CrossPoint Church Tim Parker

Faith Builders - The Faith of Daniel
There is perhaps nothing more telling about the power of prayer than those who don’t actually pray, or perhaps don’t even believe that there is anyone to pray to, referencing prayer. I say this in large part because of the “thoughts and prayers” crowd. I’ll admit that my opinion could be a little jaded on this subject but it’s my belief that probably less than 1% of the “thoughts and prayers” folks actually spend any time at all in prayer for the said person, situation, or circumstance. I know that sounds judgmental but it’s been my experience that those who actually plan to pray have already been praying and will voice their “prayers” in that way. “Hey, I wanted you to know that I have been praying for you and asking that God bring you strength, peace, understanding, etc,” whatever the need may call for. In fact, most of what voicing “thoughts and prayers” is usually about is making the person saying that feel better about themselves, not the person needing the prayer. We don’t have to actually be concerned, we just have to seem concerned with the person or problem and we get the gold star of compassion for doing so. You’ll remember your mom’s advice that “If you can’t say anything nice about someone, just don’t say anything at all?” Well, the pastor’s advice is, if you can’t say anything truthful, just don’t say anything at all.
I’m not sure whether Daniel said, “thoughts and prayers” to anyone or not but if he did, I would definitely want it to be me. You see, Daniel not only prayed, he was serious about prayer, he had God’s ear and saw Him move and provide answers when he prayed. Yes sir, if Daniel were praying for me, I’m expecting to see some things happening as a result. What about you? Is prayer an afterthought? A form of crisis management? Or a lifestyle?

Faith Builders - The Faith of Mephibosheth
Seems like yesterday but it was actually almost 38 years ago that I was watching as the nurse was cleaning up my newborn and firstborn daughter under the warming lamp in the delivery room. As I looked at her my mind was racing around all the things that she was going to need that it was now my responsibility to provide. We already had a house so shelter was taken care of and, thanks to a couple of baby showers, had quite a bit of clothes and other necessities like diapers and such. But there were also the intangibles. You know, things like teaching her right from wrong, helping her see difference between what was significant from what wasn’t, what to look for in a friend, who to trust and who not to, those important provisional things that every parent wants for their children. And, like every other dad looking at a newborn and wondering if they had what it takes to get the job done, I was hoping that I was going to be enough to help shape her heart and mind in the right direction. I wanted to be up to the task but also took a great deal of comfort from the fact that I had wise and Godly parents that I could go to for advice. Parents that not only had taken care of those provisional things for me, but who also had pointed me to the One that could and would provide everything that they couldn’t.
Last week we looked at the strengthening faith of Hur. This Sunday, we will examine the provisional faith of Mephibosheth as we see how God leads King David to step up and step into the life and circumstances of this young man to radically alter his life and his future. Are you needing God to provide for you? He always does that in ways that do more than simply meet the need. You see, His desire is that provision is not just a need-meeter but also a Faith Builder.

Faith Builders - The Faith of Hur
We’ve all seen, and perhaps experienced, the parent or grandparent standing in the pool with a little one at the edge trying to decide if they are going to jump into the water to be caught by the grown-up doing the coaxing. For the adult, those are great opportunities to build trust. For the child, they are lessons in faith-building. And for both, if they are believers, the hope is that the eventual transference from faith in the parents to faith in God becomes easier over time because we have already put faith into practice as a lifestyle.
Now faith-building opportunities usually come in one of three forms. The first is when we seek the lesson on our own, like agreeing to be a part of a mission team going into third world conditions that we know will test our faith and our resolve but we make the choice and take the initiative to do that anyway. The second is when we are blind-sided by circumstances that test our faith like a difficult diagnosis, a job loss, a divorce, or the loss of a loved one. None of us go looking for those but they are all opportunities to strengthen our faith nonetheless. The third kind is what we will be examining together on Sunday, and that’s when we are invited by someone we trust into a situation that they believe will be a faith builder for us when all is said and done. Usually because they have experienced something similar before and know that to be true.
Moses invited Hur into one of those situations that undoubtedly was a tremendous Faith Builder. Never heard of Hur you say? You’ll probably have a lot of company but his story was and is an example for us all in how an invitation into the extraordinary can change us forever.

Follow - Jesus to the Empty Tomb (And be Changed)
Here on this Maundy Thursday, we find ourselves moving toward the culmination of what most of the world refers to as Holy Week, the days leading up to the arrest, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. I wonder though how many Christ followers feel any holier or think any holier during Holy Week than any other week. If the world takes any more notice of Jesus and His followers, you sure wouldn’t be able to tell it on the outside for the most part. But just in case they do, just in case they’re giving more notice to you and your walk of faith, shouldn’t they see a little more holiness during Holy Week? However, what happens next week, and the week after that? Will we set holiness aside until Holy Week 2025 or perhaps Christmas, if we’re really committed? How, if it’s possible, do we stop seeing holiness as tied to an event or a week on the calendar and more as a way of life?
You see, what brings about anything that lasts is change, and not just change for a week or a month but as a lifestyle. We’ll be looking, during this coming Sunday’s Easter message, at folks who were changed forever by either following Jesus to an empty tomb or their personal encounter with the Risen Lord. Following Him there should really have that effect on us you know. In fact, the assurance that because He conquered death we can too, should indeed change how we do life with those we know and love. Has it or does it? If you have prayed to receive Christ as your Savior, the Scripture teaches that you were instantly and eternally Changed, but did it stop there or is the new life a way of life?

Follow - The Way (Of the Cross)
Back in medieval times crosses were used not just as symbols but as weapons of war. Whether they were used as offensive weapons, like this cross-shaped sword,or as tools to defend themselves from swords and arrows like a cross-shaped shield, the cross was used in a variety of ways, both good and not so good.
Seeing the cross in that light and then trying to wrap our minds around the cross of Christ just, for me at least, doesn’t make sense with each other. Not so much because the cross shouldn’t be used symbolically. In fact the cross is probably the most recognized Christian symbol in human history and rightfully so, but simply seeing it as a symbol of faith short changes Christ followers and an already misguided culture as well. The cross of Christ was indeed perhaps the clearest example of those places in life where, both for Jesus and for us, destiny meets destination. You see, according to the plan of God, the cross was the pre-ordained ultimate earthly destination of His Son Jesus. And that’s where His destination altered our destiny, at least those who have chosen to follow Him.
We continue our look at what it means to Follow this Palm Sunday by going beyond the instructions, the plan, and the example, as we come face to face with the cross of Jesus and have to ask ourselves, “Are we willing to follow Him all the way to the cross?” There are both timeless and timely lessons to be learned there, if we’re willing to Follow the Way of the Cross. Because it’s not just the only way to knowing God, it’s also the best way for our confused culture to see the love of Jesus. That takes the cross far beyond weaponry or symbolism to absolutely the most pivotal point in history.

Follow - The Example
One day a couple of weeks ago I saw a teenage girl attempting to walk what was at least a 75 pound dog down the street and she didn’t weigh much more than that herself. In reality, she was out for an unintended jog because the dog wasn’t just large and in charge, he was turning her in every direction he wanted to go. It reminded me of a statement made by Lee Iacocca, who was at the helm in turning a dying Chrysler Motors around back in the early 1980s, and who was quoted during an interview as having said to Chrysler’s senior management, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” That teenage dog walker could do none of the three that afternoon and probably wishes she could have.
Our faith walk in attempting to Follow the Example of Christ can be a lot like that sometimes. Sometimes following the model, the example, He has set for us is easier than others. The old WWJD bracelets that were popular several years ago reminded us to consider that question in light of whatever our present circumstances were in and then attempt to follow that. I would suggest that the better bracelet question would be WDJD - What did Jesus do? I say that because as I look at scripture, though the circumstances are different today than they were in Biblical times, human nature is still pretty much what it has been for centuries. In fact, if anything, we are far more consumed with self than they were then and, because of that, our greatest hurdle to seeing His example and following it isn’t from anything on the outside, it’s in seeing less of me and more of Him. You see, Jesus is nothing like the teenage girl I saw being dragged along by the dog at all. Though it breaks His heart to do so, He will let go of the leash and let us find the end of ourselves, sometimes in frustration or failure, in order for us to see our need for Him to be the leader and us the followers.