Paul CastelliLead where you’re gifted, serve where you’re needed.

Today we all gather around tables with family, friends and celebrate, remember, give thanks. As we do that I am so thankful to God for all the ways He has blessed me, my family and Crosspoint Church.

As you recall all the blessings of your life, never forget the best is yet to come.

One final thought, please take the time to read George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, it truly is inspiring:

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

George Washington

This month will go down in the short history of Crosspoint Church as a month to take note of. I have been replaying this month over and over in my head. All I keep coming back to is “Glory be to God!”

Here are some things to celebrate…

* We had over 550 people in attendance each Sunday the last 3 weeks of the month. That is a jump of 90 people in one week!

* We had 26 people accept Jesus Christ as their savior this month, that is 1 less then the last three months combined. Go God, that is awesome!!!

* This past Sunday we had people write down the names of over 600 people they are investing in, inviting and praying for to come to know Jesus as their Lord & Savior.

* We had 50, yes 50 first time guest families come this month,, that is more then the last two months combined.

* We had the highest monthly offering ever in the history of Crosspoint, over $41,000.  That is 25% higher then last August.

* We turned 4 years old as a church. I knew God could do it, it was me I doubted.

* We hired our first Student Ministry director and are planning our first event ans already have over 70 teenagers signed up. This is unbelievable. I love teenagers and I cannot wait to see what God is going to do.

Here are some things to be excited about…

* On Sept 12 were are kicking off our Land Campaign to raise $1 million to purchase up to 25 acres of land to build future facilities on. Yes I said  $1 million, i know that sounds like a lot of money (it is) but we have a 3 year plan to do it.

* We put together a great Capitol Campaign Leadership team to oversee this for the next three years. They are awesome, I am so excited for their gifts, abilities and most importantly their faith and heart.

* We are going to see God bring even more people to faith in Jesus then ever before in the history of our church.

* God is going to stretch all of us through this campaign, and is going to do things that only He can do, through the generous and obedient sacrifices of His people.

This is a new season for Crosspoint Church and for all of us it can seem like a little overwhelming. But for God it is exactly what he has planned for us at this time to be able to reach this community for Jesus.

To God be the glory! Let’s Seize the Day.

In God’s Hands

Pastor Paul

I heard about this song and video by listening to the radio today. The morning show host was relaying a letter they received from a listener in our area, who was touched by the message of the song and how it helped her through a tough pregancy. As she read the letter I quickly realized that it was a member of our church who had written it. So I decided to look up the song and find out the original story behind it.

What I found blew me away. It is a message of the grace of God poured out upon a young family. Get out your tissues and take 10 min to watch this video.

Before the Morning

God is still God and God is still good!

Two weeks ago I took this picture in Washington DC, at the Korean War Memorial. It is a simple inscription on a marble wall. But it is one of the most sobering reminders of the sacrifice required for freedom.

“Freedom is not Free”, someone had to pay the ultimate price so that we might be free. As Americans we have had the privilege of almost two centuries of no wars being fought on our own soil. But sometimes we forget because we are not surrounded by the horrors of war or the devastation that it brings. Because we can go about our daily lives unaffected while others thousands of miles away sacrifice themselves and trade all of their tomorrows for all of our tomorrows.

We forget the great sacrifice placed on the alter of freedom that allows us to gather on Monday with friends and family around the pool and cookout. I am not saying don’t enjoy yourself on Monday, but what I am saying is remember the price that was paid so you and I would be free on Monday.

Thank you to all the brave men and women who willing laid down their lives in service to our nation. I pray that we will honor you by not allowing your sacrifices to have been in vain.

And as you celebrate that freedom we have as Americans, know that ultimate freedom regardless of nationality is only found in Jesus Christ, who laid down his life so that all mankind could be free forever. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 Thank you Jesus.

Hey Crosspoint

Here is an update from Crosspoint Chruch in Nashville to let you know how it is going and what God is doing. It is awesome, take a few minutes to read it, also you can all the churches that have sent teams or send support.

I love it it when the church gets to be the church, Go God!

http://withoutwax.tv/2010/05/20/latest-flood-relief-update/

In God’s Hands

Pastor Paul

This morning I read a great blog on Pain. It was a great perspective check. Here is the link to Perry Noble’s blog and the repost.

Pain–Part Three April 8, 2010

My last thought for this week on the subject of pain…
#3 – Pain Can Be God Testing Us
Everyone LOVES to talk about the blessings of God…but there aren’t a lot of people that want to talk about the times of testing that He sends our way.
I caused quite a stir one time at a gathering when I said, “The size of the vision God will give me is directly related to the amount of pain and discomfort that I am willing to endure.”
It’s quite ironic to me that people who claim to follow JESUS believe that He will always lead us away from (and protect us from) pain when the very path that God had for Him led Him to be crucified.
Leaders…its quite simple…if you and I are going to accomplish anything significant for His Kingdom then we’ve GOT to learn to deal with pain…
Moses did…he dealt with being lonely, with feeling overwhelmed, with a “church split,” with his own brother and sister rebelling against him…and yet God used him to lead one of the greatest movements in the history of the world.
Paul did…he was beaten, stoned (the old fashioned kind!), shipwrecked, betrayed and eventually murdered…and yet God used him to lead the greatest church planting movement known to man…and we still read his writings today.
Jesus did…we ALL know what happened to Him, how jealous, self-righteous people had Him beaten and murdered, how everyone in His inner circle abandoned Him in His greatest time of need, how He was betrayed by one of His closest friends…and yet He stayed faithful to the Father and finished the work God had assigned for Him.
Enduring great pain will often lead to tremendous progress.
Unfortunately in today’s Christian world there are too many people who run from pain rather than enduring through it…
Three or four critics arise in a church and the pastor entertains leaving because it is the easy thing to do rather than picking up his staff and fighting the wolves.
God calls a dude to start a church…but he refuses to do so unless he has $250,000 in the bank, five full time staff members, an excellent location and the best sound system that money can buy.
A confrontation needs to take place…which will require a VERY uncomfortable conversation that may place a friendship on the ropes.  Rather than dealing with it a person chooses to avoid the potential of pain and merely pray that God will “get their attention.”
I could go on but I think we all get the point…the calling and anointing of God are very real…but they are given to us NOT so we can necessarily have the easiest life imaginable but rather than so we can KNOW that as WE DO WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW of DEATH that HE IS THE AUTHOR OF LIFE…that He is with us, will never leave us or forsake us…and HE who called us will finish what He started in us (Philippians 1:6).
Sure, we all think we can be considered trustworthy by God to handle any blessings He wants to throw our way…but are we trustworthy enough to handle the pain that may be associated with those blessings?
I’ll say it again…enduring pain will often lead to tremendous progress.  SO…for those who MAY be about to give up because the pain is SO intense…don’t give up on the God who has never given up on you…allow the pain to make you better, not bitter…and hold on because if He can trust you with pain then He can trust you with the provision He is about to bring your way!

Dear Church Family

We kicked off DRIVEN this past Sunday. A four week series looking at what drives people. We started by looking at people driven by pain. What an incredible message God had for us. If you missed you can listen online. If you heard it, here are some follow up thoughts.

I came across this video and it is powerful

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

And I also read these verses in 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 this morning that spoke to this…

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

God is up to something big in your life and through your pain. I pray you let Him show you the way.

In God’s Hands
Pastor Paul

Let’s Make an Impact this Christmas

Every year we have the privilege to celebrate Christmas. It is a time to be with family, to exchange gifts, to share a meal and prepare to usher in a new year.

But before we do that let me encourage you to do four things to make an impact this Christmas.

• Give a “Christmas Eve Invite Card (5:30pm and 7pm)” to everyone you purchase something from, office friends, neighbors, family members.
• Be apart of the Christmas Gift Wrap on Saturday Dec. 19. It’s a chance to serve our community and let then know the greatest gift this Christmas was free. Sign up in the lobby on Sunday.
• Take a few hours on Dec. 20 to serve dinner to needy families and homeless in Hernando County with Love your Neighbor. Sign up in the lobby on Sunday.
• Give generously to the Christmas Offering. This money will be used for church starts, a clean water for a village, Native American outreach, local outreach and our children’s ministry.

I read that line in an article this week from Buckhead Church here is the link. It got me thinking about that for our church and for me personally.

First, for our church…

At Crosspoint every  December we take up a special Christmas offering that is above and beyond our regular giving. This offering usually goes to help set up the new year with either funds for new intiatives, events or staffing needs so we can make a big impact. Last year we were able to get some very necessary equipment for expanding our worship space and adding another children’s room.

This year we feel led to use only a small portion for our children’s ministry and to use the other 80% to help set five other ministries national and international up for a big impact in 2010. We are going to build a well in Africa for a village, support a native American ministry to teens on the reservation in Washington state. We are helping a church start in Michigan, and supporting a new church in Ocala, FL. And here in hernando county we are helping out Love Your Neighbor an organization that feeds the needy, clothes the naked and ministers to the homeless in our community.

I am so excited to be able to help those ministries and to help them this December by giving to the Christmas Offering so they can be set up for maximum imp;act in January. For Erin and I, it is an opportunity for us to give our best gift to God this Christmas.

We also focus in very intentional on Christmas Eve. We have found that is one of the greatest days to invite friends, neighbors and family members to church. We make a huge push to connect and serve our community and then invite them to share in our Christmas Eve worship services. It is a chance to share the reason of Christmas with love, grace and compassion and to offer hope to all for a truly divine new life in the new year. Starting this week we are adding 100 more seats to each service and 200 more for our Christmas Eve services. We are making room for people.

So that is what we as a church a doing in December to to fuel a great January.

Secondly, for me personally…

Every January is a big deal for Crosspoint as we kick off a new year, new series, new small group semester and try to connect with people as they are longing for the new year to be better then the last. Because I need to me ready and energized to lead and serve in those areas, it is key that I finish December strong and end 2009 well and then rest.

The best way I have found to be ready for the new year is to make sure I did everything i was called to do this year. So i take sometime to look over my 2009 goals and see where do i need to step it up in order to hit them before years end. I also take some time to reflect on what we have done and how that turned out, it gives me perspective.

Lastly, I spend a few days resting. I need some time off. I can’t burn it at both ends and expect to have what it takes to get me through another year without a few days to recharge mentally, spiritually, emotionally and to focus on my family. I can accomplish a ton of stuff for the Kingdom of God, but I only have one wife and one daughter and they need me too. So, I end each year with a week with them. Resting, Playing, Enjoying what God blessed me with.

So that is is how I focus and work hard in December to fuel a great start in January.

Will you join me this December to set yourself  and Crosspoint up for the best year yet?

Today our nation remembers that 8 years ago we were attacked on our own soil. We lost 3000 fellow citizens that day and it marks a moment in time that none of us who were alive will ever forget.

But as time goes on it becomes so easy to let things fade and for the significance to pass us by. For us to lose the passion, emotion and commitment that we once had. This is nothing new, it has been apart of humanity as long as we have been around. We forget, we move on, we let go.

We even do this with our faith. The fires that once burned so hot, have grown cold. Our faith that we once would die for, we now barely live for. So what are we to do? We must always fan the fan the flame and feed the fire so that we don’t forget.

I read a few verses yesterday that helped me remember who I serve, follow and put my faith in. Isaiah 46:9,10

Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.

Wow these verses just nailed me square in my heart. I must never forget who God is, and what He is doing.

And it reminded me of today. 8 years ago we were a nation united by tragedy, today we a nation of splinter factions. So we must be diligent to never forget. Never forget the defining moments of our lives. Never forget the life changing experiences. Never forget who we serve and what God is capable of.

So today as you take a moment to remember our fallen citizens, remember your resolve to uphold justice, honor the lost and comfort those left who lost loved ones. And remember you faith in God, that has seen you through all the trials of life and in the ends brings the gift of eternal life.