WELCOME Welcome to The Crossing Church! We are beginning a new teaching series entitled, “The Nehemiah Project.� Nehemiah was one of the greatest leaders in the Bible. God gifted him to mobilize his people to repair the fallen walls that was surrounding Jerusalem. It took courage, determination, resourcefulness and godly wisdom. I believe that we will be able to learn and apply many of these principles to our own lives. I pray that as you join us this weekend you will leave a changed person! Your Pastor, Greg and Tamara Dumas Pastor Greg & Tamara Dumas Lead Pastor
UPCOMING EVENTS Emerge JV to “POUR” into Area Missions Crossing students are invited to serve in several different missions areas like Everyday Blessings, nursing homes, and more on Saturday, Dec. 18 from 10am to 4pm. This is for Emerge JV students only (6th-12th grade). The cost is FREE. Please bring a packed lunch, and drinks will be provided. Students can stay after missions for Emerge JV. If you have questions, please contact Pastor Tom at tfox@crossingonline.org.
Student Baptism Service We will be doing a baptism for Emerge JV students on Saturday, Dec. 4 during the 7pm service. We ask that you attend one of the baptism classes being offered either Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7:15pm or Saturday, Dec. 27 at 7:15pm. Students must attend one of these classes before the baptism. We will be meeting during the LifeGroup time in the cafe (Student Center). Parents who would like further student baptism information can find specific info at www.crossingonline.org/for-parents. If there are any other questions, please feel free to email Pastor Tom at tfox@crossingonline.org.
Serving If you are interested in serving as a parker, cart driver, greeter, or usher during one of our Christmas Eve Services, please plan on attending a brief meeting at 11am on Saturday, Nov. 20. Please contact Chad Hall via email at chall@crossingonline.org with further questions.
Help Feed Families for the Holidays! Nov. 20-21 bring $10 and help feed a family for the holidays. Publix will be in the lobby selling food bags that we will deliver to local ministries and families. Help make the holidays a brighter time for those in need.
Holiday Help Check out the table in the lobby today to see how you, your LifeGroup, and your neighbors can volunteer to serve at an agency or donate needed items this holiday season. You can also go to www.crossingonline.org/missions “How to Serve in Missions” to search and adopt needs.
The 26.2 Discipleship Process is an 18-week process that will help you discover and apply biblical truths in your everyday life and learn how God has designed you to connect, serve, grow, give, and reach. We encourage everyone to join in the race. Register for the 26.2 Discipleship Process at: www.crossingonline.org/262DP.
For more announcement details: www.crossingonline.org/announcements
Saturday, November 13 Sunday, November 14
WELCOME TO THE
CROSSING CHURCH
Nehemiah Project The Will to Give Ezra 1:5-6, 2:68-69; Nehemiah 2:17-20
Lead Pastor: Greg Dumas
SCRIPTURE
Ezra 1:5-6 (NIV)
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites – everyone whose heart God had moved – prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. 5
Ezra 2:68-69 (NASB77) And some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas, and 5,000 silver minas, and 100 priestly garments. 68
Ezra 2:68-69 (NASB77) Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me, and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.” 17
OBSERVATION • • •
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The Lord wants us to bring him our offerings. Every offering in God’s economy is to be either sacrificed or redeemed at the altar. The first portion of all we have is holy to the Lord. The firstborn and the first fruits are symbolic firsts to be offered to the Lord, who is to be honored and respected as first in our lives. Furthermore, the first portion of that which is first is to be set-aside for the Lord to add emphasis to His being first in our lives. We are to bring the whole tithe (tenth portion of all we have) into the house of the Lord (church) on the first day of the week. We are to give generously to the Lord and not withhold the tithe so that the blessing of God and the grace of God will rest on every area of our lives. God only says to TEST one place in the Bible, (Mal 3:8-9) and it’s in regard to money. He is always faithful to be our source. An offering is to be freely given (freewill offering) as something beyond (in addition to) the tithe, and is generally requested for the work of the Lord’s directing.
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APPLICATION 1. The Principle: Sacrificed or Redeemed Exodus 13:2, 12-13; John 1:29; Romans 5:8, 8:29 2. The Principle: First Fruits Matthew 16:25 a. The First of the First Fruits Exodus 23:19; Proverbs 3:9-10 3. The Principle: The Tithe Leviticus 27:30; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Malachi 3:8-9; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
4. The Principle: The Offering Ex 35:29, 36:4-7; Lev 23:38
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PRAYER Lord, help me to be faithful to you. You are asking me for my best in every area of my life. I have been reticent in the past to give you my finances. It’s still a little scary and I don’t want to be foolish. I am learning the truth and I am learning to trust you. I am learning to trust your word, and I am willing to live by your instructions. I trust the fact that you said you would bless me and multiply my gifts to you. Your blessing is my desire, and I am seeking to fulfill my vows to you. I am offering my body to you as a willing sacrifice – holy and pleasing to you. I know that this is my spiritual act of worship and that you want me to experience the transformation of my mind in relation to your good, pleasing and perfect will for my life. I don’t want to be conformed any longer to the teachings of the world. I trust you to begin tithing from my income. I trust you as I give my offerings as well. This is your spiritual house, and I know that I am a vital part of making it holy and healthy. Thank you for giving me a place to belong. Thank you for giving me a place to learn and grow in the grace of your love. I trust you!
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: How do you think your view of the church is different from your grandparents? When was the last time you felt there was something you “just had to do”? What’s something you have rebuilt, restored, refinished, or fixed up? Digging Deeper : We learned this weekend that Nehemiah was a man of action and when problems would arise, he took the responsibility to see resolution. What is it that moves your heart to compassion and concern? What stirs you to action? Recognize that God has given you that passion for a reason. Perhaps he wants you to do something about it! After hearing the message this weekend, have you heard the stirring of God say, “I need you to do more in the area of giving?” If so, remember that God wants to bless the giver and everything He puts his hand to and, additionally, He will protect the giver from the effects of the enemy. Let this be an encouragement for you to respond as God has commanded. This is may be difficult to do, but share with your group one reason why it is difficult to be faithful in tithing. Maybe you say to yourself: “Yeah, I want to do more, but I’m not sure what that looks like”. When Nehemiah was waiting on the Lord, he continued to do the job that he had, and he did it well. When we are waiting on the Lord, we need to continue to serve in the spot where He has us. Are you serving faithfully in some area in the church? Stay and be faithful to where He has placed you. When this happens, God will respond to your faithfulness. Application: In Luke 16:11 Jesus makes an amazing statement: “If you cannot be trusted with worldly wealth, how can God trust you with true riches?” Jesus makes it plain that there is a connection between how we spend our money on earth and how we will spend eternity. That puts a whole different spin on spending. Personally, I would rather have nine out of every 10 bucks with God’s blessing, than 10 out of every 10 without God’s blessing. Would you? There are only two times the phrase “floodgates of heaven” are used in the Bible. The first time was before it had ever rained, and Noah had built a boat in preparation for a flood. The second time is in Malachi 3:10 in reference to blessings being poured out on those who tithe. If you are a tither, do you feel like sometimes God has not exactly opened the “floodgates of heaven” on you after a lifetime of tithing? Certainly in comparison with 95 percent of the world, I live in great wealth. Who knows what your life would be like without God’s blessing? Maybe you need to ask God to reveal how the “floodgates” have changed your life, or maybe you need to start tithing if you want to experience the “floodgates of heaven.” Let’s make a commitment as a LifeGroup that whatever God asks us to do, we will do it and remain faithful in it so that we will receive what is promised to us.