theCrossroads UPC

Prayer on Saturday mornings is how we come together to prepare for our weekends. We can plan and prepare, but first, PRAYER!Rejoice (one minute) – praise God for what He has done, is doing, and is getting ready to do in world revival.Review (five minutes) – read books, magazines, other literature and most of all the scriptures to learn all you can about the nature of revival, its impact on missions and its current manifestation around the world. What is discovered during these five minutes helps create more meaning for what you do with the other ten minutes.Repent (one minute) – take time each day to confess to God on your behalf, and on behalf of the whole church, the specific ways in which we are hindering world revival.Resist (one minute) – target in prayer those points where Satan is attempting to undermine the life and the mission of the church, so as to diminish the potential for local and world revival.Request (five minutes) – drawing from the vast reservoir of Biblical promises, intercede for full revival in the church – both your own and in other nations.Recommit (one minute) – reflect on all that you have learned from the Lord and all that you have said to Him, and commit yourself back to Him to be used in answer to your prayers, whatever the cost. Also, recommit to set the pace for others to pray with you in the same direction.Record (one minute) – keep a journal to record whatever you sense God has said to you as a result of the previous fourteen minutes. What new understandings has He given you of revival? What new directions has He given for prayer? What new steps of obedience has He called you to take as a result of praying? How has He encouraged you to set the pace for others? Over a period of time, this journal will provide tremendous encouragement, not only about your praying but about how God is working in response to your prayers.Connect with Us: https://flow.page/thecrossrdsStreaming License # CCLI: CSPL043706

Tonight we discuss the part of John 3:5 that says we must be born of water in order to enter the kingdom of God!

Join us today for an exciting lesson about the promise to Simeon that He would see the Messiah before he died. God's promises always come true even if it takes a while!

Prayer on Saturday mornings is how we come together to prepare for our weekends. We can plan and prepare, but first, PRAYER!Praying Through The Tabernacle Plan(Heaven to Earth: The Tabernacle Today)THE TABERNACLEIn Exodus, Chapters 25-31, God gave detailed instructions to Moses on Mt. Sinai for building the Tabernacle to house His presence. The Tabernacle was a tent-like structure inside a rectangular courtyard, facing East, surrounded by a fence made of pillars and linen hangings, and covered as area 45’ long, and 15’ wide, with a 15’ high covering.In the outer courtyard were the brazen alter nearest the entrance, and the laver of water. Inside the tent were the Holy Place (housing the candlestick, the table of shewbread, and the golden altar of incense) and the Holy of Holies (where the Ark of the Covenant rested). In and above the Holy of Holies, God appeared as a pillar of cloud or fire. Each article of furniture represents a different prayer focus that has a unique meaning corresponding with its original purpose defined by God, and a place in the “types and shadows” that exist between the Old and New Testaments.STEP 1 - THE GATEHere, we enter into His gate with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4).PRAYER FOCUS: We begin here. Thank God for every blessing and praise Him for His mighty acts.STEP 2 - THE BRAZEN ALTERFor sinful man to even approach a holy God, there must be a blood sacrifice. Jesus died as an atonement for our sins. The brazen alter is where we repent and rid ourselves of sinful deeds and desires.PRAYER FOCUS: No one can repent for us. Jesus became our sacrifice so we could receive the gift of repentance. At the alter we search our hearts, acknowledge our sins, and ask God to forgive us.STEP 3 - THE LAVER OF WATEROnce sins were atoned for, cleansing was necessary before serving in the Holy Place. We must daily look into the mirror of; be washed by; and apply His word as cleansing so we may serve and minister before Him.PRAYER FOCUS: Here we take time to read and meditate on God’s Word and allow it to wash over us and through us. When we examine ourselves with his Word as our guide, the Word will sanctify and cleanse us.STEP 4 - THE FIVE PILLARSEach pillar symbolizes one of the characteristics of God named by Isaiah.PRAYER FOCUS: “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Pray for a revelation of the power of and for the office of each name to be present in our lives.STEP 5 - THE GOLDEN CANDLESTICKThis oil is symbolic of the illuminating and revelatory power of the Holy Ghost. The priest’s duty was to keep the wicks trimmed so the lamp would exude pure light without smoke.PRAYER FOCUS: At this source of continuous shinning light ask God for spiritual revelation, direction and guidance. Pray for the anointing of the Holy Ghost to be active in our lives. Jesus said “I am the light of the world...” (John 8:12).STEP 6 - THE TABLE OF SHEWBREADThe table/bread symbolized God’s willingness to fellowship with man and him to be in His presence.PRAYER FOCUS: “I am the bread of life...” (John 6:35, 49-50). This bread of His presence is the “rhema” (God -breathed) Word of God to us. Ask God to speak to our hearts and allow us to commune with Him and hear His voice and follow Him. Pray for those who share His bread with us: missionaries, pastors, evangelists and church leaders.STEP 7 - THE GOLDEN ALTAR OF INCENSEOnly the fire of repentance can burn the incense of our intercession. This is a symbol of our prayers and intercession going up to God as a sweet fragrance.PRAYER FOCUS: “Let my prayer be sent forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). Here the incense offered is symbolic of our worship. After worship, we make intercession for others and for any situation in our lives that requires His intervention. Biblically, Jesus ever makes intercession for us. The golden altar of incense is where every request can be presented to a prayer-answering God.STEP 8 - THE VEILIt represents the flesh of Jesus rent in the final sacrifice and marked physical separation from the spiritual. Whoever went in the Holy of Holies entered into God’s very presence.PRAYER FOCUS: The veil is symbolic of the barrier of our flesh. Here we ask God to give us power to go beyond ourselves, to operate not on our own faith but on God’s faith. Meditate on the revelation of the name of Jesus and acknowledge Him as the Messiah - God manifest in the flesh as testified in the gospels. We enter into His presence.STEP 9 - THE HOLY OF HOLIESInside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant which contained three symbolic items: a golden pot of manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the stone containing the Ten Commandments. The Mercy Seat, where God communed with man, rested as the top of the ark. Because the ark was God’s throne among His people, it was a symbol of His presence and power.PRAYER FOCUS: Only the blood gives us access to the Holy of Holies. The Ten Commandments (The Law) is covered by the blood of the sacrifice. There is only mercy. We are free and without judgment. This is the place of intimacy with God. Now we may act in the authority represented by Aaron’s rod that budded. Through Christ, we take authority over things that work against us. We are surrounded by angels, and the miracle of the manna reminds us that whatever we need, He will supply.Connect with Us: https://flow.page/thecrossrdsStreaming License # CCLI: CSPL043706

Why was Nicodemus so confused? John 3:5 tells us we must be born of water and spirit in order to see the kingdom of God. Join us this week as we talk about being born of the Spirit.

Sometimes God's plan for our life seems crazy or impossible. Join us today to learn about trusting God and following His plan.

Prayer on Saturday mornings is how we come together to prepare for our weekends. We can plan and prepare, but first, PRAYER!Connect with Us: https://flow.page/thecrossrdsStreaming License # CCLI: CSPL043706PRAYING OVER THE CHURCH1. Pastor & Leaders – Lord, I lift up my pastor and leaders to You. Thank You for giving them a servant’s heart. Keep them from losing heart when ministry gets tough. Help them prove faithful with the things you have entrusted to them. Teach them Your ways so that they knows You and find favor with You as they leads us. Keep them open and honest before You and help them to represent the truth plainly. (2 Cor. 4:1; 1 Cor. 4:1-3 Ex. 33:13)2. Adults – Lord, I lift up the adults in my congregation to You. May we live worthy of Your call on our lives. As we respond to that call, fulfill every purpose, every faith-filled act of service by Your power. May we be clothed in righteousness with hearts that sing for joy and delight greatly in You. We want to walk with You, Jesus, dressed in white, adorned with jewels. (Eph. 4:1; 2 Thes. 1:11; Ps. 132:9; Isa. 61:10; Rev. 3:4)3. Children/Youth – Lord, I lift up the children and youth in my congregation to You. May the little ones remain humble examples of what we adults need to become in the kingdom. Let their conduct always be pure and right with reputations that show that they remember You, Creator God. Teach them to declare Your marvelous deeds. May they flee evil desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. (Matt 18:3-4; Prov. 20:11; Eccl. 12:1; Ps. 71:17; 2 Tim. 2:22)4. Seniors – Lord, I lift up the senior members of our congregation. Thank You for every gray hair attained by righteous living. We are blessed by their example and ability to train us. Help us to be humbly submissive as we benefit from their wisdom and understanding. Help them receive the strength and power You’ve promised to the weary and weak. May they put their hope in You and be renewed in the process. (Prov. 16:31; Titus 2:4; 1 Pet. 5:5; Job 12:12; Isa. 40:29, 31)5. Lost Among Us – Lord, I lift up the lost members of our congregation. Let the gospel be presented to them not only through the sermon but also with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. Teach us to make the most of every opportunity to share Your salvation. Help us to be the fragrance of Christ to them. We stand against the enemy and his attempts to keep them blinded to Your truth. (1 Thes. 1:5; Col. 4:5; 2 Cor. 2:15; 2 Cor. 4:4)6. Worship Leaders – Lord, I lift up our worship leaders. Appoint people to this position who understand the splendor of Your holiness and praise You out of that understanding. Help them lead us faithfully in thanks for Your enduring love. Use their praise to defeat the enemy. May they be the true worshipers You are looking for who worship in spirit and in truth. Let them glory only in You, Jesus, so that they put no confidence in their own flesh. (2 Chron. 20:21-22; Jn. 4:23-24; Phil. 3:3)7. Speakers/Teachers – Lord, I lift up the speakers and teachers in our church. May everyone who holds that position—pastors, teachers, lifegroup leaders, guest speakers—rightly divide Your word of truth. Let them admonish and teach with wisdom. Reveal the mysteries of Your word to them and encourage them to speak those mysteries courageously and fearlessly. Let them speak with a spirit of faith that springs from their relationship with You. (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:28; Dan. 2:47; Phil. 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:13)8. Women’s Ministry – Lord, I lift up our Women’s Ministry. Encourage our older women to train the younger in family issues. Teach our women to be virtuous—women with gentle and quiet spirits who put their hope in You. Let this ministry produce women who feel Your passion for them and who choose to spend time at Your feet. Train them to contend for the gospel side by side with the men. (Titus 2:4, 5; Pro. 31:10; 1 Pet. 3:4, 5; Ps. 45:11; Lk. 10:38-42; Phil. 4:3)9. Men’s Ministry – Lord, I lift up our Men’s Ministry to You. Use this ministry to build our men in their faith. Teach them to be in right relationship to You and each other, to love their wives sacrificially and to instruct their children with patience. Encourage them to hold each other accountable as they carry each other’s burdens. May they speak the truth in love to each other even when its hard. (Jude 1:20; Titus 2:2; 1 Tim. 5:1; Eph. 5:25, 6:4; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 4:15; Prov. 27:6)10. Youth Workers – Lord, I lift up our Youth Workers. Let these young men and women set an example in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Cause them to be strong, alive-in-the-Word overcomers. Help them to have discernment as they deal with the young people in our church. Help them to notice any youth who lacks judgment so they can teach them to value Your life-giving principles. Pour out Your Spirit on them. (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Jn 2:14; Prov. 3:21, 7:7; 7:2; Joel 2:28).11. Single parents – Lord, I lift up the single parents in our church. May they know You as father to the fatherless and defender of widows! Let us be a real family to them when they are lonely. Show us ways to include them and minister grace to them. Stir up practical ideas in us that show Your love and care. Help them relax in Your grace and provision which is more than enough for every weakness and need. (Ps. 68:5, 6; 25:16; Matt. 25:35-40; 2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:19)12. Behind-the-Scenes Workers – Lord, I lift up the people who work behind the scenes at our church. Thank You for every nursery worker, parking lot attendant, office volunteer, building janitor, etc. who has devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Bless them for the obedience and generosity they have displayed—may You receive praise as a result! Keep them in an attitude of humility that comes from wisdom and wholehearted service to You rather than to be noticed by others. (1 Cor. 16:15; 2 Cor. 9:12-13; Jas. 3:13; Eph. 6:7)13. Spiritual Gifts – Lord, I lift up the use of spiritual gifts in our church. We eagerly desire spiritual gifts that You’ve given for our common good. Help us understand the various gifts and how they work. Teach us to use what we’ve received to serve others and faithfully administer Your grace—whatever form that takes. Help us exercise our gifts in love. Remind us to keep fanning into flame the gifts You’ve entrusted to us. (1 Cor. 14:1, 12:4-7;1 Pet. 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:6)14. Help for the Hurting – Lord, I lift up those who are hurting right now. May they come to know You as El Roi, the God who sees them. For every situation of rejection, help them feel sonship. Bind up the brokenhearted! In every area of bondage, set the captives free; in every case of mourning, replace it with Your oil of gladness. Comfort them so that they will have a ministry of comfort to others. (Gen. 16:13; Ro. 8:15; Isa. 61:1-3; 2 Cor. 1:3-4)15. Freedom from besetting sins – Lord, I lift up every one of us who struggle with sin issues. Keep us from the enemy’s scheme of condemnation. Grant us repentance so that we can escape the trap of the evil one. Thank You that sin was done away with on the cross and that we are no longer slaves to it. Help us to throw off everything that entangles—help us run the race with perseverance. (Ro. 8:1; 2 Tim. 2:25, 26; Ro. 6:6; Heb. 12:1)16. Kingdom focus/priorities – Lord, I lift up our priorities as a congregation. Give us ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying to our church. Open our eyes to see things as You see them. Help us move beyond issues of immediate need to pursuing Kingdom issues. Bring us to a place where “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is more than just words we say. (Rev. 3: 22; 2 Ki. 6:17; Matt. 6:25, 33, 10)17. Our neighborhood – Lord, I lift up our community, especially the surrounding neighborhoods. Let us love these people as we love ourselves. May our concern for their needs override other things that take our time and focus. Rebuild and restore areas that have been devastated. Renew our community—send Your peace and prosperity into this place where You’ve planted us. Bless each individual home and family. Build each house from the inside out; watch over our city. (Gal. 5:14; Prov. 3:28; Isa. 61:4; Jer. 29:7; Lk 10:5-6; Ps. 127:1)18. The Church in our city – Lord, I lift up the Church in our city. Thank You for creating the body as one unit made up of many parts. Help us understand the value of each part as You have arranged them. We confess that we’ve minimized other parts. Forgive us, for we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Help us to work at being one: concerned about one another—suffering with and rejoicing with other congregations as appropriate. (1 Cor. 12:12-26)19. The Church in our nation – Lord, I lift up the Church in our nation. We humbly unite and confess as one people—one Church called by Your name—that we have sinned. We’ve operated out of acquired wealth thinking we could do it on our own—but we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. We seek Your face, O God! Thank You for hearing and forgiving us. We wait on You for the healing of our land! (2 Chron. 7:14; Rev. 3:17)20. The Church around the world – Lord, I lift up the Church universal. Father, we claim the power of Your name over us so that we will be one, as You and Your Son are one. We want Your joy in full measure just as Your Son, Jesus, prayed for us. Help us live as though we are not of this world; sanctify us by Your word. May we be brought to complete unity so that the world will know the truth of the gospel. (Jn. 17:11-23)21. Protection from the Enemy – Lord, I lift up our need for protection. Protect and deliver us from the evil one. Help us be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as we deal with the wolves around us. Show us how to test every spirit to see if they are from You. Help us recognize the enemy’s disguises and schemes so that he won’t outwit us. (Jn. 17:15; Matt. 6:13; Matt. 10:14; 1 Jn.. 4:1; 2 Cor. 11:14; 2:11)

Is it a ghost I should be afraid of? No way! Find out what the Holy Ghost is and why it is important in this lesson of Elements for children.

Have you ever been scared speechless or lost your voice? Find out about a man who couldn't speak for at least 9 months while his wife was pregnant! How would you communicate?