This video messed me up. I’m completely guilty of some of the things address in this video and it causes me to tremble.

I’m going to be straight up honest with you. I’m not a big fan of museum’s. I’ll just go ahead and say that they bore me. I mean, honestly, a museum has one ultimate purpose, at least as far as I can see, is to tell you all about what has happened and northing, or very little, about what is to come.

It’s a horrifying commentary that many of our churches today are becoming glorified museums instead of living breathing extensions of the Kingdom of God. And though we may in our pride think that any of us are immune to museum syndrome, the truth is, even Crossroads can fall prey to become a testament to what has be done. Instead, we have the option to become a beacon of hope and light. A sign of life in a very dead atmosphere.

But ultimately the question is, what are you willing to do to not become a museum?

*This video is by Darrin Patrick, author of Church Planter, a great book even if you aren’t a church planter.

This Sunday begins a journey for the people of Crossroads Church, and prayerfully the people of this community as well.

We are tired of the common place Christian life.

We are tired of our complacency.

We are tired of this so called American version of Christianity that amounts to nothing more than going to church on Sunday morning.

We are calling upon God to stir our hearts and souls in a fresh to way. To light us on fire for His gospel and Kingdom. To fill us with passion for those who are far from Him, and challenge to take bold steps of faith in our relationship with him.

I, for one, am anxious to see God revealed in my life in a way I have never seen Him before.

Will you join us? Check out the Project Awaken website for more information.

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” Acts 4:32

The realities accomplished by the early church were nothing short of miraculous and wonderful. Innumerable people found the life-changing hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that there was not one who was needy among them. This church, was being the church.

When we read the first few chapters of Acts it is so easy for us to get wrapped up in all of the oneness and family. We can get lost in the stories of community and the radical conversions of thousands of people. In fact, I love to read those early chapters and dream of what that would look like for Crossroads Church, for every church.

I think though, that there is sometimes a danger in the looking back. It is easy to over glorify what was happening. Easy to get lost in their past and forget about our present. Acts chapter 5 begins with a solemn word. “But…” In light of all that was happening for that church, this is going to be a turning point. Things were going to change. Now, they were going to have deacons and business meetings! (oh, you know it’s funny)

In looking at and studying this early family- this family of strength and support. This family of love and encouragement. This family of hope and joy. We easily forget that family is often times a messy thing. That family is dysfunctional. That family has times of disagreement.

We forget that the beauty of family is not what they look like when times are good, but how they live together in the times of bad.

Many of you who will read this belong to a church. Many of you may even be struggling with belonging in that church. If I could say one thing to you, I would say this, find the beauty in the dysfunction. Find God in the mess. Don’t give up. Don’t run away. Find the beauty. It’s there. Under all the meetings and drama. Beneath the financial struggles and differences of opinion, the beauty is there. The family is there.

What do you think? What does the family look like?