Dear Friends and Guests, Happy Father’s Day! I pray that today is the beginning of a renewed relationship between fathers and sons. If you want to know what an amazing father looks like then I encourage you to open your Bible and begin to read about our Father in heaven. He loves you and wants to have a meaningful and loving relationship with you today! Sincerely, Greg and Tamara Dumas Lead Pastor
Crossing Kids
June Monthly Focus: “Presence - When I spend time with God I will be different.” Have you ever felt unequipped for a situation? In the month of June, Breakaway will look at the vision principle, “Presence” and see how when we spend time with God we are ready to handle any situation. The kids will learn about the Armor of God, The Widow at Zarephath, relying on the Holy Spirit and obeying the Father.
Want to make a difference?
You can greatly impact the lives of students this summer by providing a scholarship. The cost of camp is $250, and we need thirty scholarships in time for Overflow Summer Camp August 8-11. We want to see this generation overflowing with God’s power!
Interested in Volunteering? www.crossingonline.org/serve Want to join a LifeGroup? visit a leader in the 26.2 Café Office Hours Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5pm
So how can you give to Overflow? Simply put a note on your check that says, “Overflow Summer Camp” or stop by the church office Monday-Wednesday from 9-4, and drop it off with Brandy Crampton, Emerge’s administrative assistant. You can make a difference in this generation!
Reverb Reverb is looking forward to seeing you at our next Late Night Event. It will be held on June 19th in the Next Gen Student Center following the 7pm service. There will be amazing food and lots of fun, so come see us and bring a friend.
Promotion Weekend is Coming! It’s almost time for your child or student to move up in his or her class or small group at The Crossing Church. Promotion weekend is July 10-11. Go to crossingonline.org for further information.
Volunteers Needed We need volunteers to help with our First Wednesday services each month with our elementary aged children (kindergarten through 5th grade). If you love kids and want to be a part of Crossing Kids’ exciting First Wednesday service, please contact Kim Gore at kgore@crossingonline.org.
Job Opportunities at The Crossing We have a full-time job opportunity at The Crossing Church: Bookkeeper. Previous experience is required. Email resumes to icewing@crossingonline.org.
KP3 Academy We at The Crossing Church are intensely Kingdom focused, fervently Praying, compassionately loving People, and relentlessly pursuing God’s Presence. KP3 Academy’s part of this vision is raising, training and empowering each new generation of leaders. KP3 Academy is two years that will challenge you mentally, emotionally, intellectually, physically and definitely spiritually! Enrollment is now open. For more information check out http://www.crossingonline.org/kp3.
Reverb Presents: SoulFunny Comedy for Cause Tour. Friday night, July 2nd in the Next Gen Student Center, we will be hosting a Christian comedy night that is sure to entertain. Doors will open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are on sale in the church office. For more information contact Mallory Brown at mbrown@crossingonline.org or (813)6260783, or you can view the website at http://soulfunny.com/Tampa-Show.html.
The 26.2 Spiritual Race is intricately designed with you in mind! Through the different 26.2 Experiences, you can learn more about The Crossing and its leadership, become involved in a LifeGroup, and understand more about your spiritual gifts. We encourage everyone to join in the race. Register for all the 26.2 Experiences at: www.crossingonline.org. The next experience dates are: • Mile One: • Warm Up:
June 26, registration closes June 20 August 22, registration closes August 15
For more announcements: www.crossingonline.org/announcements
Saturday, June 19 Sunday, June 20
WELCOME TO THE
CROSSING CHURCH
FATHER’S DAY Ephesians 5:1-2 Matthew 11:28-30 1 John 4:8
Lead Pastor: Greg Dumas
SCRIPTURE Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 1
OBSERVATION • • • •
Christ grants all who would receive Him the right to become God’s children. We are adopted into God’s Holy family through the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. The formation of basic faith and the practice of strengthening family bonds are paramount for the new believer. Early foundations include these Biblical concepts: 1. The adoption of God 2. The identity of the believer in Christ 3. The Fathering process of God 4. The gifts of God’s grace 5. The strengthening of family bonds within the church 6. The role of the Church as the extended family of God
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APPLICATION 1. Take the Leap (Hebrews 11:1, 6; Proverbs 3:5; Isaiah 55:8) Faith: The belief in the facts and truth of the Scriptures, with a practical love of them; especially, that confiding and affectionate belief in the person and work of Christ, which affects the character and life, and makes a man a true Christian, -- called a practical, evangelical, or saving faith. [Websters] Trust: Assured resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship, or other sound principle, of another person; confidence; reliance; reliance. Credit given; especially, delivery of property or merchandise in reliance upon future payment; exchange without immediate receipt of an equivalent; as, to sell or buy goods on trust. Assured anticipation; dependence upon something future or contingent, as if present or actual; hope; belief. [Websters]
2. Learn of Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 4:8) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER Lord, thank you for making man in your image. We want to learn how to love, it’s your nature, and it’s who you are. Now that Christ has set us free and granted us access to you we want to imitate your actions and know your heart. Thank you for loving us first, while we were yet in sin and far from your truth (Rom 5:8). We will learn of you and receive from you your gracious love. We will be your hands and feet here on earth to show a hurting world that they can come home to a father and family that truly live a life of love. Your love, it is extravagant, your friendship, it is intimate. How could you love us so much, how could you sacrifice so much? We will gladly serve you by being lovers in your nature for your purpose on the earth.
LIFEGROUPS Use the following as a resource for your LifeGroup to go deeper with this week’s message. We hope this helps you as you “do life together”.
Opener: Everyone take turns discussing how you, your children or someone you know, are “imitators” of (look and act like) their earthly father or mother. How are their looks the same? What mannerisms do they have in common? How are their speech patterns similar? What else would define them as imitators of their parents? Digging Deeper: Pastor Greg encouraged all of us, in his sermon this week, to be imitators of God. In this context to be an imitator means: to seek to follow the example of; take as one’s model or pattern; to act the same as yourdictionary.com. As a group, discuss and find Scriptures on what it means to be imitators of God in the following areas. (We’ve provided one scripture in each area to help you get started) 1.
Speech: James 1:19
2. Mannerisms and actions: Matthew 5:39 3. Prayer: Luke 6:12 4. Love: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Application: Discuss with the group some specific ways that you will imitate God this week. Write down the ideas and turn at least one into the leader. The leader will bring out the list next week and ask for stories on people being imitators of God. Leaders - to close the evening pray specifically for the group before dismissing for everyone to be empowered to be imitators of God. Some areas to be imitators this week are: Give—Serve—Pray— Love--Forgive.