CrossWay Community Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Crossway Community Church, 109 Davis Road, Valencia, PA 16059, 724.898.4600, www.crosswaycommunity.org, Mike Santistevan, Lead Pastor.

 

Scripture – Galatians 2:11-16 (ESV)

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

 

Bob’s thoughts:

We were welcomed by a member and engaged in conversation along with an update on the church. These are things we haven’t been able to enjoy for quite a while.

I appreciated the opening Scripture/prayer. I do wish the side screens were above the emergency lights. I was not able to stand and most times my vision was blocked from all three screens.

It was good to hear one praise song that I was familiar with from youth worship years ago, albeit modified, leaving off the powerful part “My God is an awesome God.”

Really enjoyed the prayer by the pastor; it was well done. The pastor showed a passion to preach. I liked the anecdote about the man going through the windshield in an accident. When I went through a windshield, I only got a headache; there were no seat belts then. But I think God was getting my attention.

The message included context which is frequently left out. We are distracted easily as believers and are led to believe the slight temptations won’t hurt. I thought the sermon’s action points were good ones, especially touch and support each other.

The only thing I would add would be to strive to find the opportunity to pray for others. No one has ever turned down my offer of prayer and it does wonders to strengthen my faith.

I remember visiting this church some years ago for a Father’s Day program. I ended up in the nursery with some of my grandchildren. A special moment for me was when the women wanted to see part of the program and stood at the window, trusting me with all the children. An honor and a joy.

We appreciated the time with the pastor after the service and the members outside.

 

Jan’s thoughts:

Our last visit here was in 2016, when the world was a different place. Life in general has changed dramatically but God is the same, and it was a blessing to worship in community.

I appreciated the signs of welcome such as the gentlemen waiting to open the doors when we arrived, people milling around talking in the foyer, coffee available, and members who stopped to introduce themselves and extend a warm welcome. That’s one of the things I’ve missed most about the last year and a half is general friendliness. There has been so much fear and distance. I hoped churches would be where some sense of normalcy might again be found, and so far, that’s been the case.

We were welcomed warmly, and several folks stopped to introduce themselves. These greetings and conversations felt like a treat, along with the delicious coffee.

We chose seats in the back, as usual, expecting the music to be on the loud side, but the lovely arrangements were soft and pleasant.

The sermon series was focused on Galatians and the sermon title was “Jesus + Nothing = Everything.” The pastor spoke of how we can be out of step with the truth of the gospel and what we believe and what we can do about it when we find ourselves in that situation. He pointed out that social pressure and fear of others’ reactions/responses can cause us, like the Apostle Peter, to forget what we believe and having someone who cares remind us of the truth can help us get our bearings again and remember who we are.

I know at times I have been the one who needed help regaining my bearings and other times I was the one who did (or should have) reminded someone else of what they believe. I was grateful for this reminder that the Good News is for unbelievers and Christians and that Christ’s blood covers my sins before I became a believer and the sin I committed today. This is true for every believer. Praise God.

 

Our prayer for this church:

Heavenly Father, we pray for Your continued blessings on this Your church and its leaders. Help them truly be a beacon on the hill. Amen.

CrossWay Church

Today we worshiped at CrossWay Church, 109 Davis Road, Valencia, PA 16059, 724.898.4600, www.crosswaychurch.org, Chris Gibbs, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – ESV

1 Chronicles 16:34-36 –

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Say also:

"Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!"

Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 –

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

Philippians 4:7-8 –

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Bob’s thoughts:

On a redirect, we got to hear God’s message this morning. We most likely would have been late to the service we were headed to but pulled in here with enough time to look for the restrooms which we had walked right past on our way in.

We were greeted by the pastor outside and others, including the pastor’s wife, when we came in the door.

There is a larger wooden cross toward the left and another above the chancel that gave the impression of being a cross-shaped window.

A large projection screen is centered high above the stage with two smaller screens mounted on either side, providing good visibility. I was all but brought to my knees by a loud screech during the early praise songs. There were a lot of odd vocals that made it hard to hear the words. The hymn at the end of the service was clear and powerful and I could hear the harmony of the praise team.

The sermon was “Amen – Rediscovering the Presence of God.” The message developed well with suitable Scriptural references and beneficial guidance for us all.

We frequently come to prayer as a last resort, but not so much so if we are already on speaking terms with God. If we regularly converse with God and an urgent need arises, we are already in comfortable communication with the Lord.

A powerful thought was offered that when you say “amen” you are offering yourself up as a sacrifice, and then the further question, what is God calling me to “amen” to?

I was privileged to watch great family dynamics as nearby a big brother didn’t want to seem too chummy with cute little sister. I got to watch the pastor climb over seats to pray with parishioners. There was a young man who spoke near the end of the service with a passionate message, who could be heard easily over the instruments, an unusual blessing, with a good message.

We enjoyed talking with the pastor after the service and I was impressed that his recollection of our previous visits was better than mine.

Jan’s thoughts:

This church was not even on our radar today. We were headed somewhere else and realized we would be late, and when we saw this church on the hill and noticed the timing was perfect, and just that quickly our plans were changed. It’s funny how God works sometimes.

The pastor was outdoors greeting people and he welcomed us warmly before we even entered the building where, once inside, we were handed bulletins. I should have remembered the restrooms were immediately inside the doors, but we had to ask about them because we had seen no signs…though I’m not exactly sure of the best way to tell people they’ve just walked past the rooms they’re looking for.

The ladies room is charmingly decorated, and though greetings are not usually extended there, today they were and they were gracious. Others smiled their welcome.

The message, “Say Amen – Rediscovering the Presence of God,” was the first in a series and he made some points worth remembering.

1 – Don’t let your fall erase your future. There are many ways to fall: we can fall from grace, we can fall from faith, we can have a falling out with people, but God was the same good God before a fall as He is after.

2 – Always see God as your deliverance. Seek God’s Presence, not his product, and thankfulness is the key to changing our attitude. When we’re upset because we think God has not answered a prayer as we wished, we need to look more closely and be thankful for what God has given. God is good when things are good and when they’re not, and no one wants to come to your pity party. We are inadequate to get ourselves out of a situation, we must depend on God; we can do the right thing, but without His Presence, we’re lost.

3 – Let your praise be defined by Who, not what. In other words, praise God for Who He is not what He gives. Pursue the Presence of God; we can do the right thing, but without His Presence, we’re lost. If complacency has set in, ask God to help; He’s in the resurrection business.

I missed how he got to this, but he said amen means “I offer myself up as a sacrifice” which in this context I took to mean obedience to God’s direction. He said we need to come to God in humility, offer our “amen” and then be ready to live out that amen.

The final question was, what is God calling (me) to say amen about? And a good question it is…I will need to consider that.

Worshipers were invited forward for prayer during the final song, and I noticed small groups praying all around as the music continued. It may not be for everyone, but I thought it was pretty terrific.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this congregation offers a resounding “amen” to whatever it is You are calling them to. Amen!

CrossWay Church

Today we worshiped at CrossWay Church, 109 Davis Road, Valencia, PA 16059, 724.898.4600, www.crosswaychurch.org, Chris Gibbs, Lead Pastor.

Scripture

Genesis 12:1-9

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Genesis 11:30

Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.

Genesis 21:1-5

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Genesis 22:1-3

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

Genesis 22:6-8

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

Genesis 22:11-14

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Genesis 22:15-18

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Bob’s thoughts:

We were greeted and welcomed by a number of people and as we looked at the mission display table someone stepped up to explain the material. There was a special focus on mission and foreign flags were paraded in by people in native dress, with the national ensign carried by a man in military fatigues.

The great wooden cross I noticed at our last visit was still there and we were given a pocket cross in the narthex.

There is a healthy age mix to the enthusiastic congregation, and a passionate pastor. One of the opening songs was “Awesome God,” a favorite I hadn’t heard in some time. I particularly liked the horn that seemed to echo the words.

During the announcements the pastor mentioned “See You at the Pole,” where school youth meet and pray for the country’s leaders. They were offering a get-together at the church where people could gather and pray for the teachers. I thought it a great plan, and it brought bittersweet memories.

My late son’s junior year we had a call from the principal: “Your son is standing out at the flagpole by himself and we don’t know why.” Senior year, different school, same phone call. Our son was never ashamed of Jesus Christ, and we were always proud of him for his conviction.

The sermon was part of a series, “Let the Ruins Come to Life,” and dealt with Abraham living his faith.

I thought the message was developed well, guiding us to know God’s leading and trust His timing, even when we have unfulfilled dreams. The trials He leads us through strengthen our faith.

Jan’s thoughts:

We worshiped here a year ago Father’s Day, but Bob was busy with little ones who were with us, so we returned so he could hear the pastor preach.

This well kept facility sits on top of a hill, providing a beautiful view in almost any direction.

We were warmly greeted and treated with hospitality from the time we stepped inside.

Our attention was immediately caught by the missions display which boasted tons of information about all the missionaries this church supports.

The building is well cared for, and although there is some directional signage, it became evident as we looked around that visitors could benefit from additional indicators.

Announcements were made before beginning worship, including that this Wednesday is “See You at the Pole” Day. This day is a special reminder to us of our late son because it was on that day when he was a junior in high school that he was the only one who went to pray at the flagpole at his school. Somehow the administrators missed hearing about this event, so they called me at home to ask why our son was sitting alone outside at the flagpole, refusing to come inside. This church is holding their own event concurrently called “See You at the Altar” where members join in the sanctuary for prayer at the same time students are praying at the flagpole of their school. What an inspired plan!

The music was exceptional: the voices sounded incredible together as they led the fervent singing.

The message was part of a series, “Let the Ruins Come to Life” and was called “Restoring Broken Dreams.” I was glad this pastor was as good a preacher as I remembered.

He used the story of Abraham and Sarah and God’s gift of Isaac to speak to the topic of broken dreams, the scars that result when they are cut from our lives, and how God can and does heal the brokenness, pain, loss, and lack of trust that result from these struggles. He outlined five Scripture-based steps:

1 – Know God’s Destiny. If your dream is not bigger than you, it’s not God’s destiny for you; God-given dreams are for God’s glory.

2 – Trust God’s Process. It can hurt us, challenge us, and expose us, but He uses it to prepare us for what He has purposed for our lives; when God speaks, trust Him. Know that the Enemy knows, too, and that God leads us through the desert times.

3 – Follow God’s Design. When you follow God’s design and things start looking up, keep looking up; even when it seems like God is taking away all He has given, don’t let emotions lead; trust Him.

4 – Believe God Provides. Trust Him through the waiting period; our dreams rest in our surrender to God, and obedience unlocks God’s provision.

5 – See God Restore Dreams. At this point a couple from the congregation, along with their 5-week-old daughter, joined the pastor and gave their testimony about their path to becoming parents of this baby. Their witness to God’s perfect timing and His faithfulness in the midst of the difficult path they walked left few dry eyes.

I will keep my notes from this message as reminders of exactly those points. I am so grateful to have heard this message today.

Our prayer for this church:
Father, we pray that You open the hearts of this congregation to the dreams You have for them, that they will trust and obey, stepping out in faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

CrossWay Church

Today we worshiped at CrossWay Church, 109 Davis Road, Valencia, PA 16059, 724.898.4600, www.crosswaychurch.org, Chris Gibbs, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – Joshua 24:14-15

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Bob’s thoughts:

We have passed this church a number of times and have looked forward to worshiping here. It is a great setting on top of a hill, a beacon to the community.

We came in just as the service was starting, along with quite a few other folks. This seems to be common with contemporary worship services. Once we were inside I had no way of knowing that I had passed the restrooms as they were immediately inside the entrance. There was directional signage indicating other areas, but it took a while to locate the men’s room. I noticed that even though the restroom seemed modern, neither had changing tables.

My grandchildren were trying to be louder than the congregation so we went to the nursery. While I was disappointed that I couldn’t hear the sermon there, I did have a delightful visit with the staff and children. I look forward to listening to the sermon online and perhaps getting to learn the purpose of the exercise equipment on the chancel.

They had my kind of cross with large spikes that spoke volumes sitting silently there off to one side.

Jan’s thoughts:

This church sits on top of a hill reached via a winding driveway. I wished we’d had time to look around at the view because it’s probably stunning.

The service was just beginning when we arrived with our grandtwins and their parents. We sang the opening songs, but the kids became fussy so we took them to the nursery. The ladies there were very welcoming and showed no hesitation whatsoever at having two more one-year-olds join them. I returned to the Sanctuary, but the pull was too strong for Bob and he stayed with the little ones.

The Sanctuary is light and pleasant with comfortable chairs. This is the first time I’ve seen a projection screen mounted and framed, and I thought it looked marvelous. There was a beautiful, rough-hewn cross in front standing (at a guess) maybe 6 feet high.

The music was terrific: energetic and well done. It made me realize again how much music can contribute to a worship experience.

As soon as the opening songs ended, the service began with “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Each portion of the song was enacted by an appropriate-aged girl and a man portraying her father. At the very end an older couple danced a few steps together, representing the couple who married. It was very well done and quite touching, and I noticed that mine were not the only damp eyes.

Following this was a clip from the movie “Courageous.” If you have not seen this movie, it’s from the same people who did the movie “Fireproof,” but the major characters are police officers (except for the one man who is their friend). I recommend the movie highly – both my thumbs are way up for this one – and it’s perfect for Father’s Day as it’s a call to men to be the spiritual leaders of their households and to follow Biblical standards in their personal lives and in their influence of others. The pastor used clips from the movie throughout his message.

The message, entitled “A Stronger Man,” focused on encouraging the men in the congregation to 1 – accept personal responsibility, 2 – guard the value of relationships, and 3 – live out the Resolution (which was based on the Resolution in the movie “Courageous”).

The pastor was open about some of the struggles he faced being raised by a single mom. He declared the Enemy meant it for ill, but God meant it for good and thus God has brought much good from his battles. Hearing him preach with such passion, in my opinion, God continues to use him. He spoke of the men who are currently fathers “fathering a generation,” and “turning to God as the Father to the fatherless.”

He included the women in the congregation as well, reminding them that they are helpers to the men and giving the women the opportunity to stand up and be proud of the men. He closed by giving the men the chance to come forward and sign a copy of the Resolution, sealing the deal.

It was an emotional time, and something I have not had the privilege of witnessing in a church in a good while. It was vulnerable passion for a God-given role that can influence others for generations to come. As I sat there I knew that this is a church that understands brokenness, and I sensed the strength that comes as a result. I believe that is something only God can create – strength in the broken places.

Today’s worship was a blessing, and I thank God for leading us here today.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray that You will indeed use this church on the hill as a beacon to the surrounding community. We believe You honor a church that teaches the values found in the movie “Courageous,” and we pray for the men of this church as they step up to the challenge to be the men and leaders You have called them to be. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.