A New Kind of Resolution: A Purpose Filled Church

Ephesians 3:14-21

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

What does it take to move from potential to actuality? What will it take to move from a church of potential on Jan 3^rd, 2021, to actually accomplishing what God desires at the end of 2021?

3 ELEMENTS:

A pursuit ___________ +a plea ____________+ a passion for ______________________=a purpose filled, God-pleasing church.

A Pursuit of God’s Glory

1 Chronicles 16:28-30

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
²⁹ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
³⁰     tremble before him, all the earth;
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Psalm 8:1

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Isaiah 42:8

I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other nor my praise to carved idols.

Isaiah 43:7

everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A Plea for God’s Power

A Passion for God’s People

1 Thessalonians 1:2

² We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

⁷ But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ⁸ So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

⁹ For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰ as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

A purpose filled, God-pleasing church has the core values of:

Gather

Grow

Go

Show

A new kind of resolution:

By the grace and power of God, I will seek to do all things to God’s glory. I will commit to gathering regularly with my Crossroads family, growing in my faith and service to my other brothers and sisters, going out to live my life on mission, and showing the world what a faithful follower of Christ looks like.

Signed, ___________________________________________________