August 30th, 2010 by Tim Moore

I love the weekend so much that I’m often re-living the great things we saw and heard the next day.  So, I thought I would take a moment to recap some of the highlights from this past weekend.  I may do this every Monday.

• Our 10:30 experience was packed full.  Thought we were going to run out of chairs at one point.  I’m praying we fill it so much on 9/12 that we have to ask our regulars to stand along the walls!!  Praying the other times fill up as well.
• Band was spot on and worship was off ‘de hook!
• I preached on vision.  Probably spoke more to people who know they need to chase what God is putting in their hearts to do.
• Made this statement:  Dreamers dream with their eyes closed, visionaries look with eyes open to see a need to be met.
• A vision always begins with a burden.  Otherwise its just a self-motivated dream.
• I’m praying that God will turn our people’s passion into burdens that we can’t ignore.
• Don’t spend your life without discovering what God wants to do through you or it will be a life filled with regret.
• Preached from the Book of Esther.  Love the story in that book.
• Didn’t share the happy ending in Esther in the first 2 experiences and my wife said I should.  I did in the 12pm.  They usually get the best message.
• Talked with a bunch of first time guests that loved it!! 
• Talked with a Muslim leader who wanted me to condemn a church in Florida that is going to burn the Koran on 9/11.  While I don’t agree with that action, I will not get political or preach on what the Church should be AGAINST.  I have one focus – sharing Jesus.  That’s what I want to be known for.

Gearing up for FAQ.  We have some really tough hard hitting questions.  I can’t wait to celebrate 2 years in Lithopolis.  Bring as many people as you can that day.  I will be sharing the Gospel!

Also, don’t forget to join us on Sep. 8 from 12-1pm in the auditorium as we pray for the names of the people we are going to invite to church or share Christ with.

It was a great day.  I love my church.

August 26th, 2010 by Tim Moore

I say this almost every time, but 4W last night was over the top and perhaps the most moving one yet.  I shared a very passionate message about a term that often scares so many of us “Evangelism”.  Let me recap it for a moment.

This might be the best definition of evangelism I’ve ever heard.

Evangelism is nothing more than one beggar telling another beggar where to find food! (I didn’t come up with it, but heard it first from Perry Noble)

The problem is many of us in the church don’t see ourselves as a beggar.  You might have lived a pretty good life.  Maybe like me, you didn’t get into alcohol or drugs.  When we don’t see ourselves as “that bad” or needing saved “that much”, then we have no desire to tell others about what Christ has done for us. (Rom 1:14-17) Maybe its because we don’t think he has saved us from that much…

But God has made me more and more aware in the past years that even though I may think he didn’t save me from a horrible past, perhaps he has saved me from a horrible future!!  That messed me up. I got emotional.

At the end, I asked everyone to take a small paper plate that we gave them and as one beggar who has found food, to write the name(s) of other beggars in their life who need Christ.  We then tacked those plates up to a board that we are going to pray for every day.  It was a moving moment and a night that had me in tears!

Here’s what we’re doing to reach many more this fall.  We are kicking off our fall in a huge way on September 12th.  It is our 2 year anniversary in Lithopolis and we are inviting the entire community to join us.  We are handing out thousands of invites in the local parade on Sep. 6th.  We are expecting our church to invite as many people as they can.  We are also going to pray with desperation that God moves in their lives.

We are going to make the message I shared last night available to watch on the web soon and ask everyone to submit names of people they know need Christ that they are going to invite on Sep 12th.

On Wednesday, September 8th we are having an open time of prayer at the church between 12pm and 1pm in the main auditorium.  We are going to pray for every name that is submitted and beg God to do something undeniable this fall.

Join me in praying for an opportunity to lead dozens of people to Christ this fall!!

August 17th, 2010 by Tim Moore

This past weekend, we launched a new series called “LeaderSheep”.  Yes, it’s a play on words and obviously it’s about leadership.  I thought in the spirit of this new series, that I would take some time this week to share some leadership principles that may help those of you in leadership roles.  Whether you are a teacher, supervisor, CFO or a parent, we all can develop and grow more as an effective leader.

Today I just want to recap some of the things that I preached on this past weekend regarding LeaderSheep.

• Most sheep are followers.  But there is a breed of sheep known as Leader Sheep.  They have instinctive abilities to lead other sheep.
• I really did try to fill our church with real sheep.  Still waiting for someone to bring us a bunch of them!
• I believe all of us can be transformed from Ordinary Sheep into Leader Sheep.
• I shared this important thought:  Why is it that when it rains…sheep don’t shrink?
• Spoke from Romans 12:1-2 which says that our reasonable response to God’s mercy is to NOT conform to the patterns of this world.
• Some of the patterns I shared probably ruffled a few feathers.  (Like the ones about love and marriage)
• I don’t believe we should ever compare the most important human relationship (Marriage) God gave us to buying a stupid car.
• If you think you should “try it before you buy it” by having sex or living with your boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage you follow a pattern of this world.
• Yes, I spoke directly to students this week about keeping your pants on.
• We cannot transform ourselves…only God can do it.
• God WILL transform our minds when we are willing to get on the altar and be a living sacrifice for him.
• That means when we hear His Word and read it, we must RESPOND.
• Most Christians want to know what God’s will is for their lives.  You can only discover it when you surrender to Him and become a living sacrifice.

I truly believe that everyone that knows Christ has been transformed into a LeaderSheep.  God wants to conform you into the image of his Son rather than you conforming to the world around you.

June 2nd, 2010 by Tim Moore

This year we are connect with over 1,000 churches to take part in One Prayer. One Prayer is a uniting movement of bringing churches together to connect through incredible teaching, serving and planting churches around the world. It gives our church an opportunity to hear from some anointed preachers who have mentored me in many ways.

I can’t wait for you to hear from some guys who I really respect and whose ministries have impacted me greatly. This year’s theme is “Unstoppable…” This is exactly what the church is when we unite with One Mission and One Purpose under the One True God. I’m already getting pumped just thinking about how Unstoppable we can be because of what He has already done!! It’s going to be hot.

Click here if you would like to check out some of the things that One Prayer has accomplished in the past few years.

April 6th, 2010 by Tim Moore

What many people in our church don’t know is that I never grasped the importance in preaching for life change until probably about 2 years ago. I was fairly good at putting together messages that would relate to people. I have worked hard at delivery and practice often before I get up to preach. But I didn’t know that what I was missing the most was how to preach for life change. Then God used a mentor of mine to convict me!

I always knew in my head that Jesus was the only one who could really change lives, but somehow in practice I was trying to do it with persuasive words and eloquence. I wasn’t relying on the fact that the Gospel IS the power of God to change lives and save people (Rom 1:16).

I was convicted. I had to ask God to forgive me. Since then, I’ve been preaching for life change. That means I’m preaching Jesus and the message of the cross with everything in me. People have told me that I a different preacher now. (That’s why!) The very thing I used to shy away from has become the catalyst to bring more life change than I could imagine.

This past Easter weekend, we saw 18 people make commitments to Christ. That was just the people who TOLD us. I have heard stories of people beginning to seek counseling for their marriage and wanting to save it now!! How did that happen? Was it anything special that I said that convinced people?

Not really. I just preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a real conviction and faith to believe that it is the POWER OF GOD to change lives!

March 30th, 2010 by Tim Moore

This week I challenged our staff to fast food for one full day and to pray for people that we will have an opportunity to meet this weekend. As we hold our Megga Hunt and Easter Experiences, I am praying for God to move in ways we have not seen yet. To be honest, I’m desperate for God to transform lives.

I believe that many people in our communities are desperate for a God they can’t find. They wonder if there is hope, but are not sure how to find it. Sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures.

I want to invite you to join me today, Tuesday, in praying for the lost and broken in our area. Perhaps even fast with us and take time to pray that God moves in people’s lives this weekend through our church. Pray for someone in particular that you can bring to church with you this Easter. I promise you they will hear the gospel. And I am convinced that when the gospel is shared, God moves. (Rom 1:16)

If you follow me on twitter (@followtim), simply tweet the name of someone you are praying will find Jesus and I’ll pray for them today.

March 21st, 2010 by Tim Moore

Today, I preached from John 5:1-8. In this story, Jesus meets a paralyzed man who had been waiting near the pool of Bethesda for a long time hoping to be cured of his ailment. Interesting story if you’ve never read it.

What inspired me about this story was what this guy said to Jesus when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed. He said, “Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool…” You see this guy couldn’t get into the pool when the waters were stirred, because he couldn’t do it on his own. He needed help.

What we often don’t see is the many heroes of the church who give of their time and talent to HELP spiritually sick people meet Jesus by simple things like….

making them feel welcome the moment they drive on the church property.
not judging them, but offering to shake their hands and say ‘we’re glad you’re here’.
teaching and caring for their kids so they can focus on what God wants to say to them.
helping them find a seat in the worship experience (ours is dark).
running the lights and sound without glaring distractions from the presentation of the gospel.
and more…

You get the idea. I guess I just wanted to say to the 100+ volunteers who make Crossroads Church what it is…THANK YOU!!! I don’t say it enough. I promise to say it more. You are the reason we see people meet Christ all the time.

March 9th, 2010 by Tim Moore

Spring is right around the corner. The warmth of the sun is bringing to the surface all of my itches (golf, motorcycles, etc.). But it also reminds me that life is never just lived on the top of the mountain. We always experience new seasons.

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a season for everything in life. A season to cry and a season to cheer. A season to live and a season to die. A season to have plenty and a season to know need.

I feel like God is leading me into a new season in my life. Things have been stressful and challenging for the past few months as we have been making many changes and transitions in the church. My focus has been pulled in many directions. But now I feel that God is leading me into a season of desperation…desperation for Him. I feel the inner desire to lean on Him and only Him. I want to see Him do something that only He can do in my life. These are some of my prayers right now.

What season are you coming out of? What season is God leading you into? Embrace it and know that it is God’s way of preparing you for what He has in store for you.

February 12th, 2010 by Tim Moore

This Sunday is going to be incredible! I will be unleashing the truth about authority issues in marriage.

Some wives with control issues might get offended…
Some husbands with control issues might get offended…
Some single folks might get scared of marriage…
We are making a big announcement regarding our Experience Times.

And there is a rumor floating around that I might be singing a special song. I cannot confirm or deny this. You’ll have to come to find out.

February 8th, 2010 by Tim Moore

This weekend we are going to be talking about authority in the home and especially in the marriage relationship. I can’t wait for this weekend. It might create some really uncomfortable moments for husbands and wives.

My hope is that both husbands and wives will realize that God’s role for authority in a marriage is for the protection and peace of a home.

If you want to get a jump start…read Ephesians 5:22-25