My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (TLB)
I was watching our CR Birthday Celebration last Friday night, and it warms my heart to see what God is doing in people’s lives. As I listened to the stories a question crossed my mind, “Does time and experience make you smarter, wiser, or more mature?”
As I thought about this I would have to say, no, not necessarily. There was a time in my life that nothing really new was going on because nothing really changed. I thought if I put enough years between me and the hurt I would be ok – but I wasn’t. I thought if I knew what was wrong with me I could fix it – but I couldn’t. I was growing older, but I wasn’t getting better.
So what had to change? I began to utilize my time more purposefully by changing how I live and how I think. That sounds good, but how? For me it had to be about God. I had to give up that role and ask God to be the center of my life. You can’t serve two masters, something has to change.
It took me ten years as a Christian; with my life spiraling down as addictions took center stage, before I could get honest enough and really surrender my life to God and start to follow his will for my life. Celebrate Recovery and my church is helping me to fulfill my purpose in life, spending more time with God and all his people. It offers me a Christian process to not only evaluate and test what is right and wrong in my life, but create new experiences by allowing God to change me from the inside out.
We have all heard the recovery definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Nothing changes if nothing changes; but if you change just one word in the insanity definition it will change your life completely. What is it? Doing the right thing over and over again and you will experience different results; life changing results.
What’s the right thing? Stop leaning on your own understanding and start leaning on God’s word and his grace. When we do that, time and experience are used in a powerful way as we start to live out what God has put in.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6
Thank you CR and Crossroads Church.
Love God, love people, Jesus first!
Dana Cramer
Celebrate Recovery/Crossroads Church Calendar
August 29 – September 5, 2016
Friday, September 2nd: Teaching Night
- 6 pm: Our Hospitality Team is preparing a wonderful meal for you this Friday. Please join us for dinner and fellowship.
- 7 pm: Join us for an hour of Worship and a Step 12 lesson on”Yes”
- 8 pm: Open Share Groups.
- 9 pm: Solid Rock Café
Tuesday Nights: We have an open share group meeting for men from 6:30-7:30 pm in room 140.
Notice: A new Men’s mixed issue 12 Step group has started on Monday Nights at 6:30 pm. Please sign up on Friday nights or respond to
[email protected] If you haven’t yet signed up just drop on in at 6:30 and begin your journey to freedom from hurts, hang-up’s and habits.
A first time “The Journey Continues” Men’s 12 step group is forming and will begin Monday September 12. This study is for men who have completed a 12 step study previously.
Save the date: our annual CR picnic will be on September 11, from 1-4 pm.
Questions? For more information, contact
[email protected], or call the church office at 970-203-9201.
