah 7:18 tells us that even God delights in choosing to turn from His anger and toward mercy on our behalf. In other words, anger is a natural response to being wronged, but it is not the only possible reaction. If we want to look more like Jesus, if we want to be godly men and women, we have to follow His example and allow our anger toward our offender to melt into mercy. Anger will not allow us to be right with God, mercy on the other hand, makes us look more like Him.
So now, making the most of all those opportunities to look like Jesus…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/955dd4a172d5744cc2bfbdf42281a44c.mp3" length="8451052" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/955dd4a172d5744cc2bfbdf42281a44c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/how-to-win-every-disagreement</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:52</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Its all in the soil - January 31, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[It's all in the Soil - January 31, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 4 : 1-20
Mark 4 : 1-2
1And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[It's all in the Soil - January 31, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 4 : 1-20
Mark 4 : 1-2
1And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

Our English word parable comes from two Greek words that mean "to cast alongside" (para - alongside; ballo - to throw or cast).  A parable is a story placed alongside a teaching to help us understand its meaning.
A parable begins as a picture that gets our attention and stirs our interest. But as we study the picture, it becomes a mirror in which we suddenly see ourselves. If we continue to look by faith, the mirror becomes a window through which we see God and His truth. How we respond to that truth will determine what further truth God will teach us.

Matthew 21 : 45-46
45Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

Mark 4 : 3-14
3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12so that
‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’”
13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 

I Corinthians 3 : 5-9
5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 

Mark 4 : 15
15And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 

Proverbs 4 : 23-27
23Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

Hosea 10 : 12-13
12Sow for yourselves...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[It's all in the Soil - January 31, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 4 : 1-20
Mark 4 : 1-2
1And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

Our English word parable comes from two Greek words that mean "to cast alongside" (para - alongside; ballo - to throw or cast).  A parable is a story placed alongside a teaching to help us understand its meaning.
A parable begins as a picture that gets our attention and stirs our interest. But as we study the picture, it becomes a mirror in which we suddenly see ourselves. If we continue to look by faith, the mirror becomes a window through which we see God and His truth. How we respond to that truth will determine what further truth God will teach us.

Matthew 21 : 45-46
45Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

Mark 4 : 3-14
3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12so that
‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’”
13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 

I Corinthians 3 : 5-9
5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 

Mark 4 : 15
15And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 

Proverbs 4 : 23-27
23Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

Hosea 10 : 12-13
12Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
13You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.

Mark 4 : 16-19
16These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 

Matthew 7 : 13-14
13“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Mark 4 : 20
20But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dce90715e46dbb1e830e185a70ec2837.mp3" length="55408478" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/dce90715e46dbb1e830e185a70ec2837.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/its-all-in-the-soil-january-31-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jan 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Too Blind To See]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Too Blind To See.
John 9:1-3 (NCV) As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin o...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Too Blind To See.
John 9:1-3 (NCV) As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?”  Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him.
There are several things I find interesting about this particular scripture. First, yet quite possibly least important is that this is one of a very few cases where one entire chapter is dedicated to one miracle Christ performed. I’m not sure that has any meaning beyond that we shouldn’t hurry past it and by virtue of the scriptural time given to it, there are likely many lessons to be gleaned from this one passage.
The second thing I find interesting is that this event took place in Jerusalem and yet the disciples who were not from there, seemed to know that this man was born blind. That may have been for several reasons. Jesus certainly knew, and He may have told them. The man was obviously begging, and may have used the fact that he was born blind as part of his ‘pitch’ to elicit help, or they may have remembered him from annual trips they had taken to Jerusalem throughout their lives for events such as the Passover.  Whatever the reason, they were aware that the man had been blind since birth and it provoked them to ask, “Who sinned here, this guy or his parents, that caused him to be born blind?”
Why did they ask this question? In the society of the day, when someone was sick, lame, blind, deaf, etc. it was assumed that God had done that to them to repay some unrepentant sin in their lives. Sometimes people even in our day and age have the same mindset. As a pastoral counselor I am often asked in response to a person’s emotional pain “Did I do something wrong to make God mad at me? I find that to be an interesting line of thought, because the reverse isn’t always true. All healthy people in this day or that, were and are not free of unrepentant sin.
Nevertheless, they asked the question and Jesus gave them His answer, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him.” Jesus’ answer did indicate that the man had been born blind for a reason, and it seems as though that was so that on that particular day, by miraculous healing, Jesus could bring glory to God. 
I’m not at all sure though that man’s life had to progress to that one moment in time when Jesus healed him for his blindness to show the awesome power of God. Certainly Jesus healed him as a part of His ministry to show the power of God to those who witnessed it, those who heard about it, and indeed everyone throughout history from that point forward who read about it as we have today. However, I have to take pause and consider this significant possibility...that man’s life had the same potential to exhibit God’s power just as clearly...blind or sighted. 
When we go through difficult times, when we are sick, perhaps even like this man, when we are faced with a life-long physical, emotional, or mental struggle, our lives have thorough potential for showing God’s incredible power. God can and still does show his power through miraculous healing in the lives of his people, I myself have experienced it and it is nothing short of amazing! Just as marvelous however, are the o...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Too Blind To See.
John 9:1-3 (NCV) As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?”  Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him.
There are several things I find interesting about this particular scripture. First, yet quite possibly least important is that this is one of a very few cases where one entire chapter is dedicated to one miracle Christ performed. I’m not sure that has any meaning beyond that we shouldn’t hurry past it and by virtue of the scriptural time given to it, there are likely many lessons to be gleaned from this one passage.
The second thing I find interesting is that this event took place in Jerusalem and yet the disciples who were not from there, seemed to know that this man was born blind. That may have been for several reasons. Jesus certainly knew, and He may have told them. The man was obviously begging, and may have used the fact that he was born blind as part of his ‘pitch’ to elicit help, or they may have remembered him from annual trips they had taken to Jerusalem throughout their lives for events such as the Passover.  Whatever the reason, they were aware that the man had been blind since birth and it provoked them to ask, “Who sinned here, this guy or his parents, that caused him to be born blind?”
Why did they ask this question? In the society of the day, when someone was sick, lame, blind, deaf, etc. it was assumed that God had done that to them to repay some unrepentant sin in their lives. Sometimes people even in our day and age have the same mindset. As a pastoral counselor I am often asked in response to a person’s emotional pain “Did I do something wrong to make God mad at me? I find that to be an interesting line of thought, because the reverse isn’t always true. All healthy people in this day or that, were and are not free of unrepentant sin.
Nevertheless, they asked the question and Jesus gave them His answer, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him.” Jesus’ answer did indicate that the man had been born blind for a reason, and it seems as though that was so that on that particular day, by miraculous healing, Jesus could bring glory to God. 
I’m not at all sure though that man’s life had to progress to that one moment in time when Jesus healed him for his blindness to show the awesome power of God. Certainly Jesus healed him as a part of His ministry to show the power of God to those who witnessed it, those who heard about it, and indeed everyone throughout history from that point forward who read about it as we have today. However, I have to take pause and consider this significant possibility...that man’s life had the same potential to exhibit God’s power just as clearly...blind or sighted. 
When we go through difficult times, when we are sick, perhaps even like this man, when we are faced with a life-long physical, emotional, or mental struggle, our lives have thorough potential for showing God’s incredible power. God can and still does show his power through miraculous healing in the lives of his people, I myself have experienced it and it is nothing short of amazing! Just as marvelous however, are the ones who God chooses to allow to continue in their disease, disability or pain. Yet the way they live their lives…the awesome grace that they operate in on a daily basis in spite of their difficulty...in their lives, God’s miraculous power is shown and magnified to the world around them! Glory be to God! I believe one of the important lessons from this account is not only that Christ can heal, then and now…but that God has awesome power, and whatever you and I must deal with, whatever we may be going through, we have equal opportunity to illustrate that power to the world around us…this side or the other of our healing.
So now, understanding the potential your life holds to showcase His power...Go be awesome!

]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/12efd7882955862b5e4ccf67a78e9b16.mp3" length="7096362" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/12efd7882955862b5e4ccf67a78e9b16.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/too-blind-to-see</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>04:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hearers Vs Doers - January 24, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hearers Vs Doers - January 24, 2021
Join us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown on Saturday nights at 7pm and on Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am. For More information visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 3 : 31-35
Mark 3 : 31-35
3...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hearers Vs Doers - January 24, 2021
Join us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown on Saturday nights at 7pm and on Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am. For More information visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 3 : 31-35
Mark 3 : 31-35
31Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

John 6 : 66-7 : 7
66From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 

Luke 8 : 15
15But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

James 1 : 22-25
22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Luke 8 : 16-19
16“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
19Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. ]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hearers Vs Doers - January 24, 2021
Join us at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown on Saturday nights at 7pm and on Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am. For More information visit crossroadcc.us

Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 3 : 31-35
Mark 3 : 31-35
31Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

John 6 : 66-7 : 7
66From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 

Luke 8 : 15
15But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

James 1 : 22-25
22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Luke 8 : 16-19
16“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
19Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7b72225edd6c8cea00a9ee07decc2b25.mp3" length="49871833" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7b72225edd6c8cea00a9ee07decc2b25.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/hearers-vs-doers-january-24-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>51:53</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Facebook...My Face In The Right Book]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Facebook…My face in the right book. 
If that statement sounds familiar I stole (er…borrowed) it from pastor Anthony Wallace of Crossroad Christian Church in Dover. He made the comment in his m...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Facebook…My face in the right book. 
If that statement sounds familiar I stole (er…borrowed) it from pastor Anthony Wallace of Crossroad Christian Church in Dover. He made the comment in his message to us last week here at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. I have with his permission used another comment he made in the past to formulate my thoughts for a blog. If you look back to 7/16/20 you will find one entitled “The Purpose of the Mirror is to Offend” that one came from a comment he made while in conversation with him earlier that day. He has a way with words that make me take pause and think…I like that.
In any event this past week he used the phrase “Facebook…my face in the right book”, and it caused me to consider. As a counselor I often inquire of someone seeking help, “Tell me about your personal relationship with Jesus”. I do this because it helps me to know where they are and how ready they may be to accept principles from God’s word which will guide them in their particular difficulty. The question often takes people aback however, and I often hear their answer begin with a phrase like, “I know I need to read my bible more but…”. It’s obvious from their answer that they don’t know why they simply know they should. They are intelligent people, they just don’t understand all of the reasons they need “facebook…their face in the right book”.
The other day I was speaking with someone on the phone who I admire for many reasons but just one is the incredible walk he and his dear wife have with the Lord. They use “Facebook…their faces in the right book every day”, They have both on many occasions shared with me things the Lord has taught them from “Facebook”, and I have learned much from my relationship with them as they have shared with me from their relationship with Christ. This gentleman’s wife was in the hospital last week and was having a difficult time emotionally due to the physical difficulties but mostly from being separated from her husband while in the hospital due to the restrictions of Covid. I was almost surprised as he recounted to me that he had reminded her that the solution to her emotional trouble would be remedied by some good time in God’s Word.
So why do we need “Facebook…our faces in the right book” so much. Why is it so important for people trying to develop a new relationship with Jesus as well as for those who have been forging one for most of their lives? Why does it, as that gentleman noted improve our emotional condition especially during extremely difficult times? I can only give a few of the myriad of reasons of necessity here today but I will address those.
Many people have told me during the most difficult of times in their lives…”I just need a word from the Lord”. Is God resistant to speak to His children when they need Him most? I submit that He is not, in fact I would suggest that is when He is trying desperately to speak with us and encourage our hearts. So why is it that we sometimes find it so difficult to hear Him? We aren’t familiar enough with what He sounds like. 
My granddad Brown was an awesome man. I know I am biased, but he had no negative attributes. His only problem (and it was a big one) He was as deaf as a post. His “good ear” had about 10% capability to hear and decipher sound, his “bad ear” was stone deaf. One day when I was visiting with him and trying almost completely without success to converse with him...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Facebook…My face in the right book. 
If that statement sounds familiar I stole (er…borrowed) it from pastor Anthony Wallace of Crossroad Christian Church in Dover. He made the comment in his message to us last week here at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. I have with his permission used another comment he made in the past to formulate my thoughts for a blog. If you look back to 7/16/20 you will find one entitled “The Purpose of the Mirror is to Offend” that one came from a comment he made while in conversation with him earlier that day. He has a way with words that make me take pause and think…I like that.
In any event this past week he used the phrase “Facebook…my face in the right book”, and it caused me to consider. As a counselor I often inquire of someone seeking help, “Tell me about your personal relationship with Jesus”. I do this because it helps me to know where they are and how ready they may be to accept principles from God’s word which will guide them in their particular difficulty. The question often takes people aback however, and I often hear their answer begin with a phrase like, “I know I need to read my bible more but…”. It’s obvious from their answer that they don’t know why they simply know they should. They are intelligent people, they just don’t understand all of the reasons they need “facebook…their face in the right book”.
The other day I was speaking with someone on the phone who I admire for many reasons but just one is the incredible walk he and his dear wife have with the Lord. They use “Facebook…their faces in the right book every day”, They have both on many occasions shared with me things the Lord has taught them from “Facebook”, and I have learned much from my relationship with them as they have shared with me from their relationship with Christ. This gentleman’s wife was in the hospital last week and was having a difficult time emotionally due to the physical difficulties but mostly from being separated from her husband while in the hospital due to the restrictions of Covid. I was almost surprised as he recounted to me that he had reminded her that the solution to her emotional trouble would be remedied by some good time in God’s Word.
So why do we need “Facebook…our faces in the right book” so much. Why is it so important for people trying to develop a new relationship with Jesus as well as for those who have been forging one for most of their lives? Why does it, as that gentleman noted improve our emotional condition especially during extremely difficult times? I can only give a few of the myriad of reasons of necessity here today but I will address those.
Many people have told me during the most difficult of times in their lives…”I just need a word from the Lord”. Is God resistant to speak to His children when they need Him most? I submit that He is not, in fact I would suggest that is when He is trying desperately to speak with us and encourage our hearts. So why is it that we sometimes find it so difficult to hear Him? We aren’t familiar enough with what He sounds like. 
My granddad Brown was an awesome man. I know I am biased, but he had no negative attributes. His only problem (and it was a big one) He was as deaf as a post. His “good ear” had about 10% capability to hear and decipher sound, his “bad ear” was stone deaf. One day when I was visiting with him and trying almost completely without success to converse with him about some trivial experience I had, my grandfather shocked me beyond belief. My grandmother, a woman no bigger than a minute walked into the room and asked in her small voice, “Eddie dear (what she called grandpa) would you like some tea” he immediately turned his head, formerly focused on my face trying his best to understand me, toward hers and answered with a “Yes Mary, I would love some tea”. I was flabbergasted! How on earth had he heard her quiet question when he was struggling so to hear me as I nearly yelled my words directly into his face? He knew her voice. He knew the kinds of things she would say. He was tuned into her because he had spent so much time listening to her. The more we are in God’s word, every day, the more we will know His voice…the kinds of things He says, and the more able we will be to hear that word of encouragement being impressed upon our spirit in our time of need.
Another reason for “Facebook…our faces in the right book”, is to keep our ballast in the storms this life throws at us. We must be in the Word every day because we are in the world every day. The negative things happening around us constantly will upset us if we are not well balanced in truth. We are susceptible to believing things that we are otherwise unaccepting of if we are not being steeped in truth every day. We can be so affected by the world around us that even the falsehoods can begin to make sense. It is only with a good dose of “Facebook” time that we have what we need to stand by truth and discern that which is false. Ephesians 4:12-16 (AMP) says the following of our need for biblical instruction; [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]. So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]. But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love. 
If we are to be able to know the difference between truth and plausible lies, if we are to be the people that we are called to be, if we are to love others with a transformational love, if we are to operate as the church the way He designed and desires us to do, we need to be instructed from His Word every day…every day.
So now, being in the Word everyday so you can successfully be in the world everyday…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/14358d19d421b33a3fbb84bf1d43166f.mp3" length="10806704" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/14358d19d421b33a3fbb84bf1d43166f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/facebookmy-face-in-the-right-book</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2021 12:31:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Serve Me By Serving Them - January 24, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts, Pastor Anthony Wallace]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Introduces our Special presentation from the 5 to 10 ministry with Pastor Anthony Wallace of Crossroad Christian Church in Dover.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Introduces our Special presentation from the 5 to 10 ministry with Pastor Anthony Wallace of Crossroad Christian Church in Dover.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Introduces our Special presentation from the 5 to 10 ministry with Pastor Anthony Wallace of Crossroad Christian Church in Dover.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bb05f49e9f46f7730b66a4e1771c970d.mp3" length="34792927" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bb05f49e9f46f7730b66a4e1771c970d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/serve-me-by-serving-them-january-24-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Did I See That Right?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Did I see that right?
In the past week there have been several things that have taken place in our nation’s capital that have caused me to wonder at times…did I see that right? Last Wednesday...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Did I see that right?
In the past week there have been several things that have taken place in our nation’s capital that have caused me to wonder at times…did I see that right? Last Wednesday I watched in disbelief through the portal of my computer screen, our Capitol building being entered by a group of angry citizens in a completely unlawful manner. Tragedy followed as bedlam ensued. In the days following, there have been calls for the President to resign as many decided the demonstrators that went rogue had done so at his behest. I have also been watching as a new attempt to impeach has begun in the face of his refusal to resign, and the Vice President’s refusal to invoke the 25th amendment to the constitution that would essentially deem the President unfit for office. All of this again causing me to rub my eyes and ask myself, “Did I see that right”? 
The past year has in fact given me many occasions to ask the very same question. The pandemic created a situation where governors across the nation closed businesses, public schools, colleges and universities, and even churches. As I go to the grocery store and other places of business still open and I see everyone with masked faces looking as if they are readying themselves to perform major surgery I wonder from time to time… “Am I seeing this right”? This past year as I watched coverage of complete inner cities with broken glass where organized storefronts previously displayed their wares, as I watched buildings burn as demonstrations morphed into riots, I wondered again… “Am I seeing this right”? In the past few months alone; we have seen people beaten for no apparent reason, police stations taken over by rioters, and in fact complete sections of cities taken over as “Autonomous Zones”. As the anarchy that ensued became THE story in the news outlets and other media, all sane people wondered from time to time… “Are we seeing this right”?
I don’t know about all of you but for myself and many of those I have spoken with, these events have caused us to look at the world through a new lens of distrust. We almost can’t believe we have seen what we know in fact we have seen…and continue to see. There was the election and all of the questions raised as to its fairness and validity, and the seemingly lackluster desire of our nation’s leadership to offer any meaningful examination to reinstill confidence in the system. Last week I watched as the opening prayer in the House of Representatives was ended with the Phrase “Amen and A-woman” Incredible! No I mean it, it was incredible! If someone had simply told me about it and I had not seen it with my own eyes…I would not have found that person to be credible…I would have been sure they were mistaken! But no, it really happened…I saw it with my own eyes just like the rest of the nation did…So, Ill ask it for all of us, “Were we seeing it right”?
Other than the fact that the past year has brought with it a new brand of insanity, what’s my point? I know that all of these crazy events have had me questioning from time to time, is this the America I know and love? I also know as I have spoken with many that the same question has been on their minds. These questions have elicited a gamut of emotions that span from disappointment, frustration and outright anger to anxiety and fear and everything in between. So what do we do? These things are important right? They are…but maybe we’re maki...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Did I see that right?
In the past week there have been several things that have taken place in our nation’s capital that have caused me to wonder at times…did I see that right? Last Wednesday I watched in disbelief through the portal of my computer screen, our Capitol building being entered by a group of angry citizens in a completely unlawful manner. Tragedy followed as bedlam ensued. In the days following, there have been calls for the President to resign as many decided the demonstrators that went rogue had done so at his behest. I have also been watching as a new attempt to impeach has begun in the face of his refusal to resign, and the Vice President’s refusal to invoke the 25th amendment to the constitution that would essentially deem the President unfit for office. All of this again causing me to rub my eyes and ask myself, “Did I see that right”? 
The past year has in fact given me many occasions to ask the very same question. The pandemic created a situation where governors across the nation closed businesses, public schools, colleges and universities, and even churches. As I go to the grocery store and other places of business still open and I see everyone with masked faces looking as if they are readying themselves to perform major surgery I wonder from time to time… “Am I seeing this right”? This past year as I watched coverage of complete inner cities with broken glass where organized storefronts previously displayed their wares, as I watched buildings burn as demonstrations morphed into riots, I wondered again… “Am I seeing this right”? In the past few months alone; we have seen people beaten for no apparent reason, police stations taken over by rioters, and in fact complete sections of cities taken over as “Autonomous Zones”. As the anarchy that ensued became THE story in the news outlets and other media, all sane people wondered from time to time… “Are we seeing this right”?
I don’t know about all of you but for myself and many of those I have spoken with, these events have caused us to look at the world through a new lens of distrust. We almost can’t believe we have seen what we know in fact we have seen…and continue to see. There was the election and all of the questions raised as to its fairness and validity, and the seemingly lackluster desire of our nation’s leadership to offer any meaningful examination to reinstill confidence in the system. Last week I watched as the opening prayer in the House of Representatives was ended with the Phrase “Amen and A-woman” Incredible! No I mean it, it was incredible! If someone had simply told me about it and I had not seen it with my own eyes…I would not have found that person to be credible…I would have been sure they were mistaken! But no, it really happened…I saw it with my own eyes just like the rest of the nation did…So, Ill ask it for all of us, “Were we seeing it right”?
Other than the fact that the past year has brought with it a new brand of insanity, what’s my point? I know that all of these crazy events have had me questioning from time to time, is this the America I know and love? I also know as I have spoken with many that the same question has been on their minds. These questions have elicited a gamut of emotions that span from disappointment, frustration and outright anger to anxiety and fear and everything in between. So what do we do? These things are important right? They are…but maybe we’re making them too important.
Paul wrote of this very thing in his second letter to the Corinthians. Chapter 4 is all about living in a world full of events that defy belief and that theme and what we are supposed to do in response continues into chapter 5. The answer to the question so often asked “Did I see that right?” and the negative emotions that can follow is given in 1 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith and not by sight. This might seem a glib answer, but there is profound truth contained in this short verse. We can believe that we see what we see, however, should we attach such weight to what we see? Do the events we are witnessing make up the totality of our existence or are they in fact only a miniscule portion in the context of eternity? If as Paul was writing to the Corinthians in these two short chapters, we are dual citizens and the far and away greater of the two entities we hold citizenship in is the Kingdom of Heaven, what should my reaction be to the things I see? How should that understanding affect my response? If My King is still on the throne, unable to be deposed, should I not live with a visible confidence and peace no matter my personal, temporal condition? In fact, shouldn’t that peace that is seemingly unwarranted (Phil 4:7) be as it promises, to be guarding my heart and mind? What hope can I expect others to gain through the illustration of my relationship with Christ if my response to what I see looks just like theirs? Child of God, He knows what we are going through…none of it escapes Him. He sees you, His eyes are upon you, He loves you immensely and intensely and has decided that anything you experience can be used to further you in your ability to look like Jesus! And He is praying you through all it through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-29)
Paul concluded 1 Corinthians chapter four with these words, and I find them so very timely today…and in fact on any day that proves I am not yet in Glory…1Cor 4:16-18 (NKJV) Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Kind of gives some clarity to what he wrote by the inspiration of the Holy spirit just a few short sentences later…1 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith and not by sight.
So now, recognizing that what you see is only temporary…but your loving King is eternal…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/5be748da8f882e147ad688a61d5d1a22.mp3" length="10465488" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/5be748da8f882e147ad688a61d5d1a22.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/did-i-see-that-right</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2021 09:42:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A House Divided Cannot Stand - January 10, 2021 ]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A House Divided Cannot Stand - January 10, 2021 
Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 3 : 20-30

Mark 3 : 20-30
20Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21But when His own people heard about this, they went o...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A House Divided Cannot Stand - January 10, 2021 
Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 3 : 20-30

Mark 3 : 20-30
20Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Acts 26 : 24
24Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

Acts 10 : 36-38
36The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 

John 9 : 39-41
39And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
40Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[A House Divided Cannot Stand - January 10, 2021 
Message: Pastor Rick Betts - Mark 3 : 20-30

Mark 3 : 20-30
20Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Acts 26 : 24
24Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

Acts 10 : 36-38
36The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 

John 9 : 39-41
39And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
40Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/20dafdb2fbb1eadf0e7f5aff6ce4cda5.mp3" length="22148854" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/20dafdb2fbb1eadf0e7f5aff6ce4cda5.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/a-house-divided-cannot-stand-january-10-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[You Can Be Dead Right]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You can be dead right.
When I was a teenager growing up on the plains of western New York State our school system didn’t have a Driver’s Education program. Back then parents taught their kids...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You can be dead right.
When I was a teenager growing up on the plains of western New York State our school system didn’t have a Driver’s Education program. Back then parents taught their kids to drive. Although I had been driving on the farm since I was about 12 years old, at age 16 I did what every teen I knew did on their birthday. I went to the local county DMV office and took a written test that upon passing rewarded me with a driver’s permit. With permit in hand I was free to drive so long as there was a licensed driver in the car with me. Occasionally that meant I drove with an older friend but most times it meant my mom or dad were in the passenger seat. As I said, I had been driving on farm lanes so long that the fundamentals of operating a motor vehicle were already learned, unbeknownst to me however was the inconvenient fact that I needed to learn how to drive. Though the farm lanes went on for what seemed like miles and there was no lack of excuses to traverse them, I hadn’t needed to negotiate much traffic on empty dirt roads crisscrossing cornfields. 
It wasn’t too long after beginning to drive on the ‘real’ roads that I left an intersection that had stop signs on every corner and began making a left turn in front of someone who was also pulling into the intersection believing that he had the right of way. I was certain that I had arrived at the intersection first and answered my mom’s gasp of fear of being in an accident with an indignant “I had the right of way”! I will never forget mom’s reply; I can still hear it in my mind almost 40 years later. She said “Ken, you can be dead right you know”. I laughed at her clever play on words, but quickly ceased when she said, “It’s not funny…I’m serious”!
Looking back, I’m not sure if I had the right of way or not, I may have…but mom was correct, you can be dead right. Pastor made a good point this weekend that reminded me of mom’s timeless wisdom. These can be trying times we live in right now. It is at the least, a very interesting time to be alive. The pandemic has brought with it many infringements on our way of life and some even seem to be stepping on our freedoms. I love being an American, and I cherish those freedoms that I have always been able to enjoy. I have lived abroad where such freedoms don’t exist in abundance and that has made them all the more special to me. Additionally, the fact that my late brother gave twenty years of his life much of it absent from the wife and children he loved fighting to defend those very freedoms also makes them precious to me. As citizens of this country we have many “rights” and it seems sometimes as of late that some of those are under attack and even being retracted without due process. In light of that it would be all too easy to become upset and say or do certain things in response and feel we were completely justified in doing so…after all right is right…right?
Not always…seems mom knew what she was talking about…you can be dead right. Just because we have certain rights doesn’t mean we can exercise them anyway we want to…and still BE right. I have the right as an American to free speech but God’s word tells me that if I don’t speak in love…I’m wrong. We can be in the right completely on one particular matter or another and yet we are instructed to treat those around us with mercy…even if by rights they don’t deserve it.  As Christ followers we must take care that...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…You can be dead right.
When I was a teenager growing up on the plains of western New York State our school system didn’t have a Driver’s Education program. Back then parents taught their kids to drive. Although I had been driving on the farm since I was about 12 years old, at age 16 I did what every teen I knew did on their birthday. I went to the local county DMV office and took a written test that upon passing rewarded me with a driver’s permit. With permit in hand I was free to drive so long as there was a licensed driver in the car with me. Occasionally that meant I drove with an older friend but most times it meant my mom or dad were in the passenger seat. As I said, I had been driving on farm lanes so long that the fundamentals of operating a motor vehicle were already learned, unbeknownst to me however was the inconvenient fact that I needed to learn how to drive. Though the farm lanes went on for what seemed like miles and there was no lack of excuses to traverse them, I hadn’t needed to negotiate much traffic on empty dirt roads crisscrossing cornfields. 
It wasn’t too long after beginning to drive on the ‘real’ roads that I left an intersection that had stop signs on every corner and began making a left turn in front of someone who was also pulling into the intersection believing that he had the right of way. I was certain that I had arrived at the intersection first and answered my mom’s gasp of fear of being in an accident with an indignant “I had the right of way”! I will never forget mom’s reply; I can still hear it in my mind almost 40 years later. She said “Ken, you can be dead right you know”. I laughed at her clever play on words, but quickly ceased when she said, “It’s not funny…I’m serious”!
Looking back, I’m not sure if I had the right of way or not, I may have…but mom was correct, you can be dead right. Pastor made a good point this weekend that reminded me of mom’s timeless wisdom. These can be trying times we live in right now. It is at the least, a very interesting time to be alive. The pandemic has brought with it many infringements on our way of life and some even seem to be stepping on our freedoms. I love being an American, and I cherish those freedoms that I have always been able to enjoy. I have lived abroad where such freedoms don’t exist in abundance and that has made them all the more special to me. Additionally, the fact that my late brother gave twenty years of his life much of it absent from the wife and children he loved fighting to defend those very freedoms also makes them precious to me. As citizens of this country we have many “rights” and it seems sometimes as of late that some of those are under attack and even being retracted without due process. In light of that it would be all too easy to become upset and say or do certain things in response and feel we were completely justified in doing so…after all right is right…right?
Not always…seems mom knew what she was talking about…you can be dead right. Just because we have certain rights doesn’t mean we can exercise them anyway we want to…and still BE right. I have the right as an American to free speech but God’s word tells me that if I don’t speak in love…I’m wrong. We can be in the right completely on one particular matter or another and yet we are instructed to treat those around us with mercy…even if by rights they don’t deserve it.  As Christ followers we must take care that in exercising our “rights” we don’t become wrong. Why? Because we carry the Name of Jesus with us everywhere we go. Our job as Christians is to promote Jesus, not ourselves. Our “rights” aren’t nearly important as it is that those we interact with get the “right” impression of Christ and how our relationship with Him has impacted us.
Proverbs 28:5 says that Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully. Jesus said over and over again that words and actions of humility were always the right choice. He taught that we were to store up treasure in the kingdom of heaven and that it is by becoming humble and treating others with love that we make the largest deposits. The problem with “rights” is that they often lead to a prideful mentality which is the opposite of humility, and humility is the currency in the economy of the kingdom of God.
Micah 6:8 says, He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you, but to act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
So now, acting and speaking in ways Jesus finds right…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/aaef9c9276c5b80b51745424294828a0.mp3" length="7420640" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/aaef9c9276c5b80b51745424294828a0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/you-can-be-dead-right</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2021 11:46:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:09</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Please Open The Door - January 3, 2021]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Please Open The Door - January 3, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts John 1 : 1-14

John 1 : 1-14
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and w...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Please Open The Door - January 3, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts John 1 : 1-14

John 1 : 1-14
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1 : 4
4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

John 1:9
9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Matthew 15 : 14
14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Matthew 15 : 18-20
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Luke 6 : 41-42
41And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Revelation 3 : 14-20
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Please Open The Door - January 3, 2021
Message: Pastor Rick Betts John 1 : 1-14

John 1 : 1-14
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1 : 4
4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

John 1:9
9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Matthew 15 : 14
14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Matthew 15 : 18-20
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Luke 6 : 41-42
41And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Revelation 3 : 14-20
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/457b51f2cd62f4b085ce41020c9d96d5.mp3" length="22027278" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/457b51f2cd62f4b085ce41020c9d96d5.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/please-open-the-door-january-3-2021</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2021 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:27</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Its All Going To Be Alright]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a New Year’s Eve Thursday...It’s All Going to be Alright.
New Year’s Eve is always a special time. Around the globe it will be celebrated this evening as it is each year, albeit differently than it has b...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a New Year’s Eve Thursday...It’s All Going to be Alright.
New Year’s Eve is always a special time. Around the globe it will be celebrated this evening as it is each year, albeit differently than it has been in most years due to the pandemic and the restrictions that imposes on our ability to gather in large crowds. I haven’t been watching the news enough to know exactly how…But I am sure it will look different in Times Square, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Paris, and the other cities we are used to seeing the television networks show us what the celebrations looked like as New Year’s Day has made its debut around the planet. 
The questions will all be the same as in years past. What will the new year bring? What will change…what will remain the same? What New Year’s resolutions will really take hold and which will fall away in the coming weeks, days…even hours?
Paul had some things to say in his letter to the Philippians that I think are timely for remembering as we ring in 2021. Philippians 4:4-8,11b-13 (NIV) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
As I have made mention of before in recent weeks, God is always being so very, very good to us. Learning to recognize that as fact is one of the real evidences of our faith and trust in Him. I am coming to a real understanding that is what God desires for me. I think back to when I was a child. If I was with my father and he took my hand to lead me across a street or he was directing me to do something a certain way…I did not question his intent toward me, he is my dad…of course his intent toward me is good. God wants us to walk with Him in the same complete confidence. Knowing that about Him is what allows us to be at peace in completely tumultuous circumstances. In this Scripture Paul gives us some instructions on how to allow that to become the norm for all of us. 
First we have to learn to rejoice…no matter what we are facing, or whatever the level of uncertainty.  This is so important that Paul made a point to repeat himself. I will say it again…rejoice. Joyfulness, thankfulness, gratitude are the things positive change in our attitudes are made of. Do they always change the situation for the better…nope. Do we make better decisions about how to handle our circumstances when our spiritual position is improved? You bet we do. So as Paul instructed…rejoice. 
Are you feeling anxious about anything in the coming year, month, week, day, hour? Pray. Petition God…again with a thankful heart, knowing you can be confident that whatever He chooses to do in the situation you are praying about will be best. Paul...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a New Year’s Eve Thursday...It’s All Going to be Alright.
New Year’s Eve is always a special time. Around the globe it will be celebrated this evening as it is each year, albeit differently than it has been in most years due to the pandemic and the restrictions that imposes on our ability to gather in large crowds. I haven’t been watching the news enough to know exactly how…But I am sure it will look different in Times Square, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Paris, and the other cities we are used to seeing the television networks show us what the celebrations looked like as New Year’s Day has made its debut around the planet. 
The questions will all be the same as in years past. What will the new year bring? What will change…what will remain the same? What New Year’s resolutions will really take hold and which will fall away in the coming weeks, days…even hours?
Paul had some things to say in his letter to the Philippians that I think are timely for remembering as we ring in 2021. Philippians 4:4-8,11b-13 (NIV) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
As I have made mention of before in recent weeks, God is always being so very, very good to us. Learning to recognize that as fact is one of the real evidences of our faith and trust in Him. I am coming to a real understanding that is what God desires for me. I think back to when I was a child. If I was with my father and he took my hand to lead me across a street or he was directing me to do something a certain way…I did not question his intent toward me, he is my dad…of course his intent toward me is good. God wants us to walk with Him in the same complete confidence. Knowing that about Him is what allows us to be at peace in completely tumultuous circumstances. In this Scripture Paul gives us some instructions on how to allow that to become the norm for all of us. 
First we have to learn to rejoice…no matter what we are facing, or whatever the level of uncertainty.  This is so important that Paul made a point to repeat himself. I will say it again…rejoice. Joyfulness, thankfulness, gratitude are the things positive change in our attitudes are made of. Do they always change the situation for the better…nope. Do we make better decisions about how to handle our circumstances when our spiritual position is improved? You bet we do. So as Paul instructed…rejoice. 
Are you feeling anxious about anything in the coming year, month, week, day, hour? Pray. Petition God…again with a thankful heart, knowing you can be confident that whatever He chooses to do in the situation you are praying about will be best. Paul says that the result of such prayer and confidence in God will result in a peace that is literally out of this world!
Thirdly, Paul reminds us that if we want to live victoriously we have to focus on the victory. We cannot remain focused on the things that bring us fear if we want to have an overcomer’s mindset. We cannot have victim thinking if we want to have victor action. So he gently reminds us to reposition our mindset to what God desires it to be… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul instructs that the way we win battles of the mind is to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. This is the process by which we accomplish that.
Finally, Paul reminds us of something here that I find incredibly timely on New Year’s Eve as we look ahead to 2021. It isn’t about what we will have or not have. It isn’t about what freedoms we will regain and which will still be restricted. It isn’t about what we will find enjoyable and what will be less so. It is about learning to live in a state of contentedness and knowing that has not come because of what we possess or what we are free to do or not do. It comes from understanding that no matter what the circumstances of 2021 bring…we can do all things, anything…because of the strength that walking with Jesus brings.
So now, walking with Jesus and allowing that to make you view 2021 as you ought to…go be awesome!

]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/390db6da4e21feb579fa46b1c69de221.mp3" length="8564980" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/390db6da4e21feb579fa46b1c69de221.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/its-all-going-to-be-alright</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:39:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Christmas Story - December 27, 2020]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Christmas Story - December 27, 2020
Crossroad Community Church Weekend Service
0:00 - Welcome & Prayer: Pastor Rick Betts
Worship:
1:19 - My Soul Magnifies the Lord
5:48 - Joy to the World/Our God Saves
10:17 - Winter Snow
14:57 - Message: Past...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Christmas Story - December 27, 2020
Crossroad Community Church Weekend Service
0:00 - Welcome & Prayer: Pastor Rick Betts
Worship:
1:19 - My Soul Magnifies the Lord
5:48 - Joy to the World/Our God Saves
10:17 - Winter Snow
14:57 - Message: Pastor Andrew Betts (Matthew 2 : 1-21) Introduction to scripture

25:29 - Matthew 2 : 1
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

25:51 - Matthew 2 : 2
2saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

26:39 - Matthew 2 : 3
3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

27:40 - Matthew 2 : 4-7
4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”7Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.

30:28 - Matthew 2 : 8
8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child,and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

33:14 - Matthew 2 : 9-10
9When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

35:48 - Matthew 2 : 11
11And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

40:08 - Matthew 2 : 12
12Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

40:58 - Matthew 2 : 13-15
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the  prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

43:33 - Matthew 2 : 16-18
16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18“A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

47:18 - Matthew 2 : 19-21
19Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21Then he arose, took the young Child and H...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Christmas Story - December 27, 2020
Crossroad Community Church Weekend Service
0:00 - Welcome & Prayer: Pastor Rick Betts
Worship:
1:19 - My Soul Magnifies the Lord
5:48 - Joy to the World/Our God Saves
10:17 - Winter Snow
14:57 - Message: Pastor Andrew Betts (Matthew 2 : 1-21) Introduction to scripture

25:29 - Matthew 2 : 1
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

25:51 - Matthew 2 : 2
2saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

26:39 - Matthew 2 : 3
3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

27:40 - Matthew 2 : 4-7
4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”7Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.

30:28 - Matthew 2 : 8
8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child,and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

33:14 - Matthew 2 : 9-10
9When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

35:48 - Matthew 2 : 11
11And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

40:08 - Matthew 2 : 12
12Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

40:58 - Matthew 2 : 13-15
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the  prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

43:33 - Matthew 2 : 16-18
16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18“A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

47:18 - Matthew 2 : 19-21
19Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/439ab7a85034b4c1ed90b34616386e72.mp3" length="11611600" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/439ab7a85034b4c1ed90b34616386e72.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-christmas-story-december-27-2020</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>27:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Twas The Night Before Christmas]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday Christmas Eve! As I was preparing for my podcast this week I wanted to share a Christmas poem with you based on the classic, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas written by Clement Clarke Moore in...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday Christmas Eve! As I was preparing for my podcast this week I wanted to share a Christmas poem with you based on the classic, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823. I set out to write such a work expressing the true story of Christmas but I believe firmly that among one’s greatest strengths is to know one’s weakness and while a blogger I may be...a poet I am not. So after a short search I came across this version written by one Angie Mosteller and I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you on this “Night before Christmas”.
 
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Angie Mosteller
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the earth,
Every creature was stirring, awaiting a birth.
The time for Messiah was certainly near,
The prophets foretold it; the Bible was clear.
From the book of beginnings, the very first sin,
God’s word made it clear how His grace entered in.
Born of a virgin, He’d come as a man.
The Creator among us, the time was at hand.
The stars were arranged to show marvelous things,
Setting Wise Men to journey and find the true King.
Shepherds in Bethlehem gazed on the sky,
Longing to see him, their Lord the Most High.
How could they know that the very next night
An angel of God would speak words of delight?
How the Savior was born, it was news of great joy.
In a cloth and a manger they’d find the dear boy.
And a heavenly host would soon join to sing
Of the glory of God and of wonderful things. 
He entered creation, set position aside
To show us how deeply his love did abide.
Sin sent us away from our almighty Lord.
He became one of us that we might be restored.
He’s the Prince of our Peace; He’s the one who makes whole.
He is Wisdom Incarnate, a Shepherd of Souls.
He’s the Author of Life; He’s the Ruler of All.
He can offer salvation, on His name we call.
The shepherds and Wise Men would bow to adore
Holy God among men, our greatest reward.
All glory and honor is due to this King.
Let all join in worship; let every tongue sing.
Jesus is Lord, all creation proclaims.
He’s the first and last, He is always the same.
History turned on the first Christmas day,
When God became man in a humble display.
As we think of the manger in which He was laid,
Let our hearts welcome Him to the world He made!

How wonderful a gift has been given to each and every one of us from our loving Heavenly Father. One we didn’t deserve, can never match, and can share with everyone we will ever know and never deplete the fullness of what has been given to us. This Christmas Join Lynn and I as we express our thankfulness to God for all He has given to us.
 
So now, Celebrating Jesus this Christmas...go be awesome!
]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday Christmas Eve! As I was preparing for my podcast this week I wanted to share a Christmas poem with you based on the classic, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823. I set out to write such a work expressing the true story of Christmas but I believe firmly that among one’s greatest strengths is to know one’s weakness and while a blogger I may be...a poet I am not. So after a short search I came across this version written by one Angie Mosteller and I liked it so much I wanted to share it with you on this “Night before Christmas”.
 
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Angie Mosteller
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the earth,
Every creature was stirring, awaiting a birth.
The time for Messiah was certainly near,
The prophets foretold it; the Bible was clear.
From the book of beginnings, the very first sin,
God’s word made it clear how His grace entered in.
Born of a virgin, He’d come as a man.
The Creator among us, the time was at hand.
The stars were arranged to show marvelous things,
Setting Wise Men to journey and find the true King.
Shepherds in Bethlehem gazed on the sky,
Longing to see him, their Lord the Most High.
How could they know that the very next night
An angel of God would speak words of delight?
How the Savior was born, it was news of great joy.
In a cloth and a manger they’d find the dear boy.
And a heavenly host would soon join to sing
Of the glory of God and of wonderful things. 
He entered creation, set position aside
To show us how deeply his love did abide.
Sin sent us away from our almighty Lord.
He became one of us that we might be restored.
He’s the Prince of our Peace; He’s the one who makes whole.
He is Wisdom Incarnate, a Shepherd of Souls.
He’s the Author of Life; He’s the Ruler of All.
He can offer salvation, on His name we call.
The shepherds and Wise Men would bow to adore
Holy God among men, our greatest reward.
All glory and honor is due to this King.
Let all join in worship; let every tongue sing.
Jesus is Lord, all creation proclaims.
He’s the first and last, He is always the same.
History turned on the first Christmas day,
When God became man in a humble display.
As we think of the manger in which He was laid,
Let our hearts welcome Him to the world He made!

How wonderful a gift has been given to each and every one of us from our loving Heavenly Father. One we didn’t deserve, can never match, and can share with everyone we will ever know and never deplete the fullness of what has been given to us. This Christmas Join Lynn and I as we express our thankfulness to God for all He has given to us.
 
So now, Celebrating Jesus this Christmas...go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e5321b43973070d68b2dc71efdf63fdf.mp3" length="4839036" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e5321b43973070d68b2dc71efdf63fdf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/twas-the-night-before-christmas</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tasting Goodness]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tasting goodness
As a PK or a pastor’s kid I lived in many different places. Our family moved away from the area of western New York state we knew as home when I was 4 years old and wouldn’t r...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tasting goodness
As a PK or a pastor’s kid I lived in many different places. Our family moved away from the area of western New York state we knew as home when I was 4 years old and wouldn’t return in a permanent sense until 8 years later. When I was 12 years old my dad began serving a church in a small farming community near Rochester, NY. One of the things I loved about that move was that it placed us within an hour of most of our extended family. After eight years of being away from all of them it was wonderful indeed to live near them and see them much more often, this was especially true during the holidays. There had been years during our hiatus that we had not been able to return “home” for the holiday season and to be able to see grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins each Christmas was nothing short of wonderful.
One of the traditions during the seven years we lived in that area that I always looked forward to was the December morning each year that my aunt Judy would show up early with a back seat full of bags from the supermarket. She and mom would spend the entire day mixing and baking a plethora of various kinds of Christmas cookies. There were big ones and small ones. Flat ones and some that resembled small snowballs. There were sugar cookies, chocolate chip, you know the ones with the Hershey’s kiss in the middle. Some were made with nuts, some made with candy, some made with frosting, some without. When the day was over we seemed so rich! The table was covered with various plates loaded with cookies covered with red and green plastic wrap to be delivered to all of our family members. I knew this would mean that we were going to visit with some of my favorite people, and they would welcome us in and unwrap those wonderful plates and we would be invited to share them. But the best part of that day wasn’t seeing my mom and her sister having fun working together in the kitchen all day. It wasn’t the smell of baking cookies and fresh brewed coffee permeating every corner of the house. It wasn’t even the table covered in plates of yummy goodness or the promise of family visits. It was the mistakes. We were allowed to eat all of the mistakes! We weren’t told to have just one, no we could have as many of the broken, or slightly over or under done cookies we wanted. Mom and aunt Judy wanted the plates of cookies that would be shared to be perfect…so we got to enjoy all of the ones that didn’t make the cut. Tasting all those delicious examples of their work…the imperfection confections…that was the best part of the day!
This year hasn’t been what any of us expected when it began. I can say that with confidence. I don’t think a single one of us thought that it would be at all what it has turned out to be. There have been more twists and turns in the road that has been 2020 than could have ever been anticipated. Through all of it one thing has been as advertised…God has been so very, very good to us. Sure we have had to endure some things we have not liked. We have had to withstand much we would not have chosen, but it has been on my mind a lot as of late just how good, so very good God has been. His goodness is all around us. He has been giving us opportunities all year to become more like Jesus. Some of those opportunities we would not have chosen. Some of them we would characterize as problematic, troublesome, maybe even downright detestable. But just like the c...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Tasting goodness
As a PK or a pastor’s kid I lived in many different places. Our family moved away from the area of western New York state we knew as home when I was 4 years old and wouldn’t return in a permanent sense until 8 years later. When I was 12 years old my dad began serving a church in a small farming community near Rochester, NY. One of the things I loved about that move was that it placed us within an hour of most of our extended family. After eight years of being away from all of them it was wonderful indeed to live near them and see them much more often, this was especially true during the holidays. There had been years during our hiatus that we had not been able to return “home” for the holiday season and to be able to see grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins each Christmas was nothing short of wonderful.
One of the traditions during the seven years we lived in that area that I always looked forward to was the December morning each year that my aunt Judy would show up early with a back seat full of bags from the supermarket. She and mom would spend the entire day mixing and baking a plethora of various kinds of Christmas cookies. There were big ones and small ones. Flat ones and some that resembled small snowballs. There were sugar cookies, chocolate chip, you know the ones with the Hershey’s kiss in the middle. Some were made with nuts, some made with candy, some made with frosting, some without. When the day was over we seemed so rich! The table was covered with various plates loaded with cookies covered with red and green plastic wrap to be delivered to all of our family members. I knew this would mean that we were going to visit with some of my favorite people, and they would welcome us in and unwrap those wonderful plates and we would be invited to share them. But the best part of that day wasn’t seeing my mom and her sister having fun working together in the kitchen all day. It wasn’t the smell of baking cookies and fresh brewed coffee permeating every corner of the house. It wasn’t even the table covered in plates of yummy goodness or the promise of family visits. It was the mistakes. We were allowed to eat all of the mistakes! We weren’t told to have just one, no we could have as many of the broken, or slightly over or under done cookies we wanted. Mom and aunt Judy wanted the plates of cookies that would be shared to be perfect…so we got to enjoy all of the ones that didn’t make the cut. Tasting all those delicious examples of their work…the imperfection confections…that was the best part of the day!
This year hasn’t been what any of us expected when it began. I can say that with confidence. I don’t think a single one of us thought that it would be at all what it has turned out to be. There have been more twists and turns in the road that has been 2020 than could have ever been anticipated. Through all of it one thing has been as advertised…God has been so very, very good to us. Sure we have had to endure some things we have not liked. We have had to withstand much we would not have chosen, but it has been on my mind a lot as of late just how good, so very good God has been. His goodness is all around us. He has been giving us opportunities all year to become more like Jesus. Some of those opportunities we would not have chosen. Some of them we would characterize as problematic, troublesome, maybe even downright detestable. But just like the cookies that didn’t pass muster to go on display they have not lacked all recognizable value. Think about the parts of this year you could have done without, and then consider what God has taught you through those things. Think of the lessons He has presented you with and the value that has brought to your life. The book of James tells us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 (NKJV) In other words we need to learn to welcome the trouble that comes our way because it means that we can enjoy a healthy dose of being perfected if we are willing for it. What we might want to reject may be what is intended to perfect. My experience as a child taught me that the ones cast aside can still be quite tasty. Psalm 34:8 tells us to Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who trusts in Him. That Psalm was not written to people who were experiencing a trouble free life, quite the opposite. It is directed to those who are experiencing trouble, difficulties and things they would not choose to go through. Sound familiar? 
So as 2020 comes to an end, and as we look forward with hope that much of the trouble it ushered in…will be ushered back out with it, I encourage you to take joy in the trials knowing what good they have produced in your lives. Taste and see that the Lord is good…and has in fact been being good to you all year long…and enjoy all that He has been doing in your life!
So now…with a mouth watering, to taste His goodness…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/41da2210f52caa2eef5aa5aa68839803.mp3" length="7948974" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/41da2210f52caa2eef5aa5aa68839803.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/tasting-goodness</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Your Joy Will Be Full - December 13, 2020]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Your Joy Will Be Full - Sunday December 13, 2020

Luke 1 : 26-38

Luke 1 : 26-38
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of D...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Your Joy Will Be Full - Sunday December 13, 2020

Luke 1 : 26-38

Luke 1 : 26-38
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Matthew 4 : 15-16
15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

John 1 : 45-46
45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Isaiah 7 : 14
14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 

Matthew 1 : 21
21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Isaiah 9 : 6-7
6For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

John 8 : 40-41
40But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41You do the deeds of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

Luke 2 : 34-35
34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Romans 12 : 1-2
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Your Joy Will Be Full - Sunday December 13, 2020

Luke 1 : 26-38

Luke 1 : 26-38
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Matthew 4 : 15-16
15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

John 1 : 45-46
45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Isaiah 7 : 14
14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 

Matthew 1 : 21
21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Isaiah 9 : 6-7
6For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

John 8 : 40-41
40But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41You do the deeds of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

Luke 2 : 34-35
34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Romans 12 : 1-2
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/387b449c3a6ac51336dd95884d7f5a16.mp3" length="17224844" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/387b449c3a6ac51336dd95884d7f5a16.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/your-joy-will-be-full-december-13-2020</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>41:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fire Tested Faith]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Fire Tested Faith. I was reading in Daniel today and came across one of the accounts that I loved to hear about as a child in Sunday School. In Chapter three you can read the account of Shadra...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Fire Tested Faith. I was reading in Daniel today and came across one of the accounts that I loved to hear about as a child in Sunday School. In Chapter three you can read the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their refusal to worship the golden idol built by King Nebuchadnezzar. I would suggest reading the entire story soon, it is a real faith builder.
As you will recall, King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a statue that was nine feet wide, ninety feet tall and clad in pure gold. He then sent out a decree across the land that everyone was to come out and see this amazing thing that he had built. The king then commanded that whenever certain music was played, everyone was to stop what they were doing, bow down to the statue and worship it. If they did not do this the King warned, they would be thrown into what was likely the furnace designed to melt all of the metals used in the construction of the idol. Soon after, some men reported that several of the King’s officials who were Hebrew were not bowing down to the golden image when they were required to do so. Enraged, King Nebuchadnezzar called for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be brought before him. Because of his fondness and trust in the three men, he gave them another chance to bow down and worship the statue or be thrown into the furnace. Daniel 3:16-18 records their answer, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
We know how the rest of the story goes. In a fit of anger, the king had the furnace heated up seven times hotter than usual. If this was indeed the furnace used to construct the image and it had been used to melt the gold it would need to be able to reach temperatures in excess of 1,945 degrees Fahrenheit. Seven times this temperature would have meant the furnace had been heated to nearly 14,000 degrees. Whatever the actual temperature…it was hot! So hot in fact that it consumed the lives of the men who were chosen to throw the three young men bound hand and foot into the fire. As you will recall, when this was done King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished to see not three but four men in the furnace walking around as if on a leisurely stroll. When the three men who were thrown into the fire were called out the Bible tells us they did not have so much as a blister on their skin, there was not a single hair singed, their clothes were not burnt, and they didn’t even smell like smoke! What an amazing story! Not only were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego saved, but the king made a new decree that no one was allowed to speak a single word against their God…our God…from then on. Oh yeah…and they got a promotion.
Sometimes when we read accounts such as this, and there are many because we serve a mighty God, we look at the outcomes and then speak of the faith that brought such things to pass. That is fine except that I believe it inadvertently teaches an incorrect lesson about faith. Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have faith that God would have them walk back out of the furnace with no signs of having ever been in it? I’m not sure they did. Let’s review their answer to the king when faced with the ungodly com...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Fire Tested Faith. I was reading in Daniel today and came across one of the accounts that I loved to hear about as a child in Sunday School. In Chapter three you can read the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their refusal to worship the golden idol built by King Nebuchadnezzar. I would suggest reading the entire story soon, it is a real faith builder.
As you will recall, King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a statue that was nine feet wide, ninety feet tall and clad in pure gold. He then sent out a decree across the land that everyone was to come out and see this amazing thing that he had built. The king then commanded that whenever certain music was played, everyone was to stop what they were doing, bow down to the statue and worship it. If they did not do this the King warned, they would be thrown into what was likely the furnace designed to melt all of the metals used in the construction of the idol. Soon after, some men reported that several of the King’s officials who were Hebrew were not bowing down to the golden image when they were required to do so. Enraged, King Nebuchadnezzar called for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be brought before him. Because of his fondness and trust in the three men, he gave them another chance to bow down and worship the statue or be thrown into the furnace. Daniel 3:16-18 records their answer, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
We know how the rest of the story goes. In a fit of anger, the king had the furnace heated up seven times hotter than usual. If this was indeed the furnace used to construct the image and it had been used to melt the gold it would need to be able to reach temperatures in excess of 1,945 degrees Fahrenheit. Seven times this temperature would have meant the furnace had been heated to nearly 14,000 degrees. Whatever the actual temperature…it was hot! So hot in fact that it consumed the lives of the men who were chosen to throw the three young men bound hand and foot into the fire. As you will recall, when this was done King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished to see not three but four men in the furnace walking around as if on a leisurely stroll. When the three men who were thrown into the fire were called out the Bible tells us they did not have so much as a blister on their skin, there was not a single hair singed, their clothes were not burnt, and they didn’t even smell like smoke! What an amazing story! Not only were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego saved, but the king made a new decree that no one was allowed to speak a single word against their God…our God…from then on. Oh yeah…and they got a promotion.
Sometimes when we read accounts such as this, and there are many because we serve a mighty God, we look at the outcomes and then speak of the faith that brought such things to pass. That is fine except that I believe it inadvertently teaches an incorrect lesson about faith. Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have faith that God would have them walk back out of the furnace with no signs of having ever been in it? I’m not sure they did. Let’s review their answer to the king when faced with the ungodly command to bow and worship anything other than God. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. I believe that they did not offer the king an answer because they didn’t know definitively what the answer was going to be. We don’t read that they held a prayer meeting and prayed that God would send His Angel (I believe the pre-incarnate Jesus) to walk with them in the fiery furnace and keep them from experiencing any of the results of the immense heat, and then be called out of the furnace unharmed…oh and also that they would get promotions at work. No, they just told the king that If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. I imagine that they understood that they were making it known to Nebuchadnezzar that it was their God, not he who had the final say as to the end of their story. The completion of their answer said as much. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” 
I don’t think these three men were at all knowledgeable of what the outcome would look like. I don’t imagine that as they were in all likelihood praying internally, they were asking for the ultimate outcome to be exactly what it was. I think they were praying that God would have His way whatever that might be and that they were confident in whatever He chose to do. Sure there are times when we think we might know what God wants to do, there are times when we know from His written word what his will is and that we can pray specifically to that end. But most times I think we need to get a lot more comfortable praying just what Jesus taught us to pray…”May Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”. 
As I said last week as I shared my thoughts with you, God is always being so, so, very good to us. We can trust that His will is better than our will. If we always are asking God to do this or that, just the way we want it to happen, whose will are we asking to be done? God is God…we are not. We need to stop reducing Him to a celestial grandpa in the sky of whom we ask that he make our wishes come true. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3 (NKJV) He is our God and just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we can trust Him in total faith and confidence to do what is best for us. 
Faith is not believing God will do what you ask Him to…Faith is believing that whatever He does is best for you.
So now, in real faith, even as it is becoming fire tested…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7dbdfcc8a22ca64c99bd3a935cb904fe.mp3" length="9482050" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7dbdfcc8a22ca64c99bd3a935cb904fe.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fire-tested-faith</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Let Jesus In - December 6, 2020]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Jim Apgar]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Let Jesus in - December 6, 2020

Pastor Jim Apgar teaches at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown
John 20 : 31
31but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name....]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Let Jesus in - December 6, 2020

Pastor Jim Apgar teaches at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown
John 20 : 31
31but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Mark 6 : 52
52For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

John 12 : 24
24Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 

John 6 : 16-21
16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

Exodus 24 : 9-11
9Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Daniel 3 : 24-25
24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Daniel 3 : 27
27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

John 6 : 68-69
68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

II Chronicles 7 : 13-14
13When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

Matthew 14 :33
33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Let Jesus in - December 6, 2020

Pastor Jim Apgar teaches at Crossroad Community Church Georgetown
John 20 : 31
31but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Mark 6 : 52
52For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

John 12 : 24
24Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 

John 6 : 16-21
16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

Exodus 24 : 9-11
9Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Daniel 3 : 24-25
24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Daniel 3 : 27
27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

John 6 : 68-69
68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

II Chronicles 7 : 13-14
13When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

Matthew 14 :33
33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4ad2f27d31fb70be6264ffddab6f8f88.mp3" length="16435146" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4ad2f27d31fb70be6264ffddab6f8f88.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/let-jesus-in-december-6-2020</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>39:08</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Do You Believe It?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Do you believe it?
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Do you believe it? As we near the close of 2020 this is a question I have heard enough times to last well into the middle of the decade. It seems as if this year has broug...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Do you believe it?
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Do you believe it? As we near the close of 2020 this is a question I have heard enough times to last well into the middle of the decade. It seems as if this year has brought more than ample opportunity to restate the last seemingly unimaginable occurrence and utter it yet again to anyone who is listening…Do you believe it?
Not all of it appearing to be negative, in January there were the customary “It’s the new year already!... Do you believe it? Then in February the Stock Market was getting ready to break into new territory as it approached 30,000. I said it myself to several people…Do you believe it? Then there was the impeachment trial, the news of a new virus sweeping through China, then Europe, especially Italy. I heard it again and again…Do you believe it. Finally, it made its way to America, the stock market tanked, and the first cases of the Corona Virus showed up in little old Delaware, now many were the utterances…Do you believe it?
2020 hasn’t seemed to get easier since then in many respects. Churches closed, schools closed, restaurants closed, some reopened months later, many have not…some likely never will. As it seems we are now slipping backward and giving up some of the precious little ground we had recovered over the summer, I say it yet again…Do you believe it?
My question to you however isn’t about Covid, or the economy, the election or anything having to do directly with 2020. It is this…God is being so, so, very good to us…right now! Do you believe it? I’m serious…Do you believe it?
You see this is a fundamental knowledge of God that we must come to if faith is to have no bounds in our lives. This is critical if you desire to walk with God with the kind of confidence we see in Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Jonah, Peter, John, Paul…the list goes on and on…but does it include us? What unchangeable truth these people and countless others, both named and unnamed in God’s word understood is this. God is, has always been, and will always be Good. It is not something He does, it’s what He is…it is His very nature. James 1:7 says this: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. What God gives us is good and He is good and has no ability to be anything else. But, does everything come from God? Doesn’t our enemy bring bad things to our lives? Reasonable questions to be sure. One of the many things we garner from the story of Job’s life is that Satan is unable to move against God’s people without God’s permission. I would even argue that the devil requires God’s allowance to come against any one of God’s creation loved immense and intensely by Him. What we know for certain though is that God intends to increase and bless all those who are His even through the attacks of Satan against them. And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29 (NKJV). There is nothing that can ever happen to you or even to the world (to the degree that it affects you) in which God has not already decided that He intends to use it to make you more like His Son, so that you will be fo...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Do you believe it?
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday. Do you believe it? As we near the close of 2020 this is a question I have heard enough times to last well into the middle of the decade. It seems as if this year has brought more than ample opportunity to restate the last seemingly unimaginable occurrence and utter it yet again to anyone who is listening…Do you believe it?
Not all of it appearing to be negative, in January there were the customary “It’s the new year already!... Do you believe it? Then in February the Stock Market was getting ready to break into new territory as it approached 30,000. I said it myself to several people…Do you believe it? Then there was the impeachment trial, the news of a new virus sweeping through China, then Europe, especially Italy. I heard it again and again…Do you believe it. Finally, it made its way to America, the stock market tanked, and the first cases of the Corona Virus showed up in little old Delaware, now many were the utterances…Do you believe it?
2020 hasn’t seemed to get easier since then in many respects. Churches closed, schools closed, restaurants closed, some reopened months later, many have not…some likely never will. As it seems we are now slipping backward and giving up some of the precious little ground we had recovered over the summer, I say it yet again…Do you believe it?
My question to you however isn’t about Covid, or the economy, the election or anything having to do directly with 2020. It is this…God is being so, so, very good to us…right now! Do you believe it? I’m serious…Do you believe it?
You see this is a fundamental knowledge of God that we must come to if faith is to have no bounds in our lives. This is critical if you desire to walk with God with the kind of confidence we see in Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Jonah, Peter, John, Paul…the list goes on and on…but does it include us? What unchangeable truth these people and countless others, both named and unnamed in God’s word understood is this. God is, has always been, and will always be Good. It is not something He does, it’s what He is…it is His very nature. James 1:7 says this: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. What God gives us is good and He is good and has no ability to be anything else. But, does everything come from God? Doesn’t our enemy bring bad things to our lives? Reasonable questions to be sure. One of the many things we garner from the story of Job’s life is that Satan is unable to move against God’s people without God’s permission. I would even argue that the devil requires God’s allowance to come against any one of God’s creation loved immense and intensely by Him. What we know for certain though is that God intends to increase and bless all those who are His even through the attacks of Satan against them. And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29 (NKJV). There is nothing that can ever happen to you or even to the world (to the degree that it affects you) in which God has not already decided that He intends to use it to make you more like His Son, so that you will be found fully acceptable to Him and able to live with Him eternally in His presence! That alone…seriously…that alone proves He is always being so, so very good to you. We cannot do enough good, to be good enough to be found worthy, but God is constantly allowing things to affect us that give us opportunities through faith to allow the transformative power of His Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus, which does make us worthy…Do you believe it? 
Saying something as if it is a fact is one thing. Knowing something to be a fact is intelligence. Believing something causes it to become empowering because no one truly believes something and does not act upon that belief. James said that faith without works is dead…in other words, believing without doing is simply knowing. I can say that exercise is good for the body. It does nothing for my physique. Again I can be knowledgeable that exercise is indeed good for the body and my muscles will remain as they are.  However, if I believe that exercise is good for the body, I will not be able to refrain from exercise because of my belief and I will look expectantly for the changes even as they are developing.
God is good all the time…and all the time God is good. We say it a lot in church. Most of us would say we know it to be true. Do you believe it? To help me in my belief of it I have actually changed the way I say it. When I speak of it to myself and to others I say it just the way I have been stating it today. I say it in the form of a question to remind myself it deserves an answer. Do you believe how very, very good God is being to us right now? I find that saying it this way spurs the faith I hold to action. The first of which comes in the affirmative answer. Yes! God is being so, so, very good to us right now! Right now. In the midst of 2020 and all it has brought. And next year in whatever 2021 might bring…and in the years beyond. GOD IS BEING SO, SO, VERY GOOD TO US! Saying it is good, knowing it is important…believing it is critical!
That list of believers I mentioned earlier…none of them would have been notable in the least if their faith in the fact that God is good, and was in fact being good to them in their challenging times had not spurred them to act as if it were so. The same is true for you, brother, sister in Christ, it is true for all of us. If we want to see the power of God in our personal stories we have to live and act as if God is always being so, so, very good to us…Do you believe it?
For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is ever lasting and His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5
So now, acting on the belief that no matter what the circumstances might look like, God is being so, so, very good to you…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bf47535ea42993732900b70d32505c87.mp3" length="11194788" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bf47535ea42993732900b70d32505c87.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/do-you-believe-it</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:46</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Once Upon A Time]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Once Upon a Time…
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thanksgiving Thursday! Lynn and I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving today. We have much to be thankful for! Allow me to read to you from the 10...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Once Upon a Time…
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thanksgiving Thursday! Lynn and I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving today. We have much to be thankful for! Allow me to read to you from the 105th Psalm today. I am only going to read the first 5 verses but I would strongly encourage you to read the rest of it for yourselves sometime yet today.
Psalm 105:1-5 (NKJV)
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
4 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
This Psalm is one of several that recount the story of How God brought the people out of Egypt and into the promised land. I chose this particular one because it makes specific note of how God placed Joseph in Egypt prior to the famine by which he was able to keep the family of Israel fed and cared for. It also makes note of some of the difficulties Joseph had to endure in order for God to place him in the right place, in the right position, at just the right time. It goes on to speak of the difficulty the Israelite people suffered under the rule of the Egyptians after the time of Joseph. Finally, it makes mention of God sending Moses to lead the people out of the bondage of Egypt and ultimately into the promised land. There are several other Psalms that also tell of the same story.  
Why were these written? What was their purpose? Certainly they have historic value, but that exists in abundance in multiple chapters of the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. So why Psalm 105,106,107, 114 and others like them? I believe the beginning of this Psalm points out they were expressly written to remind the people of what God had done for them in the past. How He had brought them out of the difficulties they had endured and provided for them completely along their journey. How He fed them daily, always with enough. How He gave them water in the dry places from rocks that lacked any promise of being able to do so. Though they were in the wilderness for 40 years their shoes did not wear out and their clothes did not tatter by His mighty hand of preservation. They traveled safely through the lands of enemies and were not defeated or consumed. This Psalm and the others like it reminded the Hebrews that though they might go through difficult times, though life might not always be what they wanted it to be…Their God was mighty to save! As they sang Psalms like 105 from memory, they would find strength and encouragement for the present as they gave thanks for the past, and this allowed them the greatest opportunity to move confidently in faith toward their future.
Did they get it right all the time? Nope, and neither do we. Did possessing these Psalms alone make the difference? Not at all, A God who has historically been all that was needed doesn’t seem to move in the present without people exhibiting faith. Mark wrote of this when He stated that Jesus was unable to heal very many people in His hometown because of their lack of faith. These Psalms were intended to grow and develop faith in the people of God as they told and retold the stories of what God has done for them.
At our Thanksgiving table we have kept a tradition held by many Amer...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Once Upon a Time…
Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thanksgiving Thursday! Lynn and I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving today. We have much to be thankful for! Allow me to read to you from the 105th Psalm today. I am only going to read the first 5 verses but I would strongly encourage you to read the rest of it for yourselves sometime yet today.
Psalm 105:1-5 (NKJV)
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
4 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
This Psalm is one of several that recount the story of How God brought the people out of Egypt and into the promised land. I chose this particular one because it makes specific note of how God placed Joseph in Egypt prior to the famine by which he was able to keep the family of Israel fed and cared for. It also makes note of some of the difficulties Joseph had to endure in order for God to place him in the right place, in the right position, at just the right time. It goes on to speak of the difficulty the Israelite people suffered under the rule of the Egyptians after the time of Joseph. Finally, it makes mention of God sending Moses to lead the people out of the bondage of Egypt and ultimately into the promised land. There are several other Psalms that also tell of the same story.  
Why were these written? What was their purpose? Certainly they have historic value, but that exists in abundance in multiple chapters of the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. So why Psalm 105,106,107, 114 and others like them? I believe the beginning of this Psalm points out they were expressly written to remind the people of what God had done for them in the past. How He had brought them out of the difficulties they had endured and provided for them completely along their journey. How He fed them daily, always with enough. How He gave them water in the dry places from rocks that lacked any promise of being able to do so. Though they were in the wilderness for 40 years their shoes did not wear out and their clothes did not tatter by His mighty hand of preservation. They traveled safely through the lands of enemies and were not defeated or consumed. This Psalm and the others like it reminded the Hebrews that though they might go through difficult times, though life might not always be what they wanted it to be…Their God was mighty to save! As they sang Psalms like 105 from memory, they would find strength and encouragement for the present as they gave thanks for the past, and this allowed them the greatest opportunity to move confidently in faith toward their future.
Did they get it right all the time? Nope, and neither do we. Did possessing these Psalms alone make the difference? Not at all, A God who has historically been all that was needed doesn’t seem to move in the present without people exhibiting faith. Mark wrote of this when He stated that Jesus was unable to heal very many people in His hometown because of their lack of faith. These Psalms were intended to grow and develop faith in the people of God as they told and retold the stories of what God has done for them.
At our Thanksgiving table we have kept a tradition held by many Americans. Everyone seated at the feast takes a turn telling of something they are thankful for that year. Some years such as last year at the family dinner there was much laughter as we all took our turns. Other years the thankfulness has elicited tears amid the smiles. This year we will probably continue to do just that. However, this year I am going to propose another new tradition begin. I invite you and yours to do the same. I will propose that someone or multiple someone’s tell the story of how we arrived where we are as a family today. I suggest that as the story is recounted the difficult times not be glossed over in order that we might also tell specifically how God brought us through. Our story will give us 20 years to look back at and see all that God has done. If you join us in this ‘new’ tradition, started by the Israelites of old, your story may have fewer or many more years to cover. My wife Lynn noted as I mentioned this idea to her that the oral tradition of passing family stories down from generation to generation is a dying practice. That is unfortunate on many levels, but most of all because the faith building stories of God’s provision could be lost in the shuffle. I want my children and grandchildren to be able to tell what God has done for us as a family long after I have gone home to be with Jesus, so this year at the Brown household we are going to get that started. Won’t you join with me in that around your thanksgiving tables too?
God is good…all the time…and all the time…God is good…let’s all tell the story of how…Shall we? 
So now, with a heart of thanksgiving go tell your family how God has been awesome!  ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/19ebc055a82e858f5431e55f4cf57817.mp3" length="4279481" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/19ebc055a82e858f5431e55f4cf57817.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/once-upon-a-time</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Partners Serving Together - November 22, 2020]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts & Pastor Miguel Alban Guerrero with Salvation Army of Seaford.
John 21 : 15-19
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I lov...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts & Pastor Miguel Alban Guerrero with Salvation Army of Seaford.
John 21 : 15-19
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Jonah 2 : 7-10
7“When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8“Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
10So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts & Pastor Miguel Alban Guerrero with Salvation Army of Seaford.
John 21 : 15-19
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Jonah 2 : 7-10
7“When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8“Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
10So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/77d98dd726752029e4195143c3cb5db9.mp3" length="20374354" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/77d98dd726752029e4195143c3cb5db9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/partners-serving-together-november-22-2020</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>48:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wakey, Waakey...Eggs and Bakey]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Wakey, Wakey…Eggs and Bakey…
Colossians 3:12-14 in the New Living Translation (NLT) reads as follows; God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhear...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Wakey, Wakey…Eggs and Bakey…
Colossians 3:12-14 in the New Living Translation (NLT) reads as follows; God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
I was thinking today as I got up with the alarm and headed down the stairs to let the dogs out, start the coffee and begin the day just how different it was when we still had our five children living at home. This morning as I ambled about the kitchen preparing breakfast, ours and the dog’s it was much quieter than it used to be. Sunday mornings used to be the most fun for me. I would rise early and go through the upstairs hallway singing in a playfully obnoxiously loud voice, “O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because He first loved me”. The purpose of my poorly attended concert was to awaken the kids so they could get ready for our customary family breakfast, then get dressed and ready themselves to go to church. 
It is a song most of us know well, and contained in its stanza is revelatory truth and realization. We hold to the heart cry of every Christ follower, we love Jesus, but acknowledge that would not even be possible if He had not first loved us. So what does the referenced scripture say ought to be the result of His choosing to love us first?     
He wants us to get up and get dressed, and He has some specific things He would like us to wear. 
Tenderhearted mercy, this garment speaks of a heart of compassion. Our Lord desires that we see people the same way He does. His mercy for us is new every morning...even though we all failed to completely live up to it the day before. Just as He shows us mercy...over and over again...He expects that we will do the same for each other. His call for our mercy is to be like His...never ending and from a tender heart toward the recipients. 
Kindness, the absence of selfishness. Jesus wants us to be selfless because it shows off the wardrobe of kindness. Kindness requires that we give of ourselves to others. It is an impossibility to show genuine kindness to someone without considering what is in their best interest...which means we have just laid down our own for theirs...selfless activity.
Humility, as I have noted to you before, is the currency in the economy of the Kingdom of God. If Kindness is a shirt...this is an under-shirt. As noted above, it takes the ability to esteem others higher than ourselves (which is humility) to genuinely show true kindness. Jesus spoke numerous times as to the necessity of humility to find our place in His kingdom. He knew that there is a richness of life only found when we see others as more valuable than ourselves.
Gentleness, or as some translations say, meekness is not a garment of weakness. It actually requires unusual might. This is a muscle shirt. How? It takes great strength to deny yourself and elevate others. Gentleness is akin to humility with one additional characteristic, a desire to treat the one being elevated with kid gloves. It is the defining quality shown in the story of The Good Samaritan. The ability to be careful with the one we are helping even if it makes our own life more di...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Wakey, Wakey…Eggs and Bakey…
Colossians 3:12-14 in the New Living Translation (NLT) reads as follows; God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
I was thinking today as I got up with the alarm and headed down the stairs to let the dogs out, start the coffee and begin the day just how different it was when we still had our five children living at home. This morning as I ambled about the kitchen preparing breakfast, ours and the dog’s it was much quieter than it used to be. Sunday mornings used to be the most fun for me. I would rise early and go through the upstairs hallway singing in a playfully obnoxiously loud voice, “O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because He first loved me”. The purpose of my poorly attended concert was to awaken the kids so they could get ready for our customary family breakfast, then get dressed and ready themselves to go to church. 
It is a song most of us know well, and contained in its stanza is revelatory truth and realization. We hold to the heart cry of every Christ follower, we love Jesus, but acknowledge that would not even be possible if He had not first loved us. So what does the referenced scripture say ought to be the result of His choosing to love us first?     
He wants us to get up and get dressed, and He has some specific things He would like us to wear. 
Tenderhearted mercy, this garment speaks of a heart of compassion. Our Lord desires that we see people the same way He does. His mercy for us is new every morning...even though we all failed to completely live up to it the day before. Just as He shows us mercy...over and over again...He expects that we will do the same for each other. His call for our mercy is to be like His...never ending and from a tender heart toward the recipients. 
Kindness, the absence of selfishness. Jesus wants us to be selfless because it shows off the wardrobe of kindness. Kindness requires that we give of ourselves to others. It is an impossibility to show genuine kindness to someone without considering what is in their best interest...which means we have just laid down our own for theirs...selfless activity.
Humility, as I have noted to you before, is the currency in the economy of the Kingdom of God. If Kindness is a shirt...this is an under-shirt. As noted above, it takes the ability to esteem others higher than ourselves (which is humility) to genuinely show true kindness. Jesus spoke numerous times as to the necessity of humility to find our place in His kingdom. He knew that there is a richness of life only found when we see others as more valuable than ourselves.
Gentleness, or as some translations say, meekness is not a garment of weakness. It actually requires unusual might. This is a muscle shirt. How? It takes great strength to deny yourself and elevate others. Gentleness is akin to humility with one additional characteristic, a desire to treat the one being elevated with kid gloves. It is the defining quality shown in the story of The Good Samaritan. The ability to be careful with the one we are helping even if it makes our own life more difficult is the result of gentleness.
Patience, other versions use the word longsuffering which probably conjures up a more accurate mental image of this piece of clothing. Longsuffering is the ability to exercise patience under someone’s heavy provocation for the long haul. This can be a particularly uncomfortable piece of clothing at first, challenging to wear, and yet oddly pleasing. It is so because it is only worn by the obedient, and Christ always, always, always...did I say always rewards our obedience with enough grace to carry on with further obedience knowing that it pleases Him.
After we have gotten dressed, it’s time to go. Where? To practice. Now that we have on the correct uniform...it’s time to hit the practice field. We are to use the garments we have just put on to practice making allowances for each other’s imperfections. We all have faults, we all offend, so it’s nearly impossible for us not be offended from time to time. We live in a world full of irritants...I mean...others, but the clothes Christ asks us to wear give us the ability through His Spirit living inside us, doing the necessary remodeling in our hearts, to treat each other like He wants us to. So just as He has forgiven us, we must forgive others. No one person will ever be able to offend you more than you, in darkness, have offended God. We will always owe more to His forgiveness toward us than anyone will ever, ever owe us.
It’s a cold world out there...so over it all most importantly...put on the covering of love. Love is the coat that insulates us from the self-centered desire to treat others with contempt, anger, bitterness and selfishness in response to their misdeeds toward us, and warms our hearts to be like minded with Christ and see the world around us as being in desperate need of His tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness illustrated through our lives.
So now, fully dressed in the prescribed uniform…Go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/34facace444d4414b41c44a8802c77b7.mp3" length="9316812" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/34facace444d4414b41c44a8802c77b7.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/wakey-waakeyeggs-and-bakey</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:28</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Words To Live By]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, This is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Words To Live By

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) in the New Living Translation read as follows...All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, This is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Words To Live By

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) in the New Living Translation read as follows...All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

These two verses say it all. They give us every reason to spend time daily in the Word of God. I would be both saddened and surprised by the number of people I know to be Christians, good people of God, who do not spend daily time in His Word...except that I have a past. There was a time when I had my set of excuses for why I couldn’t find the time, or the energy, or the right translation, or the…you fill in the blank. The problem with that thought process though is summed up here in these two little verses.

First of all, it is God’s inspired, infallible, perfect, and as I mentioned a few weeks ago, LIVING WORD. If I am going to claim a growing relationship with God, I have to be in relationship with God. That means we must be talking to each other on a regular basis. I cannot have weekly conversations with my wife and claim we are in a growing relationship...she would beg to differ! Yes, prayer is a form of communication with God...a vital one, but how am I to discern His voice if I don’t know the kinds of things He would say? I get it, there are those who have access to no other form of communicating with God...but if you are reading this...you’re not one of them. 

All scripture is inspired by God. All of it? Yes, all of it. So to really know what God would say and have me do in the various situations of life I encounter, I need to be able to draw from the whole counsel of the Word of God. That means as I mature in my relationship with Him, I have to move from milk to meat. I take no issue with daily devotionals, they are very useful tools, but at some point if we want to make the most of this relationship, if we want it to deepen and grow in stature and strength, we must start digesting greater portions than what comes neatly packaged in those pre-portioned daily doses. At some point, it’s time to reach for the real thing, and start gaining a working knowledge of all of it.
 
Secondly, God’s Word is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. We cannot separate our daily lives from our spiritual lives. God intends for the two to be one. We need His Word to indicate to us what is true, what is righteous, what is of value to our walk with Him. Without this instruction we are vulnerable to accepting things that are untrue, unrighteous, and will hinder our growth as Christ followers. As far as our spiritual walk is concerned, there are only two gears, forward and reverse...neutral is not an option. Furthermore, His word sheds light into the darker recesses of our lives and illuminates problematic action and thinking that comes through in our words, actions and responses to the people and situations we encounter each day. 

It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. It is a shame that in our society correction is seen as a negative. An airline pilot given a corrective heading from Air Traffic Control to avoid a mid-air collision with another plane does not resent the correction, he is grateful for the lifesaving information. God’s Word does much the same t...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, This is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Words To Live By

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) in the New Living Translation read as follows...All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

These two verses say it all. They give us every reason to spend time daily in the Word of God. I would be both saddened and surprised by the number of people I know to be Christians, good people of God, who do not spend daily time in His Word...except that I have a past. There was a time when I had my set of excuses for why I couldn’t find the time, or the energy, or the right translation, or the…you fill in the blank. The problem with that thought process though is summed up here in these two little verses.

First of all, it is God’s inspired, infallible, perfect, and as I mentioned a few weeks ago, LIVING WORD. If I am going to claim a growing relationship with God, I have to be in relationship with God. That means we must be talking to each other on a regular basis. I cannot have weekly conversations with my wife and claim we are in a growing relationship...she would beg to differ! Yes, prayer is a form of communication with God...a vital one, but how am I to discern His voice if I don’t know the kinds of things He would say? I get it, there are those who have access to no other form of communicating with God...but if you are reading this...you’re not one of them. 

All scripture is inspired by God. All of it? Yes, all of it. So to really know what God would say and have me do in the various situations of life I encounter, I need to be able to draw from the whole counsel of the Word of God. That means as I mature in my relationship with Him, I have to move from milk to meat. I take no issue with daily devotionals, they are very useful tools, but at some point if we want to make the most of this relationship, if we want it to deepen and grow in stature and strength, we must start digesting greater portions than what comes neatly packaged in those pre-portioned daily doses. At some point, it’s time to reach for the real thing, and start gaining a working knowledge of all of it.
 
Secondly, God’s Word is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. We cannot separate our daily lives from our spiritual lives. God intends for the two to be one. We need His Word to indicate to us what is true, what is righteous, what is of value to our walk with Him. Without this instruction we are vulnerable to accepting things that are untrue, unrighteous, and will hinder our growth as Christ followers. As far as our spiritual walk is concerned, there are only two gears, forward and reverse...neutral is not an option. Furthermore, His word sheds light into the darker recesses of our lives and illuminates problematic action and thinking that comes through in our words, actions and responses to the people and situations we encounter each day. 

It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. It is a shame that in our society correction is seen as a negative. An airline pilot given a corrective heading from Air Traffic Control to avoid a mid-air collision with another plane does not resent the correction, he is grateful for the lifesaving information. God’s Word does much the same thing for us, and our response to it should be one of thanksgiving. God is not trying to take from us with His correction...He is trying desperately to give us something...the abundant life! We ought to be thankful for this action of His living Word. Learning what we are doing wrong, and how to do it right is as good as leaving the cold uncertainty of a totally dark cave and finding ourselves warmed by the light of the sun in an open meadow. 

God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. If it were not for His Word, we would fail to be ready to do the good things He has planned ahead of time for us to do. (Eph 2:10) These things He is attempting to prepare us for are what give our lives purpose. Essentially God’s Word brings purpose and meaning to our lives, and readies us to take hold of that life giving purpose and meaning. 

We are busy...I get it, and although our busyness may cause us to skip a meal from time to time, no one claims to be so busy they stop eating altogether. As Christians we can no more afford to avoid God’s word daily than we can afford to stop eating to get more done. We would soon weaken, tire, and eventually stop living. So, sit down at the table of plenty, take your Bible in hand and eat and drink in His wondrous word. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

So now…sampling from all of the goodness found in His Word…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/71504fade96567fe2a8008b2bdb9f28b.mp3" length="8051261" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/71504fade96567fe2a8008b2bdb9f28b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/words-to-live-by</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[When the Spirit Calls]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Mark 3 : 1-6
1And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Mark 3 : 1-6
1And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Matthew 12 : 9-12
9Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.
11Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 

Matthew 23 : 1-13
1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 

Matthew 23 : 37-39
37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Mark 3 : 1-6
1And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Matthew 12 : 9-12
9Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.
11Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 

Matthew 23 : 1-13
1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 

Matthew 23 : 37-39
37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d0251054923fb455c00bf1fa615253d8.mp3" length="23182978" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d0251054923fb455c00bf1fa615253d8.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/when-the-spirit-calls</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:12</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Final Vote Has Been Cast]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken…and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…

Tuesday night after I voted, I stayed up late as I have done for nearly 40 years to discover the results of the election. I have to admit it felt a bit anti-climactic to have to go to slee...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken…and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…

Tuesday night after I voted, I stayed up late as I have done for nearly 40 years to discover the results of the election. I have to admit it felt a bit anti-climactic to have to go to sleep around 2 AM not knowing the outcome. I was actually one of those who thought we would have a clear winner, and possibly one called by the self-proclaimed expert pundits relatively early into the night hours. To have to go to sleep unable to be satisfied with an answer was difficult, and I must admit, though usually known to be a highly patient person I was somewhat disturbed to find on Wednesday morning that it may be any number of days before we know anything for sure. It is sadly reminiscent of the debacle that was the 2000 election that essentially went undecided until settled by the Supreme Court in mid-December.

Though I may be a bit frustrated, I assure you it is simply due to being left without an answer I desire to have, not because I am worried about one outcome over another. One could rightly ask; how can that be? Don’t you care about who wins? Of course I do, I mentioned earlier that I did indeed cast my well thought out vote. I just understand that ultimately elected and appointed governmental officials don’t have near the power the think they do. Though I may greatly agree with one’s position and policies over another’s, I understand how little influence they actually wield over the course of the nation.

Several people have asked me this year what I think will happen in the election and thanks to Daniel Chapter 2 I have been able to give a solid answer that no polls could ever sway or change. My answer, “Americans will vote, but God will decide”. You could argue that answer to be a cop-out, but I would say it is in fact a shoe-in. Daniel 2:20-21 (NLT) says, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for He has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; He removes kings (or presidents) and sets up other kings (or presidents). God is in control. One could challenge this statement with a question of free will and its effect on a free electorate to choose the next occupant of the White house. My response to that is simply this…our free will does not trump (pardon the pun) God’s sovereignty. He is all too capable to work within our free will to accomplish His will. The Bible tells us that we make our plans (cast our votes) but God orders our steps (decides the outcome). I like the analogy my dad uses to illustrate this principle. I might say I choose of my free will to go out the front door of my house, but if God wants me to go out the back, He is fully capable to strike the front door with lightning setting it ablaze, and all of the sudden I change my mind and decide of my free will I will choose to go out the back door.

God’s power is not limited to influencing who we might vote for. He is also fully capable of swaying the mind of any leader to accomplish His will. Proverbs 21:1 (NLT) tells us that The king’s (The President’s) heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; He guides it wherever he pleases. God has a plan for this world that is so much bigger than our nation, and we can be sure of this...God’s plans will not be thwarted by the desires of mere man, His creation. As Psalm 100:3 (NKJV) points out Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves... It’s high time we begin to recognize the order of th...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken…and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…

Tuesday night after I voted, I stayed up late as I have done for nearly 40 years to discover the results of the election. I have to admit it felt a bit anti-climactic to have to go to sleep around 2 AM not knowing the outcome. I was actually one of those who thought we would have a clear winner, and possibly one called by the self-proclaimed expert pundits relatively early into the night hours. To have to go to sleep unable to be satisfied with an answer was difficult, and I must admit, though usually known to be a highly patient person I was somewhat disturbed to find on Wednesday morning that it may be any number of days before we know anything for sure. It is sadly reminiscent of the debacle that was the 2000 election that essentially went undecided until settled by the Supreme Court in mid-December.

Though I may be a bit frustrated, I assure you it is simply due to being left without an answer I desire to have, not because I am worried about one outcome over another. One could rightly ask; how can that be? Don’t you care about who wins? Of course I do, I mentioned earlier that I did indeed cast my well thought out vote. I just understand that ultimately elected and appointed governmental officials don’t have near the power the think they do. Though I may greatly agree with one’s position and policies over another’s, I understand how little influence they actually wield over the course of the nation.

Several people have asked me this year what I think will happen in the election and thanks to Daniel Chapter 2 I have been able to give a solid answer that no polls could ever sway or change. My answer, “Americans will vote, but God will decide”. You could argue that answer to be a cop-out, but I would say it is in fact a shoe-in. Daniel 2:20-21 (NLT) says, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for He has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; He removes kings (or presidents) and sets up other kings (or presidents). God is in control. One could challenge this statement with a question of free will and its effect on a free electorate to choose the next occupant of the White house. My response to that is simply this…our free will does not trump (pardon the pun) God’s sovereignty. He is all too capable to work within our free will to accomplish His will. The Bible tells us that we make our plans (cast our votes) but God orders our steps (decides the outcome). I like the analogy my dad uses to illustrate this principle. I might say I choose of my free will to go out the front door of my house, but if God wants me to go out the back, He is fully capable to strike the front door with lightning setting it ablaze, and all of the sudden I change my mind and decide of my free will I will choose to go out the back door.

God’s power is not limited to influencing who we might vote for. He is also fully capable of swaying the mind of any leader to accomplish His will. Proverbs 21:1 (NLT) tells us that The king’s (The President’s) heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; He guides it wherever he pleases. God has a plan for this world that is so much bigger than our nation, and we can be sure of this...God’s plans will not be thwarted by the desires of mere man, His creation. As Psalm 100:3 (NKJV) points out Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves... It’s high time we begin to recognize the order of that relationship. Jesus pointed this out to Pilate when Pilate made the claim that Jesus should be more respectful of him seeing how he had the power to have Jesus crucified or set free. Jesus succinctly noted this was all true…but only because God had given the power to Pilate. Jesus was in effect saying, you only have the power because my Heavenly Father has need of you to judge as He wills you to. Ultimately God holds the balance of all of our lives in His hand…even those of the candidates. In the final analysis, He will have His sovereign will and way.

Finally let me say this, God has been using leaders of nations to accomplish His will for all of history. American history is no exception. The fact that we don’t always know what He is doing nor why He is doing it…is simply an indictment of our inability, not His. Our view of time is infinitesimal in comparison to His. Our frame of reference by which we decide what is good or bad for our lives, our nation, and the world around us is but an 80 or 90-year speck in time while He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Our understanding is infantile in comparison to His as He stated in Isiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 

With all that I don’t know…and I will readily admit there is a lot I do not know or understand, I do know this. God is still supreme. King Jesus still sits on the Throne of Heaven. And the Holy Spirit abides with Christ followers and offers to them grace and a peace that surpasses their understanding in light of any and all the circumstances they may at times face. Furthermore, I also know that there has never been, nor will there ever be an election that will change any of those three facts. Whoever wins this election, or any to come…only wins because God has chosen to use them to accomplish His ultimate sovereign will, and I trust Him, so I am secure.

So now, trusting in the One who has never failed to fulfill His promises to you…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/bcdd278435074e6787556e03b5214865.mp3" length="5294851" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/bcdd278435074e6787556e03b5214865.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-final-vote-has-been-cast</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Lost Blessing]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Nehemiah 9 : 13-14
13“You came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Nehemiah 9 : 13-14
13“You came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.

Exodus 31 : 12-13
12And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 

Exodus 31 : 16-17
16Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Acts 15 : 7-10
7And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 

Acts 15 : 24-29
24Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— 25it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.

John 5 : 5-17
5Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath. 10The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
12Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
16For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had d...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Nehemiah 9 : 13-14
13“You came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.

Exodus 31 : 12-13
12And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 

Exodus 31 : 16-17
16Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Acts 15 : 7-10
7And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 

Acts 15 : 24-29
24Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— 25it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.

John 5 : 5-17
5Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath. 10The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
12Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
16For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

Matthew 12 : 3-8
3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/37458b213f9a38ac379f6057e25709dd.mp3" length="27852552" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/37458b213f9a38ac379f6057e25709dd.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-lost-blessing</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:06:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[With the Precision of a Surgeon]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my thoughts on a Thursday…A couple of years ago I had to undergo a very specialized lifesaving surgery. In times past this surgery regularly rendered people unable to regain full function and experience a complete recovery, but...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my thoughts on a Thursday…A couple of years ago I had to undergo a very specialized lifesaving surgery. In times past this surgery regularly rendered people unable to regain full function and experience a complete recovery, but because the surgery saved lives it was still routinely performed. The reason the surgery left so many unable to see a full recovery was due to the involvement of some critical nerves. As careful as the surgeons were, they most often found themselves unable to perform the operation without causing permanent damage to these all important nerves. Thankfully by the time I needed it, surgeons and engineers had developed a way to perform the operation with the assistance of a robot. The surgeon who performed my operation literally did it from across the operating room utilizing a video screen and joysticks resembling those of a gaming system. Connected to the surgeon’s console was a robot securely anchored to the floor, and affixed to the perfectly stable robot was the scalpel guided with inhuman precision. When the surgery was completed the cancerous tumor was removed but he nerves were still intact. As expected when the recovery period was completed the doctors found that the nervous system had sustained only minimal impact. To date this is the most advanced way known to perform the surgery and literally thousands of people see incredible results compared with the past. Who knows what new innovations will come in the future, for now this is the best there is and yet it is still not perfect. I am grateful for the existence of it in my own lifetime and to the skilled surgeon who performed the operation on me. However, there is one who is infinitely better. One who’s scalpel never misses, and is always 100% accurate.  
Hebrews 4:12 in the New King James Version reads as follows; For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This verse tells us that the word of God is living and powerful. Some may ask what does it mean that the word is living, how can words on a page be living? It is in fact living in the following ways among others. First it is the word of the ever living God. No other book can make such a claim. All other written works are authored by someone who is deceased, or will someday be so. Only the Bible is authored by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) who always was and always will be. God’s word will always stand as the word of the living God. Second anything that creates action must be alive. Notice I did not say that inspires action. The latter is the intent of many books. There is an entire genre of literature dedicated to self-help, but it is simply that, help that is intended to inspire the reader to make adjustments in their actions or thinking that will be of value, but the work must be enacted by the power of the reader. God’s word is infinitely different. It enables lasting and supernatural change within our lives. I couldn’t count the number of people who I personally know who attest to the fact, as do I, that the word of God has made possible for them things they could not formerly do in and of their own strength. In this way, being the power to cause change in our lives, the word of God is living. Finally, I will add to the argument that there is no other written word that can conti...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken with my thoughts on a Thursday…A couple of years ago I had to undergo a very specialized lifesaving surgery. In times past this surgery regularly rendered people unable to regain full function and experience a complete recovery, but because the surgery saved lives it was still routinely performed. The reason the surgery left so many unable to see a full recovery was due to the involvement of some critical nerves. As careful as the surgeons were, they most often found themselves unable to perform the operation without causing permanent damage to these all important nerves. Thankfully by the time I needed it, surgeons and engineers had developed a way to perform the operation with the assistance of a robot. The surgeon who performed my operation literally did it from across the operating room utilizing a video screen and joysticks resembling those of a gaming system. Connected to the surgeon’s console was a robot securely anchored to the floor, and affixed to the perfectly stable robot was the scalpel guided with inhuman precision. When the surgery was completed the cancerous tumor was removed but he nerves were still intact. As expected when the recovery period was completed the doctors found that the nervous system had sustained only minimal impact. To date this is the most advanced way known to perform the surgery and literally thousands of people see incredible results compared with the past. Who knows what new innovations will come in the future, for now this is the best there is and yet it is still not perfect. I am grateful for the existence of it in my own lifetime and to the skilled surgeon who performed the operation on me. However, there is one who is infinitely better. One who’s scalpel never misses, and is always 100% accurate.  
Hebrews 4:12 in the New King James Version reads as follows; For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This verse tells us that the word of God is living and powerful. Some may ask what does it mean that the word is living, how can words on a page be living? It is in fact living in the following ways among others. First it is the word of the ever living God. No other book can make such a claim. All other written works are authored by someone who is deceased, or will someday be so. Only the Bible is authored by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) who always was and always will be. God’s word will always stand as the word of the living God. Second anything that creates action must be alive. Notice I did not say that inspires action. The latter is the intent of many books. There is an entire genre of literature dedicated to self-help, but it is simply that, help that is intended to inspire the reader to make adjustments in their actions or thinking that will be of value, but the work must be enacted by the power of the reader. God’s word is infinitely different. It enables lasting and supernatural change within our lives. I couldn’t count the number of people who I personally know who attest to the fact, as do I, that the word of God has made possible for them things they could not formerly do in and of their own strength. In this way, being the power to cause change in our lives, the word of God is living. Finally, I will add to the argument that there is no other written word that can continue to grow in its depth and meaning beyond our ability, and in fact the ability of anyone to fully comprehend its complete and total meaning and application. How many times have you heard of or experienced the re-reading of passages of scripture, often well-known ones, that seem to have further and or new application to the life of the reader? Compound that with the omniscience of the Author who knowing the needs in advance was able to place the appropriate scripture, while giving new insight and revelation at the perfect moment in time. The word of God is indeed alive and powerful…
The scripture goes on to say that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow While the word sword may give a war-like connotation, and there is definitely value in that, as there is a constant war being waged against what God desires for us, and His word is certainly our best defense. There is also as the greater part of the analogy used here suggests, the implication of a scalpel in the hand of a surgeon. I love the clarity that the Amplified Version gives to this portion of the verse. It notes that the idea of piercing even to the division of soul and spirit indicates that God’s word is capable of cutting to the very completeness of a person. William MacDonald explains further that these are the two invisible, non-material parts of man, but which are undeniably existent in each of us. God’s word is able to transform the very heart of us, it is able to make the proud humble, and the weak strong. The analogy continues though as the scripture mentions that God’s word is also able to affect joints and marrow. The implication here is that God’s word is also powerful to create change in the physical part of us. The use of the words “joints and marrow” intimates that God’s word is effective in the changing of the very movement we make or in other words the things we do, as well as affecting the very life of our bodies. The marrow is the part of our skeletal structure that creates our blood cells, and God’s word tells us elsewhere that the life is in the blood.  God says of His word in Isiah 55:11 (NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. God’s word is able to affect us in such a deep and complete way that what He purposes for us to do, we will do. His word affects our lives and actions in a profound way. Finally, this scripture goes on to say that God’s word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He and His word are both alive and powerful enough to work within the free will He has given to us, and still see that His ultimate will for our lives is accomplished. 
As I recall now entering the hospital on that fall morning two years ago, I was not looking forward to the recovery but was thankful and excited about the prospect of undergoing the skilled surgeon’s scalpel firmly held by the robot that was being utilized. I understood that the precision to be employed by that process had the best chance available to me for a positive outcome. OK, I’ll admit I also thought the technology was kind of cool. 
We should all be even more excited to go under the perfectly precise knife of God’s word. Mathew Henry said of it that “It powerfully, convicts, powerfully converts, and powerfully comforts.” I encourage you to look to it each and every day to allow its perfect operation in and on your own life. Allow it to cut to your deepest parts and remove from your life all that is not perfectly good for you.
So now, allowing the exceptionally skilled hand of your master to operate, go be awesome!   ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f1ef0f07bf1ccc89c03a23984ca1476c.mp3" length="6317301" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f1ef0f07bf1ccc89c03a23984ca1476c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/with-the-precision-of-a-surgeon</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Wineskin]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 18-19
18The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 18-19
18The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 
John 3 : 26-29
26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
Romans 7:4-6
4Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Matthew 10:32-33
32“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Mark 2 : 19-22
19And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Hebrews 8 : 13
13In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Luke 22 : 20
20Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 
II Corinthians 5: 14-17
14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 18-19
18The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 
John 3 : 26-29
26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
Romans 7:4-6
4Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Matthew 10:32-33
32“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Mark 2 : 19-22
19And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Hebrews 8 : 13
13In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Luke 22 : 20
20Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 
II Corinthians 5: 14-17
14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/85f8de0b36a8b071a141cec8e507fd14.mp3" length="25592476" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/85f8de0b36a8b071a141cec8e507fd14.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-wineskin</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:00:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Through It All]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…

Job 36:15 (NLT) But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.

As the counseling pastor here at Crossroad, one question I...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…

Job 36:15 (NLT) But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.

As the counseling pastor here at Crossroad, one question I have to deal with on a fairly consistent basis is “If God is in control, did He cause the difficulty I am experiencing to happen to me?” When the suffering the person sitting in front of me is experiencing is the direct result of sin, their own or someone else’s, the quick answer is easy. It is the longer more involved answer, the one they are searching desperately for…that is more difficult to help them accept.

Quick answer...No, God does not tempt or cause us or anyone else to sin. James 1:13 (NKJV) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. If that is true, then is God really in control? Yes...God does not cause anyone to sin, and so in that respect, He does not cause the pain of the consequences of sin to be inflicted upon us...but thankfully, neither will He waste it.

I am partial to the book of Job. It is among my favorites probably because God has used it to speak so very clearly into my own life. It is in fact where my ‘life verses’ come from. There is probably no better example in all of the Bible where we can learn so much about suffering. Our scripture for today teaches an incredibly important lesson about suffering and its value.

There is an old song penned and performed by Andree Crouch, ‘Through it All’,  that speaks to this very truth. The lyrics of the third verse of that song say, “I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I'd never had a problem, I wouldn't know God could solve them, I'd never know what faith in God could do.”  Essentially that is the truth contained in today’s verse. God doesn’t cause our suffering, but He is willing to use it so that He can show himself strong in the midst of it, and get our attention in the process. God will use our suffering to teach us things He needs for us to grow in our relationship with Him. This has happened in my life, and I would imagine He has done it in yours as well. Those lessons are often so valuable and so emotionally expensive, that we tend to never forget them. Although we generally never come to a place where we invite suffering, and in some cases wish we could learn the lessons in a less painful way...any other way, those all important lessons give us reason to be grateful for the adversity.

The fact that this whole process takes place brings to mind another wonderful promise from scripture. Hebrews 2:18 (NLT) says Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. Jesus was perfect, He lived perfectly...but He didn’t have a perfect life. He was ridiculed and called crazy by His own family, He was ostracized and called demon possessed by His church leadership. He was mercilessly tempted by Satan, He was punished terribly for telling the truth, He was murdered because of yours and my wrongdoing. Yes, the sin of others caused Jesus a great deal of suffering. As a result, He is keenly aware of what that is like for you and me, and so uniquely suited to help us when we experience suffering at the hand of another’s sin.

Thankfully our final verses for today extend another promise of great ho...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Hi, this is pastor Ken, and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…

Job 36:15 (NLT) But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.

As the counseling pastor here at Crossroad, one question I have to deal with on a fairly consistent basis is “If God is in control, did He cause the difficulty I am experiencing to happen to me?” When the suffering the person sitting in front of me is experiencing is the direct result of sin, their own or someone else’s, the quick answer is easy. It is the longer more involved answer, the one they are searching desperately for…that is more difficult to help them accept.

Quick answer...No, God does not tempt or cause us or anyone else to sin. James 1:13 (NKJV) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. If that is true, then is God really in control? Yes...God does not cause anyone to sin, and so in that respect, He does not cause the pain of the consequences of sin to be inflicted upon us...but thankfully, neither will He waste it.

I am partial to the book of Job. It is among my favorites probably because God has used it to speak so very clearly into my own life. It is in fact where my ‘life verses’ come from. There is probably no better example in all of the Bible where we can learn so much about suffering. Our scripture for today teaches an incredibly important lesson about suffering and its value.

There is an old song penned and performed by Andree Crouch, ‘Through it All’,  that speaks to this very truth. The lyrics of the third verse of that song say, “I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I'd never had a problem, I wouldn't know God could solve them, I'd never know what faith in God could do.”  Essentially that is the truth contained in today’s verse. God doesn’t cause our suffering, but He is willing to use it so that He can show himself strong in the midst of it, and get our attention in the process. God will use our suffering to teach us things He needs for us to grow in our relationship with Him. This has happened in my life, and I would imagine He has done it in yours as well. Those lessons are often so valuable and so emotionally expensive, that we tend to never forget them. Although we generally never come to a place where we invite suffering, and in some cases wish we could learn the lessons in a less painful way...any other way, those all important lessons give us reason to be grateful for the adversity.

The fact that this whole process takes place brings to mind another wonderful promise from scripture. Hebrews 2:18 (NLT) says Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. Jesus was perfect, He lived perfectly...but He didn’t have a perfect life. He was ridiculed and called crazy by His own family, He was ostracized and called demon possessed by His church leadership. He was mercilessly tempted by Satan, He was punished terribly for telling the truth, He was murdered because of yours and my wrongdoing. Yes, the sin of others caused Jesus a great deal of suffering. As a result, He is keenly aware of what that is like for you and me, and so uniquely suited to help us when we experience suffering at the hand of another’s sin.

Thankfully our final verses for today extend another promise of great hope when we are experiencing suffering because of the consequences of sin. Romans 8:35,37 (NLT) Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
Nothing...nothing...nothing, not even the consequences of sin, ours or someone else's perpetrated against us can ever separate us from Christ’s love for us. Nor will Christ allow us to experience suffering without the opportunity for victory to come about because of it. The purpose in the pain are the many imperative and valuable lessons He wants us to learn as a result.

Lord, we don’t like it when we suffer. We especially don’t like it when we suffer as a result of someone else's sin. Help us to have a changed perspective. Help us to see that you didn’t cause the visitation of suffering on our lives, but you aren’t willing that it be wasted either. You desire that we learn many good lessons even from painful circumstances. Thank you Lord for such a love and care that desires our best even out of someone else’s worst. In Jesus powerful name, Amen

So now, seeking out the lessons…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/6d611afb712dad2347e29d5625587fb3.mp3" length="4312943" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/6d611afb712dad2347e29d5625587fb3.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/through-it-all</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:40</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Come Follow Me]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 13-17]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 13-17]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 13-17]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/99835a48d0469eeed94ebc73a717fc43.mp3" length="25837812" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/99835a48d0469eeed94ebc73a717fc43.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/come-follow-me</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:31</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sowing and Reaping]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 1-5
1And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3The...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 1-5
1And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

John 9 : 1-3
1Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 

Mark 2 : 6-7
6And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Psalms 103 : 1-3
1Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,

Luke 5 : 17-18
17Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 

Mark 2 : 8-12
8But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Isaiah 1 : 16-20
16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Mark 2 : 1-5
1And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

John 9 : 1-3
1Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 

Mark 2 : 6-7
6And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Psalms 103 : 1-3
1Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,

Luke 5 : 17-18
17Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 

Mark 2 : 8-12
8But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Isaiah 1 : 16-20
16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/19d54e2f65a87895bb0b70a801c94871.mp3" length="23385544" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/19d54e2f65a87895bb0b70a801c94871.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/sowing-and-reaping</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Touched by Grace]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Mark 1 : 40
40Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Leviticus 13 : 45-46
45“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Mark 1 : 40
40Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Leviticus 13 : 45-46
45“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

II Peter 3 : 9
9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

I Timothy 2 : 3-7
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Mark 1 : 41-42
41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 

Leviticus 13 : 3
3The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. 

Leviticus 13 : 10-11
10And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, 11it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

Leviticus 13 : 52
52He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.

Mark 1 : 43-44
43And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Leviticus 14 : 4-7
4then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop. 5And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water. 6As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. 7And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field. 

II Peter 1 : 5-9
5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these things is shortsighted,...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Mark 1 : 40
40Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Leviticus 13 : 45-46
45“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

II Peter 3 : 9
9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

I Timothy 2 : 3-7
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Mark 1 : 41-42
41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 

Leviticus 13 : 3
3The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. 

Leviticus 13 : 10-11
10And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, 11it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

Leviticus 13 : 52
52He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.

Mark 1 : 43-44
43And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Leviticus 14 : 4-7
4then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop. 5And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water. 6As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. 7And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field. 

II Peter 1 : 5-9
5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Leviticus 14 : 14-18
14The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 15And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand. 16Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. 17And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering. 18The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD.

Mark 1 : 45
45However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d7066b7697e7df4a843b40ad777f3346.mp3" length="21896420" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d7066b7697e7df4a843b40ad777f3346.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/touched-by-grace</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:08</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Key to a Great Marriage]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Key to a Great Marriage
As a marriage counselor it is my privilege to help people realize the marriage they desire and that God intends for them to have. For the past few weeks I have been preparing for a marriage seminar I will be presenting this co...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Key to a Great Marriage
As a marriage counselor it is my privilege to help people realize the marriage they desire and that God intends for them to have. For the past few weeks I have been preparing for a marriage seminar I will be presenting this coming weekend. I am excited for the opportunity that this format will offer for people to find new ways to experience God’s design for their marriage. As I have been prayerfully readying myself I can’t seem to help but consider the question; What is the single most important key to a great marriage?
There are many keys obviously, enough to resemble the overfull ring hanging from the belt loop of my high school janitor. But if I had to pick just one…which would it be? I understand the importance of Ephesians 5:33 (NKJV) “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband”. It is incredibly important that we show love and respect in the ways we are commanded to here in this verse. It is true, especially in times of conflict that women need to know they are loved by their husbands. Likewise, it is also in these very times that a man is acutely aware of his need to be respected by his wife. I believe that these primary needs required for a marriage to be seen as in good standing have been given them by God to reflect the needs He has for those very same things. God is quite clear that we must love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He also makes no bones about the fact that we must respect Him to the point of having no other gods before Him. He requires our unconditional love and respect, and so gives to us the need for the same…unconditionally. A clear understanding of this is key…but is it THE key? 
Another key that quickly comes to mind is considering each other’s thoughts. Proverbs makes it quite clear that if we want to succeed, we must consider each other’s thoughts. Furthermore, we must understand that our spouse’s thoughts are equivalent in value and importance to our own. We have trouble with this I get it…we all have a tendency to believe our thoughts to be correct and best, but God’s word seems to differ. It appears that the intent of God is that complete thought on a given matter is not possible without considering the thoughts of our spouse. In fact, no decision…unless failure is the desired outcome…should ever be made without the input of the one He has given to us. Proverbs 31:10,11 read “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. When this was written, men made all the decisions for a home and for that reason it was stated in this direction, but in our current culture where decisions are made by both husband and wife, I think the reverse reading of the scripture would not be inappropriate. I believe the overall understanding God wants us to have is that He desires we consider the thoughts and ideas of the spouse He gifted us with so that together we can make decisions that are more complete, and bear a closer resemblance to wisdom. Although highly important to good communication, is it THE key? 
For THE KEY to a great marriage I would have to look to Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectionate to one another…in honor giving preference to one another.” One version puts it this way, “Outdo each other at putting the other first”. Preferring one another in my humble opinion is THE KEY to a...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Key to a Great Marriage
As a marriage counselor it is my privilege to help people realize the marriage they desire and that God intends for them to have. For the past few weeks I have been preparing for a marriage seminar I will be presenting this coming weekend. I am excited for the opportunity that this format will offer for people to find new ways to experience God’s design for their marriage. As I have been prayerfully readying myself I can’t seem to help but consider the question; What is the single most important key to a great marriage?
There are many keys obviously, enough to resemble the overfull ring hanging from the belt loop of my high school janitor. But if I had to pick just one…which would it be? I understand the importance of Ephesians 5:33 (NKJV) “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband”. It is incredibly important that we show love and respect in the ways we are commanded to here in this verse. It is true, especially in times of conflict that women need to know they are loved by their husbands. Likewise, it is also in these very times that a man is acutely aware of his need to be respected by his wife. I believe that these primary needs required for a marriage to be seen as in good standing have been given them by God to reflect the needs He has for those very same things. God is quite clear that we must love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He also makes no bones about the fact that we must respect Him to the point of having no other gods before Him. He requires our unconditional love and respect, and so gives to us the need for the same…unconditionally. A clear understanding of this is key…but is it THE key? 
Another key that quickly comes to mind is considering each other’s thoughts. Proverbs makes it quite clear that if we want to succeed, we must consider each other’s thoughts. Furthermore, we must understand that our spouse’s thoughts are equivalent in value and importance to our own. We have trouble with this I get it…we all have a tendency to believe our thoughts to be correct and best, but God’s word seems to differ. It appears that the intent of God is that complete thought on a given matter is not possible without considering the thoughts of our spouse. In fact, no decision…unless failure is the desired outcome…should ever be made without the input of the one He has given to us. Proverbs 31:10,11 read “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. When this was written, men made all the decisions for a home and for that reason it was stated in this direction, but in our current culture where decisions are made by both husband and wife, I think the reverse reading of the scripture would not be inappropriate. I believe the overall understanding God wants us to have is that He desires we consider the thoughts and ideas of the spouse He gifted us with so that together we can make decisions that are more complete, and bear a closer resemblance to wisdom. Although highly important to good communication, is it THE key? 
For THE KEY to a great marriage I would have to look to Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectionate to one another…in honor giving preference to one another.” One version puts it this way, “Outdo each other at putting the other first”. Preferring one another in my humble opinion is THE KEY to a great marriage. When we practice putting our spouses needs above our own we shift our marriage into overdrive, you know, the gear where we are able to cruise with the greatest efficiency. Undoubtedly, preferring one another is not promoted by our society. Everything the world puts in front of us says that preferring someone else above yourself will get you run over, make you unhappy and will leave you with unmet needs of your own. Worldly wisdom at its finest, but terribly, terribly incorrect. Marriage is a spiritual experience; therefore, spiritual principles apply. When we prefer one another in marriage we remove from our spouse the compulsion to try to get their own needs met, and they become free to focus on our needs. The fact that their needs are being given higher priority than our own spurs them to reciprocate. So, preferring does not get you run over, it ensures you will not be run over. It does not make one unhappy in increases their joy. It does not leave one with unmet needs it sees to it that the needs they have are met over and over again. 
Perhaps most important, preferring one another follows exactly the example of Christ toward His bride, the church.  Husbands are told specifically to follow this example. Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. And written to wives; the verse before…just as the church prefers Christ, so let wives be to their own husbands in everything. Christ left Heaven where I imagine He had need of nothing. There He reigned supreme along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He had no need to come to earth, He did it because WE had need of Him to come. He preferred His bride and met her need when He had no personal obligation to do so. The example then is that He made Himself lower so He could elevate us, (His bride) higher…the ultimate in preferring another. 
So then if we are to be good “Christ followers” as husbands and wives, THE KEY is to prefer one another in LOVE. Paul reminds us what that should look like in 1 Corinthians 13. It means we must prefer one another even if we don’t feel it is being reciprocated. We do it as an act of kindness, we don’t pat ourselves on the back when we prefer one another, and we don’t become prideful because we are doing what we ought. We mustn’t prefer our spouse just so that we will be preferred in return, and we can’t keep a scoresheet of who has done it first most often. If we are going to use THE KEY to a great marriage correctly, we must simply do it in response to the fact that Christ did it for us.
So now, holding THE KEY to your great marriage…Go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/273a46950aafd950174a3d6ed65e3974.mp3" length="4940482" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/273a46950aafd950174a3d6ed65e3974.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-key-to-a-great-marriage</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:49</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Original GPS]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[I love to travel. To me there isn’t much more comforting than ‘Hitting the road’. I imagine this comes from my upbringing. The Brown family was a bit of a nomadic tribe. To date I have lived in 23 different houses, I have resided in 2 countries and 5 diff...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[I love to travel. To me there isn’t much more comforting than ‘Hitting the road’. I imagine this comes from my upbringing. The Brown family was a bit of a nomadic tribe. To date I have lived in 23 different houses, I have resided in 2 countries and 5 different states, some of them multiple times. In the 2nd grade I lived in 4 different homes, in 2 different states and attended 3 different schools…yeah, we were a tad bit nomadic…but it seemed normal to me. So, I am sure this has had an impact on my feeling comfortable being on the road. As a result, I have visited 34 of the 50 states, the territory of Puerto Rico and have been to 4 different countries. Many of you have travelled even more extensively than I, many of you less, but my travels have indeed made it an experience I thoroughly enjoy.
One of the things I do when I travel is input my destination into a GPS. I don’t do that because I need directions, no, I am a man after all, directions are not necessary…I do this simply so I will know what time I should arrive at my destination. In fact, sometimes I even turn down the volume so as to not be distracted by the voice in the box barking out orders when I purposefully leave the prescribed route. When I do venture off toward some alternate destination I have not been so polite or inclusive as to have formerly made the GPS aware of, it will begin to inform me rather abruptly that it is recalculating to give me the most efficient directions to return to my original path.
Did you know that as Christ followers we have an awesome GPS inside each and every one of us? Just like the GPS in our cars and on our smartphones it knows exactly where we are at any given time. It knows how far we are from our final destination and it knows when we will arrive there. It also has the ability to alert us when we leave the prescribed route whether we have done that deliberately or in error, and unlike the navigation systems in our cars, is able to gently and lovingly get us back on track.
Psalm 139 1-16 (NKJV) reads; O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high; I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Thankfully these words written by King David...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[I love to travel. To me there isn’t much more comforting than ‘Hitting the road’. I imagine this comes from my upbringing. The Brown family was a bit of a nomadic tribe. To date I have lived in 23 different houses, I have resided in 2 countries and 5 different states, some of them multiple times. In the 2nd grade I lived in 4 different homes, in 2 different states and attended 3 different schools…yeah, we were a tad bit nomadic…but it seemed normal to me. So, I am sure this has had an impact on my feeling comfortable being on the road. As a result, I have visited 34 of the 50 states, the territory of Puerto Rico and have been to 4 different countries. Many of you have travelled even more extensively than I, many of you less, but my travels have indeed made it an experience I thoroughly enjoy.
One of the things I do when I travel is input my destination into a GPS. I don’t do that because I need directions, no, I am a man after all, directions are not necessary…I do this simply so I will know what time I should arrive at my destination. In fact, sometimes I even turn down the volume so as to not be distracted by the voice in the box barking out orders when I purposefully leave the prescribed route. When I do venture off toward some alternate destination I have not been so polite or inclusive as to have formerly made the GPS aware of, it will begin to inform me rather abruptly that it is recalculating to give me the most efficient directions to return to my original path.
Did you know that as Christ followers we have an awesome GPS inside each and every one of us? Just like the GPS in our cars and on our smartphones it knows exactly where we are at any given time. It knows how far we are from our final destination and it knows when we will arrive there. It also has the ability to alert us when we leave the prescribed route whether we have done that deliberately or in error, and unlike the navigation systems in our cars, is able to gently and lovingly get us back on track.
Psalm 139 1-16 (NKJV) reads; O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high; I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Thankfully these words written by King David were not only true for him but are true for us as well. Our God loves us so intensely and immensely that He is always keeping a watch over us and knows where we are at all times. Not just where we are physically, but where we are emotionally and spiritually as well. These verses point out that He knows where we are, what we are doing, and what our thought about it are.  God knows when we get off track too,  and has a plan to help us recalculate. His word tells us in John chapter 17 that when He went back to heaven to prepare our final destination, He was sending us a helper (our internal GPS) to keep us on the right path. He said this helper, His Holy Spirit would let us know when we were deviating from the intended way and would convict us of our wrong doing. In fact, He promises that our internal GPS will help keep us from making the wrong turns in the first place. 
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) says, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. For those times when we still turn off of where we shouldn’t, He gave us the formula for being able to turn around (repentance) and get back on the right way. He stated in 1 John 1:9 that if we would confess our sin, He will be faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. 

Praise God for what a loving and good, good Father He is! Thank Him for the GPS (God’s Protective Spirit) that He has provided for all those who follow Jesus. Welcome His direction for your life and travel it with ease. David ended Psalm 139 with these words inviting the recalculating for his life…Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

So now, traveling with the GPS turned up so you can hear Him and His correction…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/afc37d67634ad06a6f91796e39d75531.mp3" length="5185283" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/afc37d67634ad06a6f91796e39d75531.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-original-gps</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[He Spoke with Authority]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[He Spoke with Authority, Mark 1:21-28 - September 20, 2020

Mark 1 : 21
21Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.

Mark 5 : 22-23
22And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairu...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[He Spoke with Authority, Mark 1:21-28 - September 20, 2020

Mark 1 : 21
21Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.

Mark 5 : 22-23
22And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him,he fell at His feet 23and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death.Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

Acts 13 : 14-16
14But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia,and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.15And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying,“Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”16Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

Acts 14 : 1
1Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 

Acts 17 : 1-4
they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them,and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

Mark 1 : 22-24
22And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

James 2 : 18-19
18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 

Mark 1 : 25-26
25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 

Acts 16 : 16-18
16Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 

Mark 1 : 27-28
27Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[He Spoke with Authority, Mark 1:21-28 - September 20, 2020

Mark 1 : 21
21Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.

Mark 5 : 22-23
22And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him,he fell at His feet 23and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death.Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

Acts 13 : 14-16
14But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia,and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.15And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying,“Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”16Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

Acts 14 : 1
1Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 

Acts 17 : 1-4
they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them,and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

Mark 1 : 22-24
22And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

James 2 : 18-19
18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 

Mark 1 : 25-26
25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 

Acts 16 : 16-18
16Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 

Mark 1 : 27-28
27Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/b51620392fb0dd654afaa78efc747e9f.mp3" length="25877670" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/b51620392fb0dd654afaa78efc747e9f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/he-spoke-with-authority</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[How about some pie?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[How About Some Pie?

My grandfather had a saying that if I heard escape his lips once I undoubtedly heard him say it a hundred times…” I never met a pie I didn’t like”. This simple phrase has held true for me as well…perhaps with the exception of rhubar...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[How About Some Pie?

My grandfather had a saying that if I heard escape his lips once I undoubtedly heard him say it a hundred times…” I never met a pie I didn’t like”. This simple phrase has held true for me as well…perhaps with the exception of rhubarb…in my humble opinion…that doesn’t make the list of good pie.

If pie is so good, and it is. You only have to ask grandpa and I…and millions of others who agree with us. Have you ever wondered why they call it “Humble Pie”? Is it because it is bitter like the one and only example of rhubarb? Or is it instead because it is supposed to be good like every other pie on the planet. I submit to you it is the latter and not the former. “Humble Pie” is not just good, it is very good and turns out that unlike almost any other pie…it is extremely good for you!

Jesus spoke very highly of the benefits of humility. He said in Matt. 18:4 that whoever humbles themselves like a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Luke 18:14 is recorded that Jesus said “and everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.  Jesus reiterated these truths by proclaiming them other ways as well; “The last will be first, and the first last”, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it”. He even shared parables with His disciples about the importance of humility such as which seat to take at a wedding feast (the least prominent one available) and which one to avoid (the most prominent available), explaining that the former was the only choice that allowed for blessing while the latter left too much room for shame. It is clear from these and many other of Christ’s teaching as well as the entirety of His life’s example that humility is held in the highest regard in the Kingdom of God. 

I know that we often think of “Humble Pie” as something we are forced to eat when we have been unable to deliver on our word, and sometimes that is when it is served to us, but not without warning that it was on the menu. God’s word is clear that saying we will do this or that without the condition of it being the Lord’s will is simply a form of pride, because we have precious little control over what we will be able to do in the future. I wish I could count the number of times my mom quoted to me from Proverbs during my teen years when I was acting without humility; “Ken, Pride cometh before the fall”. 

However, when consumed correctly “Humble Pie” is warm and delicious and has many good spiritual health benefits. Proverbs 3:34 says that God gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 29:23 speaks to the fact that a man’s pride will bring him down, but the humble in spirit retain honor. In Philippians chapter 2 Paul writes that if we practice eating “Humble Pie” the way we should, such as not thinking too highly of who we are, and by esteeming others higher than ourselves, we will be imitating Jesus in a most desirable way and it will be evidence that we have the mindset of Christ. James lets us in on a few more of the spiritual health benefits of a nice sized slice of “Humble Pie”. He also writes that God gives grace to the humble, and adds that if you humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, that He will in fact lift you up. Peter echoed those sentiments when He again wrote that God gives grace to the humble and that if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us at the perfect time. Proverbs say...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[How About Some Pie?

My grandfather had a saying that if I heard escape his lips once I undoubtedly heard him say it a hundred times…” I never met a pie I didn’t like”. This simple phrase has held true for me as well…perhaps with the exception of rhubarb…in my humble opinion…that doesn’t make the list of good pie.

If pie is so good, and it is. You only have to ask grandpa and I…and millions of others who agree with us. Have you ever wondered why they call it “Humble Pie”? Is it because it is bitter like the one and only example of rhubarb? Or is it instead because it is supposed to be good like every other pie on the planet. I submit to you it is the latter and not the former. “Humble Pie” is not just good, it is very good and turns out that unlike almost any other pie…it is extremely good for you!

Jesus spoke very highly of the benefits of humility. He said in Matt. 18:4 that whoever humbles themselves like a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Luke 18:14 is recorded that Jesus said “and everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.  Jesus reiterated these truths by proclaiming them other ways as well; “The last will be first, and the first last”, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it”. He even shared parables with His disciples about the importance of humility such as which seat to take at a wedding feast (the least prominent one available) and which one to avoid (the most prominent available), explaining that the former was the only choice that allowed for blessing while the latter left too much room for shame. It is clear from these and many other of Christ’s teaching as well as the entirety of His life’s example that humility is held in the highest regard in the Kingdom of God. 

I know that we often think of “Humble Pie” as something we are forced to eat when we have been unable to deliver on our word, and sometimes that is when it is served to us, but not without warning that it was on the menu. God’s word is clear that saying we will do this or that without the condition of it being the Lord’s will is simply a form of pride, because we have precious little control over what we will be able to do in the future. I wish I could count the number of times my mom quoted to me from Proverbs during my teen years when I was acting without humility; “Ken, Pride cometh before the fall”. 

However, when consumed correctly “Humble Pie” is warm and delicious and has many good spiritual health benefits. Proverbs 3:34 says that God gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 29:23 speaks to the fact that a man’s pride will bring him down, but the humble in spirit retain honor. In Philippians chapter 2 Paul writes that if we practice eating “Humble Pie” the way we should, such as not thinking too highly of who we are, and by esteeming others higher than ourselves, we will be imitating Jesus in a most desirable way and it will be evidence that we have the mindset of Christ. James lets us in on a few more of the spiritual health benefits of a nice sized slice of “Humble Pie”. He also writes that God gives grace to the humble, and adds that if you humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, that He will in fact lift you up. Peter echoed those sentiments when He again wrote that God gives grace to the humble and that if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us at the perfect time. Proverbs says that “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility. 

Humility is the currency in the economy of the kingdom of God. If we want to be rich in the kingdom, then we must allow humility to seep into every area of our lives. Jesus made it clear that we should be storing up treasure in heaven. There is little doubt that this is what He was talking about. How we learn to live here in this life, in this world, will determine our wealth in the next. Make no mistake, I’m not talking about “earning our salvation” …we can’t do that. I’m not suggesting that if we perform enough “good works” we somehow curry the favor of God. What I am saying is that if we live a life of humility…real humility, the kind that permeates every part of our lives, we will look an awful lot like Jesus who undoubtedly has the highest standing as Lord of lords and King of kings. Looking like Him, acting like Him and being connected to Him does matter now and will matter then.  

James the brother of Jesus asked this all important question, and I ask it of you again today. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

I said it before, let me say it again “I never met a pie I didn’t like”. Apple is awesome, sour cherry is scrumptious, pumpkin is pleasingly spicy, …rhubarb is even good if you add strawberries…but humble pie…humble pie is divine!  
 
So now, eating all the humble pie you can consume…go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4e1d2dd4faa985a97a3b8146792dec3c.mp3" length="4326926" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/4e1d2dd4faa985a97a3b8146792dec3c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/how-about-some-pie</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2020 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Totally in the Hands of God]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Message - Pastor Rick Betts Mark 1 : 16-20

Mark 1 : 16
16And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 

Mark 1 : 17
17Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I wil...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Message - Pastor Rick Betts Mark 1 : 16-20

Mark 1 : 16
16And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 

Mark 1 : 17
17Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

John 1 : 35-42
35Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Mark 1 : 19
19When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Matthew 10 : 37-39
37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Luke 14 : 28-30
28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Message - Pastor Rick Betts Mark 1 : 16-20

Mark 1 : 16
16And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 

Mark 1 : 17
17Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

John 1 : 35-42
35Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Mark 1 : 19
19When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Matthew 10 : 37-39
37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Luke 14 : 28-30
28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/d8dd816acabbe1cb1c2a8cb0e715e36b.mp3" length="35500202" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/d8dd816acabbe1cb1c2a8cb0e715e36b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/totally-in-the-hands-of-god</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:01:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Please Pass The Sugar]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Lynn Brown]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Please pass the sugar

Hi this is Lynn Brown! Pastor Ken asked that this week I give you my thoughts on a Thursday, so thanks for joining me! 

As a teacher, the Saturday before Labor Day is the literal calm before the storm. It does look somewhat dif...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Please pass the sugar

Hi this is Lynn Brown! Pastor Ken asked that this week I give you my thoughts on a Thursday, so thanks for joining me! 

As a teacher, the Saturday before Labor Day is the literal calm before the storm. It does look somewhat different this year but as I woke this morning I was no less excited for what is to come, and no less aware that another school year is upon me. I’ll save you the lengthy to-do list that is making its way into every corner of my brain! If you know a teacher, he or she probably needs coffee! 
It was Saturday morning and time for my daily read. Normally, I’m just reading through the Bible and though I’ve done this maybe five times now, there is still more to be gleaned every time I read through it again. 
Over the last couple of months, I have been book hopping in my bible, choosing from the Old Testament and also from the New. Yesterday I finished Romans for the some dozenth time and this morning instead of doing my usual bible roulette, I turned to Pastor Ken and asked him what I should read next. His reply was, “If you want encouragement to start the school year, read Phillipians, it’s the ‘sugar bowl’ of the New Testament.” After chuckling and talking about his analogy for a second, he suggested that I take my time, and not read through it too quickly, rather, reading whatever amount of verses I needed to each day until I felt encouraged by something or discovered something I could ponder for the day. So that’s just what I did. 
I only made it to chapter 1 verse 6, and I know many of you will be familiar with it. Now, Paul wrote this joy-filled book of encouragement from prison and in his letter to the Romans he reminds us our joy comes from the Lord, in spite of the circumstances we face and that joy is the antidote to our fear and anxiety. In my NKJV verse 6 reads: “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” 
First it says we can be confident. 
I don’t always “feel” confident, and I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that - my mind can think, re-think and overthink until I am unsure of myself. Christ did not create us for doubt, he wants us to do what we are able to do, always relying on Him for the rest. “When we are weak, He is strong.” 
Next, it says “He has begun a good work in us.”
This world is full of poor examples, which is not what Christ created us for. The Bible says he created us in his image, and that is good. Remember with every character you meet, that they too, were created in His image, whether they are currently living that out or not. We are all made in His image and have the DNA of our creator. We must live like we are in Him and of Him, and not allow defeated messages to play in our minds, but always remember He has begun a good work in us. 
The verse finishes by saying He will complete what he started; He won’t let us down. This is my favorite pearl in this verse, it simply says to me that the Lord, our creator, redeemer and friend, will never give up on us; He is my author and finisher and isn’t finished with me yet! Again, the world is full of people who give up, who don’t finish what they start, who stop just shy of realizing a goal. Let’s be who God intended us to be, living in full confidence that “He who created a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!” So now, with that confidence, go be awesome!]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Please pass the sugar

Hi this is Lynn Brown! Pastor Ken asked that this week I give you my thoughts on a Thursday, so thanks for joining me! 

As a teacher, the Saturday before Labor Day is the literal calm before the storm. It does look somewhat different this year but as I woke this morning I was no less excited for what is to come, and no less aware that another school year is upon me. I’ll save you the lengthy to-do list that is making its way into every corner of my brain! If you know a teacher, he or she probably needs coffee! 
It was Saturday morning and time for my daily read. Normally, I’m just reading through the Bible and though I’ve done this maybe five times now, there is still more to be gleaned every time I read through it again. 
Over the last couple of months, I have been book hopping in my bible, choosing from the Old Testament and also from the New. Yesterday I finished Romans for the some dozenth time and this morning instead of doing my usual bible roulette, I turned to Pastor Ken and asked him what I should read next. His reply was, “If you want encouragement to start the school year, read Phillipians, it’s the ‘sugar bowl’ of the New Testament.” After chuckling and talking about his analogy for a second, he suggested that I take my time, and not read through it too quickly, rather, reading whatever amount of verses I needed to each day until I felt encouraged by something or discovered something I could ponder for the day. So that’s just what I did. 
I only made it to chapter 1 verse 6, and I know many of you will be familiar with it. Now, Paul wrote this joy-filled book of encouragement from prison and in his letter to the Romans he reminds us our joy comes from the Lord, in spite of the circumstances we face and that joy is the antidote to our fear and anxiety. In my NKJV verse 6 reads: “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” 
First it says we can be confident. 
I don’t always “feel” confident, and I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that - my mind can think, re-think and overthink until I am unsure of myself. Christ did not create us for doubt, he wants us to do what we are able to do, always relying on Him for the rest. “When we are weak, He is strong.” 
Next, it says “He has begun a good work in us.”
This world is full of poor examples, which is not what Christ created us for. The Bible says he created us in his image, and that is good. Remember with every character you meet, that they too, were created in His image, whether they are currently living that out or not. We are all made in His image and have the DNA of our creator. We must live like we are in Him and of Him, and not allow defeated messages to play in our minds, but always remember He has begun a good work in us. 
The verse finishes by saying He will complete what he started; He won’t let us down. This is my favorite pearl in this verse, it simply says to me that the Lord, our creator, redeemer and friend, will never give up on us; He is my author and finisher and isn’t finished with me yet! Again, the world is full of people who give up, who don’t finish what they start, who stop just shy of realizing a goal. Let’s be who God intended us to be, living in full confidence that “He who created a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!” So now, with that confidence, go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/59ba30e634ecfbc601b19c79a94eddd5.mp3" length="3122398" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/59ba30e634ecfbc601b19c79a94eddd5.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/please-pass-the-sugar</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:51</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[From Sorrow to Salvation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3ec7180637e77d03b1df563d02a83fed.mp3" length="28938499" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3ec7180637e77d03b1df563d02a83fed.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/from-sorrow-to-salvation</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Problems...Same Position]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[New Problems…Same Position

Romans 8:38 & 39 (NLT) And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[New Problems…Same Position

Romans 8:38 & 39 (NLT) And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We all face many different problems in life, at times they seem to be really big and other times more manageable. Sometimes we have a solution for them and sometimes we don’t. Of great  concern however, is do we allow those problems to position us? Do we allow them to decide “How we are”? Or as the verses above indicate, has our position already been determined? Will we decide to walk in our predetermined position even in the face of huge unresolved…perhaps even unresolvable difficulty? 

Though the scripture above doesn’t necessarily give us a solution to any particular problem it does give us a viable answer to all of them. When we ask ourselves the question, “What am I going to do now?” the answer can rightly be: “I don’t know yet, but this current crisis won’t separate me from the love of God which is made known to me in my relationship with Christ”! That answer may not do anything to solve the problem, but it will do everything to cement our position. Why is that so important? It is critical in fact because we have an enemy who knows that if he can get us to look at our condition instead of our position he can call into question the goodness of the God we serve. Then he can try to convince us that if God really, really loved us He wouldn’t allow us to go through our particular current trouble. That ploy is designed to kill your joy, steal your peace, and destroy your faith…all three of the plays in his playbook. Resist those considerations…they are lies!

If life has taught me anything it is that our problems aren’t permanent, not only do they change in frequency and severity, but tomorrow will bring along with it another crop of new ones. That being said our problems should never be considered to be our position. These verses clearly illustrate that no matter what the problems may be, where they may come from, or how severe or critical they may seem…they do not determine our position. Our position is determined by the fact that no crisis can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Why does it matter? Practically speaking, the fact is that our emotions are associated with our position, and our decisions are often affected by our emotions. If we want to make beneficial decisions, we have to view a situation from a positive solid position. When our circumstances are tumultuous, that can be highly difficult unless our position in Christ is what we are considering first and foremost.

I will never forget the moment I was diagnosed with cancer almost two years ago, I immediately looked into my wife’s lovely face and declared, “This isn’t going to steal our joy”. To this day I am grateful for the intervening of the Holy Spirit and His wisdom that gave me that answer to such a scary circumstance. It became, and has continued to be our mantra every time this disease rears its ugly head in our lives. When we found out it would require surgery we declared…” This isn’t going to steal our joy” When my recovery from surgery was longer and more difficult than I an...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[New Problems…Same Position

Romans 8:38 & 39 (NLT) And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We all face many different problems in life, at times they seem to be really big and other times more manageable. Sometimes we have a solution for them and sometimes we don’t. Of great  concern however, is do we allow those problems to position us? Do we allow them to decide “How we are”? Or as the verses above indicate, has our position already been determined? Will we decide to walk in our predetermined position even in the face of huge unresolved…perhaps even unresolvable difficulty? 

Though the scripture above doesn’t necessarily give us a solution to any particular problem it does give us a viable answer to all of them. When we ask ourselves the question, “What am I going to do now?” the answer can rightly be: “I don’t know yet, but this current crisis won’t separate me from the love of God which is made known to me in my relationship with Christ”! That answer may not do anything to solve the problem, but it will do everything to cement our position. Why is that so important? It is critical in fact because we have an enemy who knows that if he can get us to look at our condition instead of our position he can call into question the goodness of the God we serve. Then he can try to convince us that if God really, really loved us He wouldn’t allow us to go through our particular current trouble. That ploy is designed to kill your joy, steal your peace, and destroy your faith…all three of the plays in his playbook. Resist those considerations…they are lies!

If life has taught me anything it is that our problems aren’t permanent, not only do they change in frequency and severity, but tomorrow will bring along with it another crop of new ones. That being said our problems should never be considered to be our position. These verses clearly illustrate that no matter what the problems may be, where they may come from, or how severe or critical they may seem…they do not determine our position. Our position is determined by the fact that no crisis can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Why does it matter? Practically speaking, the fact is that our emotions are associated with our position, and our decisions are often affected by our emotions. If we want to make beneficial decisions, we have to view a situation from a positive solid position. When our circumstances are tumultuous, that can be highly difficult unless our position in Christ is what we are considering first and foremost.

I will never forget the moment I was diagnosed with cancer almost two years ago, I immediately looked into my wife’s lovely face and declared, “This isn’t going to steal our joy”. To this day I am grateful for the intervening of the Holy Spirit and His wisdom that gave me that answer to such a scary circumstance. It became, and has continued to be our mantra every time this disease rears its ugly head in our lives. When we found out it would require surgery we declared…” This isn’t going to steal our joy” When my recovery from surgery was longer and more difficult than I anticipated and caused me to wonder if things would ever improve…we declared it again. Later when radiation as well as other treatments became necessary we declared it yet again. Have we been lying to ourselves about the problem? No. We both knew then as we know now, cancer is not good, and is unwelcome, yet is an ongoing part of our story. But has our position changed? No. We are both still immensely and intensely loved by God in Christ Jesus. Has our position made a difference in our outlook, emotions and subsequent decision making ability?  You bet it has!

Scriptures like the one referenced today are critical to Spirit filled, power driven, successful living. Our creator God knows that, and so, gives such direction to us. Jesus said it, “In this world you will have trouble…but take heart I have overcome the world”! One of the ways God lovingly directs us to take heart is by considering first our position, then our problems. I am so thankful for a God who would not create us and let us flounder in the difficulties of life, but rather One who gives us instruction such as this from His word to point us to how we can press forward no matter how big or worrisome the trouble ahead.

 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

So now, recognizing your position, and standing firmly in it…Go be Awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a67c2ba1fe58f85329b5a3336f2e0190.mp3" length="4874080" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a67c2ba1fe58f85329b5a3336f2e0190.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/new-problemssame-position</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Harvest Prayer of Jesus]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Dr. Ed Gross]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Dr. Ed Gross
Mark 9 : 7-8
7And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

John 12...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Dr. Ed Gross
Mark 9 : 7-8
7And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

John 12 : 44-50
44Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Acts 3 : 19-20
19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 

Matthew 9 : 35-38
35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Luke 10 : 1-6
1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Dr. Ed Gross
Mark 9 : 7-8
7And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

John 12 : 44-50
44Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Acts 3 : 19-20
19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 

Matthew 9 : 35-38
35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Luke 10 : 1-6
1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/750483b1d0792ffa1e9c69dfc2ca5342.mp3" length="21986510" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/750483b1d0792ffa1e9c69dfc2ca5342.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-harvest-prayer-of-jesus</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:21</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Power is a two step process]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Power is a two-step process.

Have you ever wished that your spiritual life had more power? Have you ever wanted to speak more boldly of the difference Christ makes in your life? Have you ever desired you were the one giving a ‘Word from the Lord’? Have...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Power is a two-step process.

Have you ever wished that your spiritual life had more power? Have you ever wanted to speak more boldly of the difference Christ makes in your life? Have you ever desired you were the one giving a ‘Word from the Lord’? Have you ever wished you looked more like Christ? Do you wish you were able to minister powerfully like those you see around you or like the people you read about in the Bible? I know I have. I know there have been times in my walk with the Lord when there didn’t seem to be much power. There have been times when I knew someone needed to know what Christ had done for me so they could have hope for their own situations…but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. I recall times when it seemed God was giving me a specific word for someone at a specific time…but reservation of one kind or another kept me quiet. I have many times wondered if Jesus said that I could do the things He did, why can’t I even have a ministry as powerful as some of the other Christians around me?

If Jesus Himself told us, we would do even greater things than He did…and it is recorded for us in John 14:12 that He did in fact say that…what is the problem? Why all the wishes but few the mighty works of the Lord in our individual lives? Where is all the power? 

Power is a two-step process. 

Outside my house are power lines. Through those lines pulse hundreds of volts of electricity. The power company is always replenishing what is being used and there is seemingly and endless supply available, just outside my house…right there in those power lines. If I want some of that power running through my house I have to do something…I have to agree that the power company may connect their lines to my house. I have to ask for the power. When I do, they come and connect the lines that transmit their endless supply to my house and then I may use it as needed. As I use it, and those homes around me use it, the power company replenishes what has been accessed and more power is available all the time. Getting the power into my house is a two-step process. They produce and deliver…I must choose to accept and use their power in my home.

Power is a two-step process

Though not a perfect analogy, it is much the same in our spiritual lives. God produces the power and delivers it to us though His Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 speaks of this very thing when it says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. God gives us through His Holy Spirit the ability to do all the things He wants accomplished in and through our lives. The words to speak (Luke 12:12). A word from the Lord for others in times of need (John 14:26). Love for others that is beyond our own (Romans 5:5) The ability to give wise counsel and explain spiritual truths to others (1 Corinthians 2:13). It is in fact through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we are being transformed and perfected in our walk with Christ. 

What the power of the Holy Spirit can do in and through our lives is only the first step. There is a necessary step two…our agreeance with that power being transmitted through our lives. God has the power…and He wants to give it to us. Luke 11:13 tells us that God is the good father who gives the Holy Spirit…to those who ask! We have to ask for it. Remember in the analogy I used, the power compa...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Power is a two-step process.

Have you ever wished that your spiritual life had more power? Have you ever wanted to speak more boldly of the difference Christ makes in your life? Have you ever desired you were the one giving a ‘Word from the Lord’? Have you ever wished you looked more like Christ? Do you wish you were able to minister powerfully like those you see around you or like the people you read about in the Bible? I know I have. I know there have been times in my walk with the Lord when there didn’t seem to be much power. There have been times when I knew someone needed to know what Christ had done for me so they could have hope for their own situations…but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. I recall times when it seemed God was giving me a specific word for someone at a specific time…but reservation of one kind or another kept me quiet. I have many times wondered if Jesus said that I could do the things He did, why can’t I even have a ministry as powerful as some of the other Christians around me?

If Jesus Himself told us, we would do even greater things than He did…and it is recorded for us in John 14:12 that He did in fact say that…what is the problem? Why all the wishes but few the mighty works of the Lord in our individual lives? Where is all the power? 

Power is a two-step process. 

Outside my house are power lines. Through those lines pulse hundreds of volts of electricity. The power company is always replenishing what is being used and there is seemingly and endless supply available, just outside my house…right there in those power lines. If I want some of that power running through my house I have to do something…I have to agree that the power company may connect their lines to my house. I have to ask for the power. When I do, they come and connect the lines that transmit their endless supply to my house and then I may use it as needed. As I use it, and those homes around me use it, the power company replenishes what has been accessed and more power is available all the time. Getting the power into my house is a two-step process. They produce and deliver…I must choose to accept and use their power in my home.

Power is a two-step process

Though not a perfect analogy, it is much the same in our spiritual lives. God produces the power and delivers it to us though His Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 speaks of this very thing when it says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. God gives us through His Holy Spirit the ability to do all the things He wants accomplished in and through our lives. The words to speak (Luke 12:12). A word from the Lord for others in times of need (John 14:26). Love for others that is beyond our own (Romans 5:5) The ability to give wise counsel and explain spiritual truths to others (1 Corinthians 2:13). It is in fact through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we are being transformed and perfected in our walk with Christ. 

What the power of the Holy Spirit can do in and through our lives is only the first step. There is a necessary step two…our agreeance with that power being transmitted through our lives. God has the power…and He wants to give it to us. Luke 11:13 tells us that God is the good father who gives the Holy Spirit…to those who ask! We have to ask for it. Remember in the analogy I used, the power company produces and delivers…that is step one, I must choose to accept and use the power…that is step two. So asking for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is the first part of step two the second and maybe the more important part of that step is using the power. The electricity from the power company is no good to me if it is simply produced, delivered and accepted…but I never turn on a light. It has to be used…and it is no different with the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:32 states that the Power of the Holy Spirit is given by God to those who obey. In other words, God expects us to complete with our action that which He empowers us by the Holy Spirit to do. God is not wasteful nor inefficient. He gives the power where it will be used. Power is a two-step process…and we are responsible for step two! 

I know I risk sounding as if I am being judgmental, but that is not my heart…I hope instead you will find this to be an encouraging message. Listen…we have all failed at being obedient at times, and as a result the power of the Holy Spirit was not able to be shown in our lives in those instances…but this isn’t about that. This is about the fact that going forward if we will understand that when God prompts us to do those things He wants to accomplish using us, we can move with confidence. He only prods us to action when He has already been working behind the scene…He has been setting up the situation to accomplish His will…all He needs in that moment is our obedience and His power is shown. Obedience is our only responsibility…the results are on Him! So child of God be encouraged, God desires to show His awesome power in your life today! He has the power…He has given you His power through His Holy Spirit…That is step one. You ask for His power by asking to be filled with His Holy Spirit…and then simply obey, that is step two. 

So now, acting in His power through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in your life…Go be Awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/63d47741dd84d2924dae74d05c7c8dc1.mp3" length="9279870" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/63d47741dd84d2924dae74d05c7c8dc1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/power-is-a-two-step-process</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2020 15:26:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:26</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Life is in the Son]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Message: Pastor Rick Betts Mark 1 : 9-11

Mark 1 : 9-11
9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spi...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Message: Pastor Rick Betts Mark 1 : 9-11

Mark 1 : 9-11
9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Mark 1 : 1
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Mark 3 : 11-12
11And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

Mark 5 : 6-7
6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

Mark 9 : 7-8
7And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

Mark 12 : 1-10
1Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. 6Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.
9“Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.

Mark 13 : 32-37
32“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Mark 15 : 39
39So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

I John 3 : 7-8
7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 

I John 5 : 11-13
11And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this l...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Message: Pastor Rick Betts Mark 1 : 9-11

Mark 1 : 9-11
9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Mark 1 : 1
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Mark 3 : 11-12
11And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

Mark 5 : 6-7
6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

Mark 9 : 7-8
7And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

Mark 12 : 1-10
1Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. 6Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.
9“Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.

Mark 13 : 32-37
32“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Mark 15 : 39
39So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

I John 3 : 7-8
7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 

I John 5 : 11-13
11And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c71bbc7c58bfb72e337fbcefef156f54.mp3" length="21928634" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c71bbc7c58bfb72e337fbcefef156f54.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/life-is-in-the-son</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Roadwork Ahead]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Isaiah 40:3-5 New Century Version (NCV) This is the voice of one who calls out: “Prepare in the desert the way for the Lord. Make a straight road in the dry lands for our God. Every valley should be raised up, and every mountain and hill should be made fl...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Isaiah 40:3-5 New Century Version (NCV) This is the voice of one who calls out: “Prepare in the desert the way for the Lord. Make a straight road in the dry lands for our God. Every valley should be raised up, and every mountain and hill should be made flat. The rough ground should be made level, and the rugged ground should be made smooth. Then the glory of the Lord will be shown, and all people together will see it. The Lord himself said these things.”

This past weekend my bride and I traveled to celebrate our 20th anniversary in what we believe to be the most beautiful place on earth...The Blue Ridge Mountains. I like to say it is the very thumbprint of God! We honeymooned in these hills and with the exception of one we have returned every year to spend time here together.

When one goes to the mountains, one cannot avoid driving through the mountains. Our particular destination requires that trek to involve a two-lane state road in Virginia, old Rt 100. We follow it approximately 20 miles from Interstate 81 across, and up into the higher mountains to our cottage outside the sleepy town of Hillsville. Rt 100 is many things but straight and level it is not. It winds around countless curves and rises and falls thousands of feet in the few miles we traverse. It is not an easy path, it would have been better if they would have straightened it and cut out some of the higher hills and filled in some of the lower valleys like they do when they build the interstates. But then they never asked me...   

Today’s scripture choice makes me think of old Rt 100. But God isn’t speaking here of a highway of a topographical nature. These verses aren’t talking about lowering and raising natural hills, but rather about the spiritual landscape of our lives. When we yield our lives completely to the Lord’s will, when we thoroughly place our trust in His direction we allow Him to lower our peaks of pride and over emphasized self-confidence. Then He raises up through confidence in Him the valleys of our fear and doubt. In so doing He builds of our lives, roads that illustrate the ease made by His correction. When we follow His outstretched finger, the twists and turns and doubling back of our fickle-minded wanderings are straightened out, and He causes our lives to begin to resemble one with purpose. Only His influence on the rebuilding of the road is able to not only level and straighten, but also maintain and continually be about the important work of filling in the potholes. He is always working to make the rough road smoother. Why? Because our lives should be a highway. A road fit for The King. Our lives shouldn’t showcase anything more than it does the one who indwells and empowers it. People should be able to recognize by what they see, the One who did the work.

So what about those high places you like to see emphasized, what about those low places you wish didn’t exist? What about those twists and turns and switchbacks that make it look like your life lacks direction? Are you willing to let Him straighten and level out your way? It’ll mean you have to watch those peaks disappear...but so will the valleys. It’ll mean others will say the road looks too straight and lacks interest...but you’ll gain purpose. It is exciting in a whole new way! Maybe your road is already in process of rebuilding, fantastic! Showcase the architect and builder, utilize every opportunity to let others know how the changes have taken place. The work is the Lord’s......]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Isaiah 40:3-5 New Century Version (NCV) This is the voice of one who calls out: “Prepare in the desert the way for the Lord. Make a straight road in the dry lands for our God. Every valley should be raised up, and every mountain and hill should be made flat. The rough ground should be made level, and the rugged ground should be made smooth. Then the glory of the Lord will be shown, and all people together will see it. The Lord himself said these things.”

This past weekend my bride and I traveled to celebrate our 20th anniversary in what we believe to be the most beautiful place on earth...The Blue Ridge Mountains. I like to say it is the very thumbprint of God! We honeymooned in these hills and with the exception of one we have returned every year to spend time here together.

When one goes to the mountains, one cannot avoid driving through the mountains. Our particular destination requires that trek to involve a two-lane state road in Virginia, old Rt 100. We follow it approximately 20 miles from Interstate 81 across, and up into the higher mountains to our cottage outside the sleepy town of Hillsville. Rt 100 is many things but straight and level it is not. It winds around countless curves and rises and falls thousands of feet in the few miles we traverse. It is not an easy path, it would have been better if they would have straightened it and cut out some of the higher hills and filled in some of the lower valleys like they do when they build the interstates. But then they never asked me...   

Today’s scripture choice makes me think of old Rt 100. But God isn’t speaking here of a highway of a topographical nature. These verses aren’t talking about lowering and raising natural hills, but rather about the spiritual landscape of our lives. When we yield our lives completely to the Lord’s will, when we thoroughly place our trust in His direction we allow Him to lower our peaks of pride and over emphasized self-confidence. Then He raises up through confidence in Him the valleys of our fear and doubt. In so doing He builds of our lives, roads that illustrate the ease made by His correction. When we follow His outstretched finger, the twists and turns and doubling back of our fickle-minded wanderings are straightened out, and He causes our lives to begin to resemble one with purpose. Only His influence on the rebuilding of the road is able to not only level and straighten, but also maintain and continually be about the important work of filling in the potholes. He is always working to make the rough road smoother. Why? Because our lives should be a highway. A road fit for The King. Our lives shouldn’t showcase anything more than it does the one who indwells and empowers it. People should be able to recognize by what they see, the One who did the work.

So what about those high places you like to see emphasized, what about those low places you wish didn’t exist? What about those twists and turns and switchbacks that make it look like your life lacks direction? Are you willing to let Him straighten and level out your way? It’ll mean you have to watch those peaks disappear...but so will the valleys. It’ll mean others will say the road looks too straight and lacks interest...but you’ll gain purpose. It is exciting in a whole new way! Maybe your road is already in process of rebuilding, fantastic! Showcase the architect and builder, utilize every opportunity to let others know how the changes have taken place. The work is the Lord’s...He said these things would happen if you were willing.

So now, inviting His road work in your life, go be awesome!
]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/cc77c0f438e16f09be73b78c4909f2f9.mp3" length="3008187" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/cc77c0f438e16f09be73b78c4909f2f9.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/roadwork-ahead</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Count It All Joy]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Andrew Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[James 1 : 2
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

II Timothy 1 : 7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 10 : 23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope wit...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[James 1 : 2
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

II Timothy 1 : 7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 10 : 23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[James 1 : 2
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

II Timothy 1 : 7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 10 : 23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c3a0e1de33884a4fe2fdb8fdd7cfdb9e.mp3" length="21397376" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c3a0e1de33884a4fe2fdb8fdd7cfdb9e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/count-it-all-joy</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>50:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dog Days of Summer]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Psalm 119:131 (NIV) I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.
My wife Lynn and I have a yellow lab, named Della. We have raised her from a pup and although she can frustrate us from time to time, we love her very much. We have always welcomed...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Psalm 119:131 (NIV) I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.
My wife Lynn and I have a yellow lab, named Della. We have raised her from a pup and although she can frustrate us from time to time, we love her very much. We have always welcomed dogs as a part of our family. For those of you who do not, or have not, I don’t condemn you as foolish, but I must say I am sorry you have chosen to deny yourself one of the greatest joys this world has to offer. 
Della pants for my attention seemingly all the time. She stands, wiggling, and panting when she sees me first thing in the morning. She greets me at the door panting for my attention when I arrive back home at the end of the day. She gets up and comes to me and pants for me to pet her head or scratch behind her ear when I am sitting in our living room. When we go for a ride in our van she sits in the seat panting, trying everything possible to position herself to make contact with me while I try to drive. Yes…dogs pant when they are hot, but most of Della’s panting in my direction takes place in a perfectly controlled air conditioned environment. Her actions when she does this don’t say “I’m hot” they say, “I can't live without you, I need you, I appreciate you, I want to be near you” (sometimes too near me). Della loves me, (yes I know dogs aren’t capable of love, well ordinary ones aren’t...but Della is) Della adores me, Della trusts me, and her panting at the prospect of interaction with me shows those things to be true.
Psalm 119:131 indicates that ought to be our reaction to God’s Word. Each day, we should wake up with this thought on our minds, “Lord I can't live without you I need you...I appreciate you...I want to be near you.” We should be excited to get a word from God! Our greatest desire ought to be to race to His Word first thing and devour as much of it as possible! We should be crazy for it, digesting it voraciously, downcast when we have to retire from it until later. Praying continually as we are encouraged by the scripture shouldn’t be anything but pure joy! When we think about the fact that the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ruler of Heavens Armies desires to be in constant communication with us, it should make our hearts skip a beat! It should make us pant for Him.
So during these dog days of summer I want to challenge you to not be lethargic and sleepy on your walk with your sweet, sweet Savior. Get up earlier in the cool of the morning and run into His Word, spend the day with your ears perked listening for all He has to say to you. Open your mouth and pant for Him and listen for his commands, and then enjoy the loving touch of your Master.  
So now, panting for His commands, go be awesome!]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Psalm 119:131 (NIV) I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.
My wife Lynn and I have a yellow lab, named Della. We have raised her from a pup and although she can frustrate us from time to time, we love her very much. We have always welcomed dogs as a part of our family. For those of you who do not, or have not, I don’t condemn you as foolish, but I must say I am sorry you have chosen to deny yourself one of the greatest joys this world has to offer. 
Della pants for my attention seemingly all the time. She stands, wiggling, and panting when she sees me first thing in the morning. She greets me at the door panting for my attention when I arrive back home at the end of the day. She gets up and comes to me and pants for me to pet her head or scratch behind her ear when I am sitting in our living room. When we go for a ride in our van she sits in the seat panting, trying everything possible to position herself to make contact with me while I try to drive. Yes…dogs pant when they are hot, but most of Della’s panting in my direction takes place in a perfectly controlled air conditioned environment. Her actions when she does this don’t say “I’m hot” they say, “I can't live without you, I need you, I appreciate you, I want to be near you” (sometimes too near me). Della loves me, (yes I know dogs aren’t capable of love, well ordinary ones aren’t...but Della is) Della adores me, Della trusts me, and her panting at the prospect of interaction with me shows those things to be true.
Psalm 119:131 indicates that ought to be our reaction to God’s Word. Each day, we should wake up with this thought on our minds, “Lord I can't live without you I need you...I appreciate you...I want to be near you.” We should be excited to get a word from God! Our greatest desire ought to be to race to His Word first thing and devour as much of it as possible! We should be crazy for it, digesting it voraciously, downcast when we have to retire from it until later. Praying continually as we are encouraged by the scripture shouldn’t be anything but pure joy! When we think about the fact that the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ruler of Heavens Armies desires to be in constant communication with us, it should make our hearts skip a beat! It should make us pant for Him.
So during these dog days of summer I want to challenge you to not be lethargic and sleepy on your walk with your sweet, sweet Savior. Get up earlier in the cool of the morning and run into His Word, spend the day with your ears perked listening for all He has to say to you. Open your mouth and pant for Him and listen for his commands, and then enjoy the loving touch of your Master.  
So now, panting for His commands, go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a92dcf5e2113f11053e7bf9758d21a45.mp3" length="4708872" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a92dcf5e2113f11053e7bf9758d21a45.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/dog-days-of-summer</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2020 11:48:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:16</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[20/20 Eyesight]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Message: Pastor Rick Betts - 1 Mark 1-8

Mark 1 : 1-6
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”3“The voice of o...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Message: Pastor Rick Betts - 1 Mark 1-8

Mark 1 : 1-6
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”3“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;Make His paths straight.’ ” 4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

II Kings 1 : 7-8
7Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” 8So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

Malachi 4 : 5-6
5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Luke 1 : 15-17
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Matthew 17 : 10-13
10And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Mark 1 : 7-8
7And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John 1 : 29-34
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Psalms 2 : 7
7“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son,Today I have begotten You.

Isaiah 42:1
1“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him;]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Message: Pastor Rick Betts - 1 Mark 1-8

Mark 1 : 1-6
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”3“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;Make His paths straight.’ ” 4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

II Kings 1 : 7-8
7Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” 8So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

Malachi 4 : 5-6
5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Luke 1 : 15-17
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Matthew 17 : 10-13
10And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Mark 1 : 7-8
7And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John 1 : 29-34
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Psalms 2 : 7
7“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son,Today I have begotten You.

Isaiah 42:1
1“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him;]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9a19f9a84eba04edab4ca3904edf67de.mp3" length="22638798" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/9a19f9a84eba04edab4ca3904edf67de.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/2020-eyesight</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>53:54</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Asking for directions]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3bfc28ab07cd9ae29038c5e51fbfea4e.mp3" length="7241384" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/3bfc28ab07cd9ae29038c5e51fbfea4e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/asking-for-directions</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:45:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>05:01</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Love Holds Us Together]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Scripture from NKJV:
Acts 12 : 11-12
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12So, when he...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Scripture from NKJV:
Acts 12 : 11-12
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 

Acts 12 : 25
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

Acts 13 : 5
5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13 : 13
13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 

Acts 4 : 36-37
36 And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 37having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Colossians 4 : 10
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas

Acts 15 : 36-40
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” 37Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; 40but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 

I Corinthians 9 : 5-6
5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord,and Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 

I Corinthians 13 : 4-5
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 

Philemon 1:23-24
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

Acts 16 : 9-10
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

II Timothy 4 : 11
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 

Colossians 4:10
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 

Mark 10 : 17-22
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” 18So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” 20And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Scripture from NKJV:
Acts 12 : 11-12
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 

Acts 12 : 25
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

Acts 13 : 5
5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13 : 13
13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 

Acts 4 : 36-37
36 And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 37having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Colossians 4 : 10
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas

Acts 15 : 36-40
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” 37Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; 40but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 

I Corinthians 9 : 5-6
5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord,and Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 

I Corinthians 13 : 4-5
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 

Philemon 1:23-24
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

Acts 16 : 9-10
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

II Timothy 4 : 11
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 

Colossians 4:10
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 

Mark 10 : 17-22
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” 18So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” 20And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Mark 14 : 50-52
50 Then they all forsook Him and fled. 51Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Acts 6 : 15
15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

Acts 7 : 57-60
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a  young man named Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/97932b7a5e53b7bf8a1d806141f439a4.mp3" length="24810912" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/97932b7a5e53b7bf8a1d806141f439a4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/love-holds-us-together</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:04</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Windshield vs. The Rearview Mirror]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Windshield vs. the Rearview Mirror
As I was driving this morning on my way into the office I took my eyes off of the road ahead and glanced into the rear view mirror as I have done countless times in the years I have been driving. When I did it remin...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Windshield vs. the Rearview Mirror
As I was driving this morning on my way into the office I took my eyes off of the road ahead and glanced into the rear view mirror as I have done countless times in the years I have been driving. When I did it reminded me of an analogy I often use while counseling.

Inevitably all of us fail from time to time. Some of those failures we are able to dismiss with ease, either we don’t see them as colossal failures or we know in our hearts they were unintentional or perhaps we believe they went unnoticed by others. Whatever the rational, we are able to let some failures roll away like water under the bridge. Others however, we deem to be epic. So large in fact that we can’t seem to let them go no matter how hard we try. 
Enter the analogy…There is a reason the windshield on a car is about five feet wide and three feet tall and the rear view mirror is about eight inches wide and two inches tall. The intended use of each is somewhat proportional to their size. We are supposed to look out the big one far more than we look into the little one. Think how much more dangerous our roadways would be if we did otherwise. One simply cannot safely or effectively drive forward to any destination spending too much time looking back and not enough time looking forward. 

Though you might rightly say I am pointing out the obvious here, it seems that when it comes to our epic failures that so called common knowledge actually isn’t all that common. For most of us, when we experience one of those failures we have a great deal of difficulty leaving it alone. We kick ourselves endlessly about them, we apologize, essentially asking it be forgotten but then we keep digging up the bones. Sometimes we even keep bringing it up to the one we have asked to release us from it. It makes about as much sense as putting the car in drive but staring in the rear view mirror as we try to drive away. We will not be able to safely or effectively move forward if we are constantly looking backward.

Philippians 3:12-14 read as follows in The New Century Version.  I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his.  Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

Paul wrote that staring at our past epic failures…or any of our failures for that matter has one unintended consequence, it keeps us from looking ahead. His solution to that was to forget the past and strain forward. This implies something. It is difficult to look forward with the knowledge of failures in the past, it requires we intentionally focus on what is ahead. Some don’t like the verbiage “forgetting the past”, they think it intimates putting our head in the sand and ignoring the mistakes we have made. That is not what I am eluding to and I don’t believe Paul was either. We should always learn from our failures.  Instead I think what Paul meant was that we can’t let our past mistakes be the focus…they reveal the person we are in the natural. Instead we must make our focus more about who Christ bought us to be and who the indwelling Holy Spirit is transforming us to become. We have to spend far mor...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Windshield vs. the Rearview Mirror
As I was driving this morning on my way into the office I took my eyes off of the road ahead and glanced into the rear view mirror as I have done countless times in the years I have been driving. When I did it reminded me of an analogy I often use while counseling.

Inevitably all of us fail from time to time. Some of those failures we are able to dismiss with ease, either we don’t see them as colossal failures or we know in our hearts they were unintentional or perhaps we believe they went unnoticed by others. Whatever the rational, we are able to let some failures roll away like water under the bridge. Others however, we deem to be epic. So large in fact that we can’t seem to let them go no matter how hard we try. 
Enter the analogy…There is a reason the windshield on a car is about five feet wide and three feet tall and the rear view mirror is about eight inches wide and two inches tall. The intended use of each is somewhat proportional to their size. We are supposed to look out the big one far more than we look into the little one. Think how much more dangerous our roadways would be if we did otherwise. One simply cannot safely or effectively drive forward to any destination spending too much time looking back and not enough time looking forward. 

Though you might rightly say I am pointing out the obvious here, it seems that when it comes to our epic failures that so called common knowledge actually isn’t all that common. For most of us, when we experience one of those failures we have a great deal of difficulty leaving it alone. We kick ourselves endlessly about them, we apologize, essentially asking it be forgotten but then we keep digging up the bones. Sometimes we even keep bringing it up to the one we have asked to release us from it. It makes about as much sense as putting the car in drive but staring in the rear view mirror as we try to drive away. We will not be able to safely or effectively move forward if we are constantly looking backward.

Philippians 3:12-14 read as follows in The New Century Version.  I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his.  Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

Paul wrote that staring at our past epic failures…or any of our failures for that matter has one unintended consequence, it keeps us from looking ahead. His solution to that was to forget the past and strain forward. This implies something. It is difficult to look forward with the knowledge of failures in the past, it requires we intentionally focus on what is ahead. Some don’t like the verbiage “forgetting the past”, they think it intimates putting our head in the sand and ignoring the mistakes we have made. That is not what I am eluding to and I don’t believe Paul was either. We should always learn from our failures.  Instead I think what Paul meant was that we can’t let our past mistakes be the focus…they reveal the person we are in the natural. Instead we must make our focus more about who Christ bought us to be and who the indwelling Holy Spirit is transforming us to become. We have to spend far more time looking out of the windshield instead of into the rearview mirror if we are going to reach the goal. Remember…you have to watch where you are going or you’ll end up going where you are watching.

So now…go be awesome! ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/416ec0a758ad60d529fafb2fb9945ab2.mp3" length="3021843" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/416ec0a758ad60d529fafb2fb9945ab2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/the-windshield-vs-the-rearview-mirror</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2020 13:57:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:58</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[God Gives Grace]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:8-11]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:8-11]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:8-11]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/81d26bff9c56e93cac8dabc7928b3bad.mp3" length="24886498" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/81d26bff9c56e93cac8dabc7928b3bad.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/god-gives-grace</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:15</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ministry of Reconcilliation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Ken Brown Jr]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[I’ll never forget when God called me into the ministry. I was 18 years old, freshly graduated from high school and the call was clear. God impressed upon my heart in an undeniable yet indescribable way that He wanted me to go to college, get my degree in...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[I’ll never forget when God called me into the ministry. I was 18 years old, freshly graduated from high school and the call was clear. God impressed upon my heart in an undeniable yet indescribable way that He wanted me to go to college, get my degree in Christian counseling and spend my life ministering to those who were hurting spiritually and emotionally. I will also never forget when He impressed upon my heart that the unanswered call was in fact disobedience, but that He was calling again and desired to know what I would do this time. The second call came 25 years after the first. I was determined that I would not be disobedient again, this time I would do everything in my power to make sure I answered the call. Nothing was going to stand in my way. This time I would watch where I was going, and not end up going where I was watching. It’s a long story, but to be brief, after going back to school and graduating, I soon found myself ministering here at Crossroad Community Church. I am now, and will be forever grateful that God saw fit to give me another opportunity to be obedient to His call on my life. 

As a pastor, counselor, and simply a Christ follower, I look around at all of the strife and difficulty our nation is going through right now and I wonder what can be done. What can be done to turn all of this around? What can be done to take such a splintered and fractured people and bring them to a place of healing and comfort, from such dysfunction and pain? As a pastor and counselor, I don’t really have a good inroad to be of great help, my sphere of influence in the arena is very small. However, as a part of a much larger group, a Christ follower, there my sphere of influence if overlapped by yours and the others of our church, and the churches of our community, of our state, of our nation, there you and I and all of the other Christ followers have great influence across the land. So what should we to do? 
Say yes to the ministry God has called you to.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NLT) Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We have all been called to the ministry of reconciliation. What does that mean? Simply put, it means we are all called to live our lives in such a way, and to treat others in such a way that the love of God for them is made evident in undeniable terms. Think about it, what made you desire a relationship with Christ if ultimately it wasn’t His love for you? If that was what drew you to Him, it is what will draw others to Him. Loving others with His love is what you can do…and are called to do to reconcile others to God. 

So, what might happen in our local communities if you and I took our ministry of reconciliation seriously? What might the result...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[I’ll never forget when God called me into the ministry. I was 18 years old, freshly graduated from high school and the call was clear. God impressed upon my heart in an undeniable yet indescribable way that He wanted me to go to college, get my degree in Christian counseling and spend my life ministering to those who were hurting spiritually and emotionally. I will also never forget when He impressed upon my heart that the unanswered call was in fact disobedience, but that He was calling again and desired to know what I would do this time. The second call came 25 years after the first. I was determined that I would not be disobedient again, this time I would do everything in my power to make sure I answered the call. Nothing was going to stand in my way. This time I would watch where I was going, and not end up going where I was watching. It’s a long story, but to be brief, after going back to school and graduating, I soon found myself ministering here at Crossroad Community Church. I am now, and will be forever grateful that God saw fit to give me another opportunity to be obedient to His call on my life. 

As a pastor, counselor, and simply a Christ follower, I look around at all of the strife and difficulty our nation is going through right now and I wonder what can be done. What can be done to turn all of this around? What can be done to take such a splintered and fractured people and bring them to a place of healing and comfort, from such dysfunction and pain? As a pastor and counselor, I don’t really have a good inroad to be of great help, my sphere of influence in the arena is very small. However, as a part of a much larger group, a Christ follower, there my sphere of influence if overlapped by yours and the others of our church, and the churches of our community, of our state, of our nation, there you and I and all of the other Christ followers have great influence across the land. So what should we to do? 
Say yes to the ministry God has called you to.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NLT) Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We have all been called to the ministry of reconciliation. What does that mean? Simply put, it means we are all called to live our lives in such a way, and to treat others in such a way that the love of God for them is made evident in undeniable terms. Think about it, what made you desire a relationship with Christ if ultimately it wasn’t His love for you? If that was what drew you to Him, it is what will draw others to Him. Loving others with His love is what you can do…and are called to do to reconcile others to God. 

So, what might happen in our local communities if you and I took our ministry of reconciliation seriously? What might the results be if we stopped espousing every thought we have on one subject or another and simply tried to learn to truly love the people on both sides of the issue. Not only with thoughts and prayers, but with loving words and actions, valuing and trying to understand the way others feel even if we don’t happen to agree. What would happen in our county, our state, our nation if every Christ follower took their God given ministry to love others as seriously as they take their own thoughts and opinions? We can choose to not answer the call as I did so many years ago…but ultimately that is simply disobedience. Jesus said, “If you love me you will follow my commands” and “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 

So now go be awesome!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7071953dc7ce3703e172a3d0ee9933b0.mp3" length="4024420" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/7071953dc7ce3703e172a3d0ee9933b0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/ministry-of-reconcilliation</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2020 10:55:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>04:38</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pursue The Light]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:5-8]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:5-8]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:5-8]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0a22cc37f9fd9e16d69573c05eecb77d.mp3" length="24055668" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0a22cc37f9fd9e16d69573c05eecb77d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/pursue-the-light</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>57:17</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Keep Pressing In]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:1-4]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:1-4]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[1 Peter 5:1-4]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c98aae63d083b0ea8450f2df49819ae1.mp3" length="22174698" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/c98aae63d083b0ea8450f2df49819ae1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/keep-pressing-in</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>52:48</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[What Does Freedom]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a8c41f0ea803625a0d8483b07fab50c4.mp3" length="20138846" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/a8c41f0ea803625a0d8483b07fab50c4.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/what-does-freedom</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2020 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>47:57</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Father's Day 2020]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts, Harold Betts, Luis Chavez]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Sermon from Crossroad Community Church]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f2dded0cdf17a116e85de91544a9f2f0.mp3" length="18059860" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f2dded0cdf17a116e85de91544a9f2f0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/fathers-day-2020</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>43:00</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pursue the Will of God]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[1 Peter 4:1-6]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[1 Peter 4:1-6]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[1 Peter 4:1-6]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0ed1bf41743da6f0595eaf7630549be2.mp3" length="24944163" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/0ed1bf41743da6f0595eaf7630549be2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/pursue-the-will-of-god</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 2020 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>59:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Is the Windshield Dirty]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[1 Peter 3:8-17]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[1 Peter 3:8-17]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[1 Peter 3:8-17]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e164648fa5555404b7dd7eb239d7f0a2.mp3" length="24687936" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/e164648fa5555404b7dd7eb239d7f0a2.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/is-the-windshield-dirty</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Feb 2020 11:14:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>58:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Brotherly Love]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Pastor Rick Betts]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[1 Peter 3:8-9]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[1 Peter 3:8-9]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[1 Peter 3:8-9]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/c4afc333c61acc33ce415c8f0a768b20.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/f69e61616b5ff00377ea3600f0e00902.mp3" length="23357698" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://www.podpoint.com/download/f69e61616b5ff00377ea3600f0e00902.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://www.podpoint.com/crossroad-community-church/brotherly-love</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:59:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>55:37</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
						</channel>
</rss>
