1 Peter: Elect Immigrants

Peter calls the believers Elect Immigrants!!! What a way to describe Christians. It refers to the fact that God has made us Special and Different. We will explore how God has done this and why it is so meaningful as we begin this study of 1 Peter.

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1 Peter 1:1-2,1:6,1:20,2:11-12,4:12,4:17,4:19
Matthew 7:23
Jeremiah 1:5
Galatians 4:9
2 Timothy 2:19,1:9
Romans 8:29-30
1 Corinthians 6:11
2 Thessalonians 2:13
Exodus 24:7-8

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Assembling of Ourselves Together: Not Me...Us

You are not called to be a Christian hermit!! You were never meant to walk in Christ alone. You will not properly grow in Christ as an individual. Why would you want to when God has provided us with a body of believers...filled with help and heroes?! You were called by God to be in a body of saints and there to grow and serve. Why settle for less than God's best for you? He has a purpose when we assemble ourselves together.

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1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13
Ephesians 2:19-22,4:11-16
1 Timothy 3:15
Hebrews 10:19-25

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What is a hermit?
• Why has God not called us to be hermits?
• Why is the sermon subtitled Not Me...Us?
• What are the benefits of being interconnected with the body of Christ?
• Why is just showing up on Sunday and going home not enough?
• Who are some of the heroes in our church for you?
• What are we doing to serve this body?
• What are our gifts and how are we using them?
• Who should we invite over to get to know better?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Hosea: Minor Prophet Doesn't Mean Second String

When was the last time your read any of the Minor Prophets for your devotions? Ever? Can you even find them in the Bible?!? Guys like: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, etc. Why did God even put them in the Bible? Well He put them in the Bible for a good reason or else they would not be there. And He put them there for us to read and learn from. But perhaps you have found them hard to understand. This begins a study of Hosea. Our goal is to help you understand this important prophet. But another goal is to help you have the tools to understand the other Minor Prophets as well and to benefit and enjoy this rich treasure of literature in our Bible.

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Hosea 1:1
2 Kings 9-10,17

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Assembling of Ourselves Together: The Primacy of Preaching

The Bible calls preaching foolishness and powerful...why? Why has God ordained this thing called preaching as one of the primary ways he saves and makes disciples? Does God actually speak to people through the preaching of a mere fallible human? How does all of this work?

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Acts 6:1-7
Luke 4:18-19
Titus 1:1-3
1 Corinthians 1:18-25,2:1-5
Romans 10:13-17
1 Peter 4:11
Ephesians 2:17
James 3:1,1:22
2 Corinthians 2:12-17,4:1-7
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
1 Peter 4:11

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why does the Bible call preaching both foolish and powerful?
• Why should we value the preaching of God's Word?
• How does God speak through His Word being preached?
• How can we be good hearers?
• How can we be good doers?
• Why is our pulpit in the middle of the stage?
• What message did God have for you today?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Assembling of Ourselves Together: Unleashing Disciples

What is the church for? Why do we assemble ourselves together regularly? Why do churches spend so much money and time on advertising and programs until everyone is exhausted? Is this what Jesus envisioned and commanded? Is this what the apostles did? What He commanded and what they did was make disciples and then unleashed these disciples upon the the world. Are you an unleashed disciple?...a very dangerous person indeed!!!

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Acts 8:1-4,17:6
Matthew 5:13-16
Proverbs 31:28
1 Corinthians 7:14
Ephesians 6:5-9
Colossians 3:22-4:1

To these protracted and cruel persecutions the church opposed no revolutionary violence, no carnal resistance, but the moral heroism of suffering and dying for the truth. But this very heroism was her fairest ornament and staunchest weapon. In this very heroism she proved herself worthy of her divine founder, who submitted to the death of the cross for the salvation of the world, and even prayed that his murderers might be forgiven. The patriotic virtues of Greek and Roman antiquity reproduced themselves here in exalted form, in self-denial for the sake of a heavenly country, and for a crown that fadeth not away. Even boys and girls became heroes, and rushed with a holy enthusiasm to death. In those hard times men had to make earnest of the words of the Lord: "Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." "He, that loveth father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me." But then also the promise daily proved itself true: "Blessed are they, who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "He, that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it." And it applied not only to the martyrs themselves, who exchanged the troubled life of earth for the blessedness of heaven, but also to the church as a whole, which came forth purer and stronger from every persecution, and thus attested her indestructible vitality.

These suffering virtues are among the sweetest and noblest fruits of the Christian religion. It is not so much the amount of suffering which challenges our admiration, although it was terrible enough, as the spirit with which the early Christians bore it. Men and women of all classes, noble senators and learned bishops, illiterate artisans and poor slaves, loving mothers and delicate virgins, hoary-headed pastors and innocent children approached their tortures in no temper of unfeeling indifference and obstinate defiance, but, like their divine Master, with calm self-possession, humble resignation, gentle meekness, cheerful faith, triumphant hope, and forgiving charity. Such spectacles must have often overcome even the inhuman murderer. "Go on," says Tertullian tauntingly to the heathen governors, "rack, torture, grind us to powder: our numbers increase in proportion as ye mow us down. The blood of Christians is their harvest seed. Your very obstinacy is a teacher. For who is not incited by the contemplation of it to inquire what there is in the core of the matter? And who, after having joined us, does not long to suffer?" Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume II

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA