dish detergent, water, and food coloring. We started with clear water, and then we began to talk about all the hard things that can happen in life.
Crossroads: Hope
November 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I saw the Star Wars movies much later than many others. I was in my early twenties before I watched any of them, but when I did, I found a familiar story: of hope.
Crossroads: For the Least of These
November 23, 2023 by Leave a Comment
My youth group went to serve lunch at a homeless shelter when I was a teenager. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I wanted to help. We began by helping prepare the food and by making sandwiches for the people to take with them when they left.
Crossroads: Using What God Gives You
November 13, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I’m a good organizer and I like to plan events, but I didn’t realize how these gifts would help me in ministry. I had planned on being an accountant, but God had other plans for me.
Crossroads: Blessed Are You
October 30, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Every time I read the Beatitudes, I think about Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa spent her life caring for the poor and forgotten. She showed mercy to those who seemed unlovable, and she did her best to bring about peace.
Crossroads: What Is the Greatest Commandment?
October 23, 2023 by Leave a Comment
As a rule follower, I also want to know the order of the rules. Which rules are most important? Are there rules that we can actually ignore? Which is the rule we absolutely must follow?
Crossroads: Who Goes with Us?
October 16, 2023 by Leave a Comment
My grandfather fought in the Korean War. In fact, he almost died in that war. In the few times that he ever talked about it, he told us that after he had been wounded, when he thought he was dying, he saw an angel.
Crossroads: How Should We Live?
October 9, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I am a worrier by nature. I worry about all kinds of things. I worry about my family and my friends. I worry about safety. I worry about whether an event is going to turn out well and if people are going to show up. I even worry about other people’s problems!
Crossroads: Being the Best
October 2, 2023 by Leave a Comment
One semester in college, I asked my professor what I got on my final exam. He said something like a 94, and I asked what questions I missed. I’ll never forget his response: “Why does it matter? You got an A.”
Crossroads: The Shepherd
May 1, 2023 by
“Don’t talk to strangers.” It’s what my mother told me all the time growing up, and I’m sure it’s what you tell your own children. Strangers aren’t safe because you don’t know them.
Crossroads: Listening to God
December 26, 2022 by
Have you ever felt like God was telling you to do something? There have been times when I felt like God wanted me to call someone on the phone.
Crossroads: Love
December 19, 2022 by
In the book Love You Forever, both the mother and the son sing these words to each other at different times in their lives: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
Crossroads: Joy
December 12, 2022 by
God takes the dustiness of our lives—the mistakes and the bad things that happen to us—and uses them to make diamonds. In order for coal to turn into diamonds, it must undergo a lot of pressure.
Crossroads: Peace
December 5, 2022 by
When I was a teenager, my family and I went tubing down a river. Before we got in our rafts, the guide warned us to watch for bears. I knew that bears were dangerous and didn’t want to get close to one.
Crossroads: Count Your Blessings
November 28, 2022 by
This is the time of year when we stuff our faces with turkey, dumplings (my grandmother makes the best!), mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, and a lot more dessert than we need.
Crossroads: Remembering the Saints
November 7, 2022 by
On All Saints’ Day, we remember the important people in our faith. We remember people like Abraham and Moses. We remember David. We remember Peter and the disciples. We remember Paul.
Crossroads: How Can We Find Joy in the Lord?
August 29, 2022 by
There are days when I feel close to God and days when I don’t. There are days when I absolutely know that I am following God and doing what God wants me to do, and there are days when I’m a bit unsure.
Crossroads: Sing Praises to God
July 11, 2022 by
God has answered many of my prayers over the years. Some of God’s answers have been yes, some no, and some that it wasn’t the time and I needed to wait. But I know that God always hears my prayers.
Crossroads: Don’t Give Up!
June 20, 2022 by
When we were kids, my sister hated school. She didn’t want to do her homework or study, so there were many times when she didn’t understand the material. When she was in middle school, though, she had an especially hard time with math.
Crossroads: Understanding Each Other
June 13, 2022 by
I’ve always loved the French language, and when I got into French classes in high school, I had the opportunity to travel to Paris. I was so excited!
Crossroads: Jesus Is in Charge
June 6, 2022 by
As a teenager, I loved volunteering for Vacation Bible School. It felt like a promotion to be able to help. Suddenly, I was in charge (sort of). Instead of listening to what I was supposed to do, I was the one giving direction.
Crossroads: Jesus Gives Us Hope
May 30, 2022 by
When I was in the sixth grade, it felt like my life was falling apart. I didn’t have any friends, there was a lot of bad stuff happening at my church, and my mom and my stepdad were getting a divorce.
Crossroads: The Command that Jesus Gave
May 16, 2022 by
Every year, our church has a service day called Beyond Our Walls. On this day, more than 300 people go out into the community to serve. Some of our families and children spend time with senior adults at assisted living facilities.
Crossroads: God’s Sheep
May 9, 2022 by
Last week I got to see some sheep up close and personal, and I learned a few things. Sheep will “baa” at you when they think you’ve got something to eat. It doesn’t matter if they have just eaten; they will still complain.
Crossroads: The Empty Tomb
April 18, 2022 by
I’ve believed in Jesus for as long as I can remember. I was in church almost from the moment I was born, and I don’t remember believing anything different.
Crossroads: The Mystery of God
January 3, 2022 by
I love mysteries. And I, like most others, would love to figure out the mysteries of God. I would love to know exactly how God makes decisions, how God knows what’s best, why God chooses not to interfere, and the list goes on.
Crossroads: The Spirit
May 24, 2021 by
When I write my children’s sermons, I have a process. Usually, I read the Scripture, think about it for a few minutes, and then go do something else.
Crossroads: What Just Happened?
April 5, 2021 by
I cannot tell you the number of times that I have said, “Wait. What just happened?”
Crossroads: Jesus Is Transformed
February 8, 2021 by
God has changed my life in a lot of ways. For starters, I’ve never felt totally alone because I know that God is always with me. God has helped me get through some difficult times.
Crossroads: God Is Our Refuge
January 25, 2021 by
I was terrified of thunderstorms as a child. The thunder would get so loud that I just knew something bad would happen to me.
Crossroads: The Light Has Come
January 4, 2021 by
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” “You’re almost there!” “Blue skies are coming.” We use a lot of phrases to talk about how the light is coming.
Crossroads: The Waiting Is Over!
December 28, 2020 by
Luke 2:22-40 Your Story Talk to your children about when they joined your family. Tell them how you felt as you first met them, when the wait was finally over. My Story and the Bible Story One Christmas as a child, I really wanted a toy called “GoGo My Walkin’ Pup.” She walked and barked, […]
Crossroads: The Friend in the Night
July 17, 2017 by
My favorite word as a child was “why”. I know my mother got tired of me asking “Why?” all the time. I was a very curious child. In fact, as a small child, my mother had a hard time getting me to sleep. She said it seemed as if I always wanted to observe the world, to know what was going on.
Crossroads: Forgiving Others
July 10, 2017 by
When I was a teenager, my youth group planned a summer mission trip to Myrtle Beach. One of my best friends, John, was in our youth group, and we were both excited about the upcoming mission trip. John and I had roomed together on every church trip. We were great friends and enjoyed spending time together. As I arrived at the church to leave for the mission trip, I learned that John had decided to room with someone else.
Crossroads: The Presence of the Holy Spirit
May 16, 2016 by
Several years ago on a weekend retreat, I gathered with a group of teenagers in a dimly lit room to share an Agape Love Feast. Earlier, we had set up the room with candles, a plate of bread, and a large cup of grape juice.
Crossroads: Recognizing and Remembering
June 23, 2014 by
My father lives in the same small town where I grew up as a child. Though I moved away more than 25 years ago, I enjoy going back to this community to visit a few times each year. When we go back for these visits, I often see people around town who our family has known for many years.
Crossroads: “When You Think You Can’t Do Something” – Moses
June 2, 2014 by
In the movie Despicable Me, Gru is an unlikely (and at times unlikeable) hero. He adopts three girls as a way to steal the moon. He doesn’t want to be the hero. He wants to be left alone, to be the villain who does something brilliant.
Crossroads: Leaving and Coming Again
May 26, 2014 by
When I was eight years old, my parents sat me down one day and told me we were moving. At first, I was a little concerned and confused. I had always lived in the same house in the same town, so I wasn’t sure if I would like moving.
Crossroads: The Danger of Jealousy
May 19, 2014 by
For my tenth birthday, I received a wonderful present. It was a wind-up toy of a daredevil (Evel Knievel) who jumped over cars and buses on his motorcycle. I was so excited about this new toy—it was great!
Crossroads: Paying Attention
May 12, 2014 by
Have you ever fallen asleep or started daydreaming in a class, meeting, or event? Perhaps nobody noticed, but you left not really knowing what took place at that particular event. Or perhaps you had to give an answer to a question you hadn’t heard.
Crossroads: Redemption
May 5, 2014 by
I became a Christian when I was seven years old. Having grown up in the church, some of my earliest memories were of learning who Jesus is. There’s not a time that I can remember when I didn’t know who God was.
Crossroads: Peer Pressure
April 28, 2014 by
When I was in fifth grade, a new kid came to our choir program at church. I knew this boy, but he was not good friends with me and my pals. After choir we were all outside playing, and the new kid was standing off by himself watching us.
Crossroads: Jesus is Risen
April 20, 2014 by
Once upon a time I had a young friend named Philip. Philip was born with Downs Syndrome. He was a pleasant child—happy, it seemed—but increasingly aware of the difference between himself and other children. Philip went to Sunday school at the Methodist church.
Crossroads: Parades
April 13, 2014 by
Parades can be fun. As I child, I remember watching parades on television. There was always a great sense of anticipation: “What will be the next float? Who will be on it? Will it be bigger or brighter or better than the last float?” I also remember going to parades in my younger years.
Crossroads: The Good Samaritan
April 6, 2014 by
As a young teenager, I went with my youth group to a soup kitchen one Saturday morning to feed the homeless. Several of my friends were going, and I wanted to have fun with my friends. But I didn’t actually want to feed the homeless.
Crossroads: The Prodigal Son
March 31, 2014 by
As the older child, I have always had a better understanding of what was going on in our family. I knew that our budget was tight, and so I never asked for anything exorbitant from my mom. My younger sister, however, never seemed to have any idea that we were strapped for cash.
Crossroads: The Workers in the Field
March 23, 2014 by
Have you ever thought that something was just unfair? It could be that someone got something that you thought you deserved, or you did the right thing and someone else didn’t do anything, but they still got the credit. Maybe you felt like you deserved that promotion at work, but someone else (who doesn’t seem to work as hard) got it instead.
Crossroads: The Unmerciful Servant
March 17, 2014 by
Have you ever not wanted to forgive someone? Have you ever been so mad at someone that even when they asked for forgiveness, you didn’t want to forgive them? We all have times when we don’t want to forgive someone else. Perhaps that person really hurt us and the wound is too raw to think about forgiving them.