We all find ourselves at different places in life. And with each situation, we are provided a unique perspective. Whether it’s Daniel in the pit of a lions’ den, or Queen Esther sitting on her throne, or Zacchaeus who climbed a tree to see Jesus – the places we find ourselves have the potential of providing clarity for life and a greater appreciation of God. Wherever you find yourself, don’t overlook your place in life. And don’t miss what God is doing. Your current Vantage Point may be what He’s using to provide you with a fresh perspective.

We’ve all been given ONE.life.  The question is:  What will we do with it?  Will we live it for ourselves?  Or will we live it for the ONE who gave His life for us?  Discover the new life that Jesus has saved us for – a life we now have in Him – and the shape it’s meant to take in the world around us.  He is risen.  He is risen indeed.

April 8 – NEW.life

April 15 – KINGDOM.life

April 22 – WISDOM.life

April 29 – CHURCH.life

We’ve each been given one life.  The question is:  What will we do with it?  Will we live it for ourselves?  Or will we live it for the One who gave His all for us?  This Easter let’s share the Good News of life and love with the community around us.  Together let’s make the most of the opportunities we’ve been given to partner with God in making a difference in the lives of others.

And here’s how:  Consider who you can personally invite.  It’s been said that the number one reason people attend church is because a friend or family member invited them.  What this means is that you have the opportunity to be a part of changing someone’s life by inviting them to church.  And what better time than this Easter!

Invite someone to join you on Saturday, April 7, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM for our community wide Easter Egg Hunt at Appaloosa Park (5575 S. De Gaulle St., Aurora, CO 80016).  There will be games and food and an appearance from the Easter Bunny.  Best of all:  It’s all FREE for the community!  Then on Sunday, April 8, invite someone to join you as we come together at 9:3o AM for Easter Worship at the Southlands Movie Theater.  And let’s be praying that God does something amazing again this Easter!

As we all know, these are difficult times.  Daily disease claims thousands of lives.  Across the globe millions are hungry for food and thirsty for clean drinking water.  Even in our own country people are faced with the ramifications of recession.  People everywhere are hurting.  Lives are broken.

But what can we do?

Don’t miss the opportunity we’ve been given to make a difference in the lives of others.  Yes we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ.  But we were created, being made new in Christ Jesus, to do good works – to outlive our life.

What are you waiting for?

Join us this Lent as we partner with God in bringing hope to the world, intersecting life & the love of Jesus.

Within the pages of the Bible is contained the definition of God’s love.  Chapter after chapter, verse by verse, we discover that God’s love is unlike any other.  His love is a pursuing love, one that is willing to lay down its life for a friend.  Without a beginning or an end it is said to be unconditional.  Radical in nature, God’s love is intended to reach out even to one’s enemies.  Encounter it and you will never be the same.  For God’s love transforms.  It heals brokenness and forgives mistakes.  God’s love – is like no other.

When’s the last time you experienced it?  When’s the last time you demonstrated it?  When it comes to God’s love, don’t just define it.  Live it.  Because a defined love is a lived love!

In the New Year people often make resolutions.  They identify things they want to change about their life, things they want to do differently.  Well, at Cross of Christ, we are making a resolution.  And it is to “Walk by FAITH” in the New Year.

FAITH, n., 1. confidence or trust in a person or thing, 2. belief that is not based on proof, 3. belief in God.

Walking by FAITH, v., 1. Faithfully pursuing Christ, Scripture, prayer, and worship on a consistent basis, 2. being Available, willing to give a necessary portion of time, talents, and treasures to be invested in others, 3. Intentionally building purposeful and meaningful relationships with others, being vulnerable and accountable, 4. having a Teachable spirit, responding to training and correction with an open heart, willing to be transformed, 5. demonstrating Hospitality, being welcoming, kind, and generous to others, both of the faith and not of the faith.

Join us as we learn more about what it means to “Walk by FAITH” in the New Year!

Whether or not we’ve played the part in the Christmas pageant, I think for most of us, the Christmas story is a familiar one.  But is that all it is?  For you, has the Christmas story become just that?  A story?  Or is it more than that?  We’re told that when Jesus was born, the Author entered His own story.  He stepped into the page, bringing with Him the story of heaven.  It’s why this is more than a Christmas story.  This is His story.  And as the Author of heaven and earth, He wants it to be our story.  Your story.  You see, God knows that when Christianity becomes something other than entering into and living the story of God, it becomes something other than Christianity.  It’s why the question we need to be asking ourselves is:  Which story are we living?  Is it His story?  Or our story?  Keep in mind that they’re not meant to be two separate stories.  God’s plan – His purpose – is that they be one, single story.  His story is meant to be your story.  Just as your story is meant to be His story. 

In the month of December you have multiple ways to be living out this story.  You can bring joy to kids new to foster care as we partner with Lutheran Family Services, providing gifts to children in foster care through the Angel Tree Project.  For more information please contact Monique Hjalmquist by email at kjnmaja@gmail.com or by phone at 720-425-9867.

You can live out the Christmas story by helping our kids provide others with clean drinking water.  On Sunday, December 11 our kids will be learning about Living Water in Kids’ Church as part of their Working With Hands lesson.  You can help them provide clean drinking water for others through The Water Project.  Simply be on the look for jugs on Sunday mornings to put your loose change in as we work our way toward buying a well.  To learn more, or to lend a helping hand, please contact Laura Felix by email at laura.felix@comcast.net or by phone at 720-374-1290.

You can also live out the Christmas story by gifting the elderly.  Help us bring smiles to the faces of Alzheimers’ residents.  On Friday, December 16, at 6:30 PM we will join some Daises to brighten their day and deliver small gifts.  Please donate: stationary, pens, stamps, lip balm, hand cream, body wash, scenery poster, lap quilt, large print calendar, or a large print word search.  For more information please contact Trudi Lappe by email at trudilappe@yahoo.com or by phone at 303-335-8995.

And you can live out the Christmas story by serving the homeless.  We will be partnering with THE NET, an outreach to the homeless, on Sunday, December 18 from 12:30-4:00 PM.  We could use men’s coats (new or gently used).  For more information please contact Laura Felix by email at laura.felix@comcast.net or by phone at 720-374-1290.

Also, plan on inviting your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to join us for Christmas Eve worship, Saturday, December 24, at 7:00 PM at the Southlands AMC Movie Theater.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords.  His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who alone does mighty miracles.  His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who made the heavens so skillfully.  His faithful love endures forever. He remembered us in our weakness.  His faithful love endures forever. He saved us from our enemies.  His faithful love endures forever. He gives food to every living thing.  His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven.  His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1-5, 23-26 NLT

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Our teaching series for November is called Facing the Giants. It focuses on the story recorded for us in Numbers 13 & 14.  God had promised His people a land flowing with milk and honey.  When it came time to enter the land Moses sent twelve men to sneak into Canaan, check it out, and report back.  All twelve confirmed that it was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey and clusters of grapes so big it took two of them to carry it.  With news like that you might expect that the people would want to pack up and move in.  But only two men – Joshua and Caleb – agreed.  As for the other ten, all they could focus on were the giants – big, tall, scary looking giants.

What’s your giant?  We all have them.  Is it grief?  Depression?  Abandonment?  Unemployment?  Do you feel like a grasshopper standing next to your giant?  And is your giant keeping you from living the life God has planned for you?

Don’t you want to know what Joshua and Caleb saw that the others didn’t.  Because they saw the giants too.  And, yet, they weren’t afraid.  Why not?  Could it be that they saw more?  Could it be that instead of having a giant-focus they had a God-focus?  What are you looking at?  Who are you listening to?

Giants.

We all face them.  Yet we need not face them alone.