Standing at the Crossroads

2011-10-29T11:43:00.002-07:00

	October 26, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear friends, Thanks for your continued prayers for Samantha. We have received many requests in recent days asking for an update. After coming home from the hospital on October 3, having the infected PICC line removed, still using the NJ feeding tube, she was able to drink enough liquids that the doctor decided to try pulling the NJ feeding tube on Oct. 10 and see what happened. He had no idea why some things were better but others had not changed. That was 16 days ago. Praise the Lord that so far, she is able to drink enough pedialyte and ensure to stay hydrated and get the calories she needs without a feeding tube. This is huge progress from one month ago, when we were told that she would probably have a tube for the rest of her life. She is still not able to eat anything solid, and we do not know yet if she will be able to eventually. At this time we are taking it easy, and waiting on God. She has good days and bad days, but is definitely better than she was a month ago. She is very glad to be without the tube. She has been able to go to school and is staying on top of all her classes. This week was parent-teacher conferences. It was a blessing to hear her teachers, in the public school, talk about her faith, and how they can't understand how she is cheerful and manages to keep up with her work, with all that has happened. To God alone be the Glory. The next few weeks will be filled with more appointments, as our insurance has kicked Samantha's case into California Children's Services(CCS). CCS is a government funded insurance which pays for every thing when a child has a chronic illness. We qualify, but now we must see a whole new set of doctors and specialists, of CCS's choice at a hospital in the Bay Area. We are very thankful for this coverage, but not looking forward to starting over with more doctors. It is our prayer that one of them will have some new treatment options, but that is unlikely. Trips to the Bay Area cost us a minimum of $50 each trip, in gas, bridge tolls and parking, plus a day that we can not substitute teach. But, that is minor compared to the hundreds of thousand of $$s in testing and hospitalizations that the insurance covers. We are so thankful for the financial help that we have received from our prayer supporters. Every bill has been paid to this date, including the expensive medications that the other insurance did not cover. To God alone be the Glory! Your prayers and notes of encouragement have carried us through this challenging time. God has truly been faithful and we have had many opportunities to share God's grace with doctors, nurses, etc. HIS strength has been made perfect in our weakness. Thank you for bearing this burden with us and fulfilling the law of Christ. It is our goal to send out a regular prayer letter in the next week, including pictures from Crossroads Fifth Anniversary Celebration and a report on how GOD is building HIS church in Tracy CA. Thank you for your prayers and support! God is good, all the time. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

	October 2, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear friends, Thanks for your continued prayers. Samantha was admitted to the hospital last Monday with a very dangerous infection in her PICC line. Specialists were called in, as the labs were unable to determine exactly what the infection was, or where it came from. Thankfully it did respond to antibiotics and after a few days she was out of danger. The doctors were very concerned about future infections and the need to increase the feeding rate on her NJ feeding tube, which had never worked well. They anticipated at least another week in the hospital, treating the infection and finding a safe way to get her much needed nutrition, as she has not been able to tolerate anything by mouth for months. Infections are always scary, but especially with motility conditions, as often they make the symptoms much worse. The doctor had to pull the infected line and also repositioned the feeding tube, as it had moved. We were not happy when he decided to wait to replace the PICC line and try again to use the feeding tube. This tube has been extremely painful and the other specialist had recommended abandoning it. Much to everyone's surprise, the tube is now working so well that they did not have to replace the PICC line. She can now get all of her nutrition through this much safer method. AND....she has actually been able to sip some clear liquids today. Because she is doing so well, the doctors decided to let her come home today. This change is her condition was totally unexpected and can not be explained by any treatments that have been done since she was hospitalized. The small intestines, which have showed NO motility for months of testing are now working. The nurses can't believe it, the doctors can't explain it and we are praising GOD! Time will tell how much healing has truly happened and what the future will hold. All decisions made by the specialist to discontinue treatments were based on the fact that the feeding tube wouldn't work and the small intestines were not moving. We are anxious to see what comes next, based on what happened this weekend. God has clearly worked a miracle! We are patiently waiting to see the extent of HIS work. God is good, all the time. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

	September 28, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear friends, Thanks for your continued prayers. Sunday, Samantha started running a fever. Our doctor had us take her to the ER in Tracy for blood work. On Monday we got the blood work back and it showed an infection from the PICC line. The doctor was very concerned and admitted her immediately to Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, treating the infection. We will be here for a few more days until they determine exactly what the bacteria is, so they can send us home with the correct specific antibiotic. Thankfully the fever has broken. She does not feel good, at all, but we are out of "danger". They did an ultrasound yesterday and it showed that there is no organ damage from the infection or from the treatments that we have tried. God is good, all the time. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

	September 22, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear friends, Today was definitely a day where we were thankful for the prayers of God's people. The knowledge that God is the great physician and that nothing happens outside of HIS perfect plan, carried us through some tough news. We took Samantha to see the motility specialist in SF today. We really like this doctor because he is cutting edge, quick to try new things and VERY straightforward. He examined Samantha and reviewed everything that has happened since we saw him last month. His conclusions were what we expected (we have done a lot of research on our own) but not what we hoped to hear. We prayed for answers but also for the peace to accept God's will. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 1:6-7 Samantha will not be continuing on the octreotide injections, as the side effects from them were very unpleasant, and the drug did not produce the desired result. A special thank you goes out to those who helped pay for this expensive treatment! She is not a candidate for any surgeries because of the extent of her condition. He has tried all medications that had any chance of reversing or greatly improving her condition and none of them produced the desired results. What is left are a few medications that may help manage symptoms and improve the artificial feeding process. He does not see her getting off the feeding tubes. The best he can hope for is that, with medication, eventually she will be able to tolerate enough through the tube through her nose(NJ) which is a more natural nutrition that they can reduce or eliminate the IV feeding tube in her arm (PICC line). If the NJ will work, it can be moved to the wall of the stomach so that it is not "in her face". At this point, the experimenting with meds will take months, with the hope that perhaps sometime she will be able to eat and drink a little on her own. Obviously we had hoped that he would be able to offer better options. Feeding tubes carry a high risk of infection and the PICC line/TPN feeding will eventually damage other organs. But, nutrition is necessary to survival, so it is a risk that must be taken. None of the doctors have been able to determine what caused this condition, but 60-80% of the time a cause is never found. It was probably caused by a virus. It is still hard to comprehend how this happened to a very healthy, active child. However, we know that God is good all the time. We are thankful that through insurance and the generosity of God's people, all medications and procedures have been paid in full. We now have a special fund set up at Baptist Church Planters in Samantha's name and are trusting God to continue to supply every need according to HIS riches in glory through Christ Jesus. We are now moving into a maintenance phase where we learn to live with this condition. There are many opportunities to share our faith with doctors, nurses, etc. as we go travel down this path. We will obviously continue to seek new treatments, but we have to acknowledge that the doctor whom we saw today is the one that every one in this field turns to when they don't know what to do next. If he doesn't have a solution, it is unlikely that others will. Samantha continues to amaze us with her faith. Of course, there are moments when we all falter and struggle. However, Samantha's FaceBook post from this afternoon sums it up quite well: "just got back from my appointment with my motility specialist in San Fransisco, he said the only thing he can really do for me now is try some new nausea medications for a few months and see if they help the feeding tube work better, if they do I'll get a more permanent feeding tube if the medication doesn't help we will probably just do TPN. When there is nothing you can do in your own strength that is when you are the most aware of Gods strength, he is the great Physician and can do a miracle but we have to remember that God answers our Prayers yes, no and later." Please understand that we have not given up hope. Our hope is in the LORD, the maker of heaven and of earth! Samantha still hopes that they will get her tubes working in such a way that she can return to playing softball, surfing, and doing all the things that a typical teenager enjoys. There is a need for more research and medications to treat this condition. Pray with us for a breakthrough to help her and many others who suffer from this "silent illness". Thank you for your prayers and support! Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:40:00.002-07:00

Hello Prayer Partners,

Thank you so much for your prayers this weekend as Crossroads Family attended our first ever Family Camp. It was such a blessing to get to know each other better and grow spiritually in the beautiful setting of Pilot Lake Camp.

Crossroads at Pilot Lake Family Camp Sept 3-5

TONIGHT! we kick off our 2011-2012 JOY Club program.

We are continuing to divide the age groups as the club grows and workers are available. Please pray that we will be able to reach many of the children who attended "Rev It Up" VBS this summer.

Family Update
Samantha's PIC (IV) line was inserted last Monday without any complications. She was able to come home on Thursday and spend the weekend at camp with the church. The doctor is still working on adjusting the formulas to get her everything she needs without pain. This is the situation that we had hoped to avoid with other treatments, but we are thankful that her energy level is increasing and she is able to go to school. This will be a long process of experimenting with various treatments. Everyone is asking what is next, and we really don't know yet. The doctors are not sure. So, we appreciate your continued prayer for wisdom and endurance. Thank you for your prayers and support. On a brighter note, all three of our other girls have been cast in plays this fall. Janae, at her HS and Alyssa and Talitha at a local theater. We are hopeful that these opportunities will also give us the chance to meet new people in Tracy and share the gospel.

In the picture is Molly, Samantha, and Janae.

Standing at the Crossroads,

The Heinrich Family

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

	August 27, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Samantha. We have been overwhelmed by the calls, notes, and financial gifts to help with her medical expenses. It is blessing to be part of the body of Christ. She has been on the injections for one week now. They are making a slight difference, and the doctors are hopeful that we will continue to see improvement in motility. However, the change is not happening fast enough yet for her to get the nutrition that she needs through the NJ (feeding) tube. So, Monday morning the doctor will be putting in TPN...this is IV nutrition that will hopefully only have to be temporary. She will need to be hospitalized for 3-5 days while they get this regulated. For locals, she will be in Samaritan Hospital in San Jose. We also appreciate your prayers as the Crossroads Family heads up into the mountains for family camp at Pilot Lake Christian Camp Labor Day weekend. We are praying for spiritual growth and that they will continue to grow together as a church Family. Thank you for praying! Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

	August 18, 2011
	Medication Needed


Dear Prayer Partners, We went to the Pharmacy today to pick up the medication that Samantha needs, after checking with our insurance, which has paid for everything so far, we found out that the medication would not be covered with no exceptions. We believe that this medication is Samantha's best hope for treating her digestive tract paralysis and getting her nutrition in the short term. We ask what the cost would be to pay for it outright. The brand name is over $800 per month, but praise the Lord the generic is $430 per month. We are very thankful that our insurance has been so good up to date. The name of the medication if you are interested is "Octreotide". Susan and I supplement the support we receive through Baptist Church Planters by Susan teaching music lessons in our home and I substitute teach in the local school system. However, because of the nature of this income, the end of Summer can be very lean financially. We currently do not have the funds to cover the ongoing cost of this medication. One of our Supporters has already committed to helping us with a portion of the first months cost, and we are very thankful. We are praying that a long term solution can be found that will be within our budget or covered by insurance. Your Prayers mean so much to our family at this time. God is good all the time and we are trusting in his grace to see us through. Proverbs 3:5&6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Thank you for praying! Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:38:00.002-07:00

	August 18, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, Thank you so much for praying for Samantha's Doctors appointment Wednesday. We found out much valuable information, although it was not what we had hoped to hear. The tests last week showed that her Small intestine is not contracting at all, and her stomach is almost as paralyzed. During the test last week Sam was given a couple of different medications to see if they would effect the contractions. One of them is very promising and she will be starting injections of that medication today and will need to remain on the feeding tube for the next three to four weeks while we see how the medication works. We appreciate your continued prayers for Samantha and we will keep you updated. Thank you for praying! Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:38:00.001-07:00

	August 16, 2011
	Urgent Prayer for Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, We just received a call from the specialist office asking for us to come in tomorrow (8/17/11) to meet with the Dr. and go over the test results. The Dr. did not have any openings until next month but a cancellation allowed us to get in this quickly. Only by God's grace! Please pray with us that the Dr. will have a treatment plan that can move ahead quickly. Samantha is currently on a feeding tube that makes her very uncomfortable and she is unable to eat or drink anything for fear that it could dislodge the tube.. We are praying that this is very temporary. For those of you in the Midwest, many of you will be having prayer meeting at the same time as the appointment. (3pm pacific, 6 pm eastern). Please ask your churches to pray with us that Dr. Snape would have wisdom and that treatment could start promptly. We are very thankful for the many continued opportunities to be a light in a dark world. Many of the Doctors and nurses have noticed Samantha's great attitude in the face of a very serious illness and have commented on it. We are able to testify that it is only by the Grace of God! This picture was taken yesterday as the kids went back to school. Samantha is on the left, then Alyssa, Janae, and Talitha. Thank you for praying! Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

	August 10, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, Many of you have asked for updates on Samantha for your Wednesday Night Prayer Meetings. Please share the following important requests tonight. Samantha had a four hour gastric emptying study done on Monday which showed SEVERELY delayed stomach emptying. Because of that test, the specialist moved the exploratory surgery, that was scheduled for September 8, to TOMORROW at 7 AM. The specialist may start treatment during the procedure, possibly even putting in a gastric pacemaker at that time, if he determines that is the best option. We appreciate your prayers for wisdom, as many decisions are having to be made very quickly right now! Samantha had the opportunity to witness today to her Buddhist pediatrician, who acknowledged that there must be a higher power, while looking at Samantha's blood work. There is no explanation for how "healthy" she still is, after 5 weeks of not being able to eat. The doctor says her nutrition numbers and weight should have changed after three days. We know that God has protected her. We are praying that Dr. Shen will believe that too. This doctor has her children in the day care run by a Crossroads family who have a strong testimony in our community. Seeds are being sown on so many levels. Thank you for praying! btw....we had another record attendance at Crossroads on Sunday, as GOD continues to grow HIS church. To GOD ALONE be the GLORY! Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:36:00.002-07:00

	August 3, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, Samantha is once again at Children's Hospital in Oakland. We came in yesterday because she could not keep anything down and she had become dehydrated. The problem with her digestive system seems to have gotten worse, and we are waiting to see if the Dr.s will start IV nutrition. She has not had anything of any nutritional value in over 3 weeks. She is scheduled to have more tests on Monday. We appreciate your prayers for her. Susan is holding down the fort in Tracy where Crossroads is having our annual VBS. One boy was saved last night. Please pray for Susan and all the workers as Tim is in Oakland with Samantha. Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:36:00.001-07:00


	Update on Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, We wanted to give you a brief update on what is happening with our daughter Samantha. We were thankful to attend the GARBC national conference in Denver as well as two weeks at Pilot Lake camp this summer. We have spent the rest of the summer in and out of doctors offices and hospitals, continually being told there is nothing else they can do for her, that she needs to see a specialist that deals specifically with this motility condition. There are only a handful of these specialists in the US, and thankfully one of them is in San Fransisco. She had an appointment scheduled for September 7th, which seemed like a lifetime away. Thank you so much for praying! The specialist had a cancellation yesterday and she was able to get in. He was very blunt and aggressive, scheduling some specific tests and assuring us that he will be moving quickly to treat her symptoms. He is doing some cutting edge treatments and we are very anxious to see what he can do. This appointment was clearly an answer to prayer. We were the last patient he saw before heading on vacation. He could have easily just left early! God is good. The tests and treatment options are far from pleasant, but neither is what she has been suffering through for the past six months. God is good and we thank Him for the many opportunities to share His grace and mercy in our community through this challenging time. We also appreciate your prayers for Samantha as she starts High School on August 15th, in the middle of all this. And for the rest of the family, as we attempt to maintain "normal" We have felt distracted from church planting during this time, but God is growing HIS church. We have had record attendances this summer, with many visitors and many planning to join Crossroads. Forty-FIve people are signed up to go to Family Camp at Pilot Lake Camp as a church on Labor Day Weekend. It is such a blessing to watch the "crowd" become a "family." Vacation Bible School is next week August 1-5 each evening. We are hoping to reach 100 kids with the gospel. We are so thankful for the beautiful feet of Crossroads families who are committed to this outreach. Standing at the Crossroads, Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

Truth For Today

The Heinrich Newsletter - July 2011

June /July report!

Dear Prayer Partners,

We have had a crazy week! We love to send you full color prayer letters, with pictures, but there is not time for that today. We do want to update you on what is happening in Tracy. We hope that you will take the time to read this "black and white" bullet point version of "Truth for Today".

-Crossroads is now in full fellowship with the GARBC! Thank you to those who helped us attend the conference. The preaching, teaching, and fellowship were outstanding. It was an overwhelming blessing to participate in a church planters hour at the conference and see all the things God is doing in churches around the world. We came back with so many new ideas!!

- The church has had visitors all summer. Although many core families have been on vacation, attendance has remained strong and ministries have continued to grow. Some families will not recognize their church when they return from their vacations!

-With the help of a Baptist Builder's Club grant, Crossroads is transforming the school gym from a plain, temporary meeting place into a beautiful worship facility, foyer, fellowship area and Sunday School classrooms, with dividing walls and pew style chairs. They all fit beautifully into the new trailer, purchased by a sister church, which is pulled by the Suburban, donated by a pastor friend. God has been so good to us! Until God chooses to provide a permanent facility we are content to meet where our community seems to be finding us.

-The August new members class will hopefully have 7 couples/individuals who desire to join Crossroads

-VBS will be Aug 1-5. We are thrilled by many new "laborers" seeking a harvest of souls. Pray with us that God will send 100 children to hear the gospel. REV IT UP! FULL THROTTLE FOR GOD!

-Teen Camp is July 11-16 and Junior Camp is July 18-23. We are praying that God will use this time to grow our youth. God provided for Crossroads to send Lana (saved in JOY club this year) to Junior Camp. Her dad was so moved by this that he has started to attend church. Pray for Robert's salvation.

-Samantha's health issues are on going. We have spent a good part of the summer at Doctors appointments. This condition is difficult to fully diagnose and treat, so we appreciate you prayers for wisdom and endurance as we attempt to manage the symptoms and seek to bring God glory through this situation. This past week she spent three days in Oakland Children's hospital for dehydration and other complications. She came home Thursday evening on a new (additional) medication. On Monday the Crossroads teens will be heading to Teen Camp at Pilot Lake. The doctors have cleared Samantha to go, since Tim will be there as a counselor. Please pray with us that she will have a good week and be refreshed spiritually.

-It was difficult to return from the conference with so many new ideas that we want to implement at Crossroads, and to end up spending the next week in the hospital with our daughter. We appreciate your prayers as we struggle to balance the responsibilities of ministry and family. We know that God is sovereign over all of these situations. We are blessed to watch Crossroads grow spiritually through the challenges this year. God is building HIS church.

-Crossroads will be celebrating its fifth anniversary September 18th . We would love to have you join us as we rejoice in what God is doing in Tracy.

Standing at the Crossroads

The Heinrich Family

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Heinrich Newsletter - May 2011

Prayer Partners,

Egg Hunt Report!
God brought out close to 1500 people on April 22nd for the Annual Resurrection Egg Hunt. The Gideons handed out 600 New Testaments and people heard the gospel in several different ways. It is very exciting to be part of an outreach that draws an unsaved crowd. Registration forms indicated that 75% of the people at the event do not even attend any church. Included in the other 25% were Buddhists, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. God gives us an unparallelled opportunity to impact lives at this outreach. Please pray for us as we work on ways to continue sharing the gospel with these neighbors.
Click here for a video report from the Egg Hunt. Please feel free to share this with your church.

Facilities:

We continue to look for a facility that we can rent 24/7. We continue to pursue several options, but have yet to find anything that is as visible and usable as the school facility. There is definitely a growing excitement at Crossroads about the possibility of having our own facility some time soon. In the mean time, we are extremely thankful for the new trailer and Suburban which have allowed us to expand what we do at the school.

Palm Sunday was the first time for a choir cantata, using new equipment purchased by a Baptist Builders Club Grant.
The support of God's people is overwhelming!

Church Growth:

This spring PT was privileged to baptize four young people. Alex and Audra are neighbors who were reached through JOY Club. Nicole's family came to Crossroads last year, after leaving the American Baptist Church, and Mala is the oldest child in the family that moved here from Pakistan. It was a blessing to hear the testimonies of how God has worked in each of their lives.

Hopefully there will be five adults completing a membership class and joining soon, also. If families would stop moving OUT of Tracy, our attendance numbers would really grow! But, we are constantly reminded that it is our job to commit to faithful men who are able to teach others also. Where God uses them is up to HIM. God will build HIS church, in HIS way and in HIS timing!

JOY Club Report:

This was a record breaking year for our JOY Club.

Students enrolled - 23
Visitors brought - 22
Average attendance - 14
Salivations - 2
Baptisms - 2
Verses recited - 941

We Praise the Lord for what He is doing through JOY Club.

Family Report:

Samantha:
We appreciate your continued prayers for our family. Specifically many have been praying for our 14 year old daughter Samantha. She has always been very healthy (Four years in a row of perfect attendance at school, excellent athlete, etc.)

For the past 12 weeks she has been unable to keep down food. We have been to four hospitals, numerous specialists, ran dozens of tests and procedures and put 1240 miles on our mini van. The initial diagnosis of a tumor in her pituitary gland, which was going to require brain surgery, was ruled out by other tests. The mass in pituitary is a cyst, which will be closely monitored, but for now is not going to be surgically removed.

We finally have some answers, as she is being treated for Gastroparesis, a paralysis of the stomach muscles that is usually caused by nerve damage. The doctors are still trying to determine what has caused this paralysis, but we are thankful to be starting treatment. She is on some controversial and high powered medications that stimulate the stomach to do what it is supposed to do. This has been a painful process. There is no "cure" for this condition. We will have to make lifestyle changes to help her manage the symptoms. We are thankful that she is slowly beginning to be able to eat again. God miraculously protected her from serious malnourishment during this time. She was dehydrated several times and has lost weight, but there does not appear to be any permanent damage. The only explanation of this protection is the prayers of God's people. The doctors have been amazed that she has not battled depression during this ordeal. It has been a beautiful testimony at her school and on her sports teams to the grace of God in her life. We appreciate your continued prayers.

GARBC conference need:

We are so excited about this year’s GARBC national conference in Denver Co. The theme this year is “Destined to Multiply” with an emphasis on church planting. We believe that this will be a great opportunity to highlight the church planting efforts in California and meet with interested pastors and other church planters. Our church, the Crossroads Baptist Church of Tracy has applied for full fellowship with the GARBC this year, and will be received into fellowship at the Denver conference. We have also received a grant from Baptist Builders Club to help with our facilities needs and will be receiving the “Big” check. Tim has also been ask to speak at the Baptist Builders Club Breakfast about the impact of the Grant on the church plant. The final reason we are hoping to attend this year’s annual conference is Tim’s participation in the GARBC Chaplain corps.

Because our summer budget is already maxed out, we need the help of our great supporters to get us to the conference. We are planning to drive the 1260 miles each way from Tracy to Denver, to save as much money as possible. We need about $1,400 for the trip. The best way to attend this conference is to stay in the conference hotel where you can return to your room to rest etc. The conference hotel is $98 a night (plus tax$$$) and we would have to get a room and a half, as they will not let us all stay in one. We are planing to share the second room with our ministry partners, the Shade Family, who also need a room and a half. If we stay at the conference and share the room with the shades the total need for this trip is $2,000. Our sending church has already committed to helping us with $500 so that leaves only $1,500.

Thank you for praying with us about this need. We can’t do it alone, but God can do it through the generosity of His people.

Vacation Bible School:

We are planning "Rev It Up" VBS from August 1-5. We are hopeful to see many Egg Hunt contacts at this outreach. Our first VBS reached 55 different children. Last year we reached 70 children. Will you pray that God will send 100 children this year (and the workers to teach them?)

Standing at the Crossroads together with you,
Tim and Susan Heinrich and Family

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:33:00.000-07:00


	Update on Samantha


Dear Prayer Partners, I wanted to give you a brief update on what is happening with our daughter Samantha. We met with the surgeon this morning. He is baffled by her case, he was thoroughly convinced that the test would come back confirming his diagnosis however when they got back the hormone level tests they were within the normal range. They have also put her on medication that should help the symptoms if it is a pituitary issue, and there has not been the dramatic change that they expected to see. Because this points to a variety of other possible diagnosis, the Doctors have decided to run more tests before moving ahead with treatment or surgery. The Cyst is definitely there and they are wanting to watch it carefully, however they need to be sure that it is the source of the problems before taking the major step of surgery. They want to explore all other possible causes and treatments first. We appreciate your continued prayers for Samantha. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:32:00.002-07:00


	Update on Samantha


Prayer Partners, It has been a whirlwind week for Samantha, with lots of testing and trips back and forth to San Fransisco. God has been so good, as we were able to get a next day appointment at the University of California, San Fransisco Center for pituitary disorders. They have been amazing! We know that God's people have been praying as we have seen doors open in ways that only God can do. We have felt like we are at Disney on a Fast Pass. We have been able to get appointments amazingly fast. They confirmed that Samantha has a cyst in her pituitary gland and scheduled for it to be removed on Tuesday April 26th. This surgery will be done through the nose (She is sooo glad that they won't be shaving her head!) Ninety percent of the time, these cysts are not cancerous. The surgery is highly successful and will be done by the head of the department at the best facility on the West Coast. God is good all the time. We appreciate your prayers, as she has been given medication to help her keep food down until surgery can be performed. God is using this situation for HIS glory in so many ways. Pray for continued opportunities to witness at school and to our daughter's sports teams. The world responds to crisis through panic. We have had to "un-panic" many people and been able to share with them the peace that passes all understanding. Samantha's friend Sierra's dad is a vocal agnostic, yet he called and left a message on our answering machine this week saying "Please call and tell me how Sam is doing. I've been praying alllll day. I'm so worried, I don't know if God listens to people like me, but I'm sure trying" He was in church Sunday and actually listened to the gospel. If these trials bring God glory, then we thank HIM for the opportunity to serve. The unsaved secretary at our school lost her husband to a brain tumor several years ago. We have had some long talks this week, and God continues to speak to her heart Samantha continues to play softball, despite feeling awful. It keeps her busy! She is hoping to be fully recovered to play in tournaments at the end of May. We have been claiming Philipians 4:4-9 through this challenging time. Thank you for praying. God is good, all the time! Thanks again for all your prayers for her. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

March 30, 2011


	Update on Samantha


Prayer Partners, Thank you for praying for Samantha. Please forgive us for sending so many emails, but so many of you have been asking for updates. This is the simplest way to get the news to all our prayer warriors. We received preliminary results on her MRI this morning. They found a 4mm "Mass" within the pituitary gland and we have been referred to a neurologist. We are praying that this is the answer to what has been causing her reflux and other issues. We will know more, hopefully, after seeing the neurologist. Please pray that we will be able to get an appointment soon. Samantha will be going through several more tests and we would appreciate your prayers for her that she stays strong and looks to the Lord. We have been overwhelmed by all the love and prayers already. God is good all the time and we are trusting HIM. Thanks again for all your prayers for her. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: 209.833.6263

Email: timandsusan@tracychurch.org

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:31:00.001-07:00

	March 11, 2011
	Update on Samantha


Prayer Partners, Thank you for praying for Samantha. She came through her scope this morning fine. Other than not remembering much (which is a good thing) she did great. There is Good news and bad news. The good news is that everything looked normal, that is also the bad news because we don't have any more answers than when we started. They did take a biopsy, for testing so we should know more on Tuesday. Please pray that Samantha will be able to return to a more normal diet soon and that the Doctors will find out what is causing the reflux issues. Thanks again for all your prayers for her. Tim and Susan Heinrich

Tel: (510) 123-4567
Toll Free: (800) 123-4567
Fax: (510) 765-4321
Email: info@company.com

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

Truth for Today
The Heinrich Newsletter

Good Morning from Tracy CA!
The sun is shining and we are looking forward to what the day will bring as we serve HIM.

Yesterday was Sandra Cantu's birthday. Sandra was the little girl who was abducted and murdered by her Sunday School teacher in 2009. Tracy will forever be changed by that horrible time. Thank you for those who prayed us through and supported us as we shared the love of Christ and true Christianity during that time. God has used your faithfulness to bring many to himself.

Praise the Lord that two precious children have received Christ in recent weeks at Crossroads. Benny Shade made a clear profession of faith in Children's Church. He was very broken over his sins and his need for Jesus' forgiveness. It was, however very hard to keep a straight face, when he was asked where he would go if he wasn't saved, and he answered "Mexico"(instead of Hell). Since there are families in our church from Mexico, this was especially funny.

Lana's family was reached through the Fourth of July parade and Vacation Bible School. She accepted Jesus as her Savior last Wednesday in JOY Club. Her statement was "I've always believed Jesus died on the cross. Now I believe He died for ME"
Thank you for your prayers and support of this ministry. This is your fruit!

Our biggest outreach of the year is coming soon! The Resurrection Egg Hunt is April 22. We are busy stuffing eggs, preparing goody bags, etc. We need 4,000 Eggs from our prayer supporters so that we can reach our goal of 14,000 eggs for the hunt. If you can help with this outreach, please send plastic eggs that have been stuffed with wrapped candy (no chocolate, please), stickers, small toys, gospel bracelets, Bible verses, etc. to The Heinrichs 1220 Appalosa Way Tracy CA 95376. Please use a small piece of tape to tape each egg shut, as we scatter them quite quickly and not gently! Thank you! If the Lord has "laid" this ministry on your heart please let us know by replying to this e-mail so that we can plan appropriately.
If you would like to purchase pre stuffed eggs, they can be ordered from www.plasticeastereggs.com

We would appreciate your prayers for our daughter Samantha (13). She has been dealing with what we thought was acid reflux. Over the last 10 days she has had difficulty keeping solid food down and has been living on smoothies! She is scheduled have a scope on Friday morning at 8:am to try to find out what is going on.

We would also appreciate your prayers as one our core families contemplate a possible move to New Mexico. Please pray for the Stepps as they consider what God has for them to do. Losing them would leave a huge hole in the ministry here, but we know that God's timing is perfect and HE will build his church.

The Heinrichs
Serving with Baptist Church Planters
At Crossroads Baptist Church of Tracy Ca

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa Way
Tracy, CA 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Truth for Today

The Heinrich Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners

Thank you for your prayers.

Many of you reply to our emails and encourage us by your intimate knowledge of this ministry. Today, I felt compelled to write as we have received many inquiries about specific people. Today, we rejoice in God's blessings. We rejoice that nearly every Sunday this year, there have been visitors at Crossroads and that many of them are returning and getting involved. Noel and Amy are growing spiritually and it is evident every time you talk to them. Their oldest daughter Karissa earned her Joy Club uniform this past week, and their two little ones have really bonded with others at Crossroads. Praise the Lord.

Chira, Mark and Robert are also settling in quickly. She commented that she has spent more time with Crossroads families in the month she has been here than in years at other churches. Praise the Lord.

If there is a special jewel in your crown in heaven for being bold about your faith and bringing others to church, Rose is earning it. She has brought five Filipino ladies (and an assortment of children) to church or Bible Study so far this year. She "happened upon" a group that has a ladies Bible Study in her language and meets in a home on Sundays. She is determined to bring all of them into Crossroads. Pray that God will blend these two groups if it is his will. We already have three families at Crossroads with Filipino members and would love to reach farther into that community.

Alex (I inadvertently called him "Aaron") in the last email, has gone from hiding in the back row, sleeping in his hoodie and low riding pants, to sitting down front with Daniel, dressed in a three piece suit, clean shaven, etc. and is talking about joining the church.

Pray that God will give this young man the wisdom to restore a multitude of broken relationships. God is Good!

Ana and Daniel will be married in two weeks, and have decided to stay in Tracy while she continues her schooling. Tim is hopeful that this spring's New Members Class will contain eight adults. We are also planning a baptism service as several of our children/teens, and hopefully some adults are ready to take that step of obedience.

Quiana and Marshaun had fallen off our radar, as their phone # changed and wehad not been able to connect with them. Lee Shade fell, while riding a scooter at our house, while his parents were out of town. So, Tim had to take him to the ER for stitches. While there, he "ran into" Quiana and Marshaun. They have a new baby!! We now have current contact information for them, and hope to see them in church again. Pray that we will be able to minister to this young family and see them involved in discipleship. God's timing is perfect, even in accidents.

While Crossroads is growing very quickly right now, we are also sensing the devil's attacks. A family that has been involved for a long time is struggling with their marriage and with some physical issues. It is heartbreaking to not see them in church regularly. Another couple, who was very active for a year, took the Membership Class and decided that they are not on the same page as we are doctrinally. This is discouraging. Blanca has not been to Bible Study for a long time, either. And there are others that can't be shared at this time.

Ministry is full of blessings and heartbreaks. Thank you so much for your continued prayers.
We really appreciate the prayers for our nursery workers. If everyone comes at the same time there could be 10-12 babies in the nursery. One family does foster care, so we are never sure how many babies she will have with her on any given Sunday. YIKES! This is a very noisy blessing! If you don't like babies, don't come to Crossroads!

We are busy making plans for the Resurrection Egg Hunt. Please contact us if you would like to help with this project. We also have a source for pre-stuffed eggs that are stuffed by a Christian organization that employs handicapped individuals. www.plasticeastereggs.com The Egg Hunt will be on Good Friday April 22nd. Thank you to those who are planning to help with this outreach!

Twelve teens and 2 adults will be at Snow Camp this coming weekend, along with about 50 others, which is a record attendance for this Camp in recent years. We are so excited about what God is doing in the lives of teens in this area. Praise the Lord and pray for lives to be changed!
Thank you for praying!

Standing at the Crossroads with you
Tim & Susan Heinrich
Janae, Samantha, Alyssa & Talitha

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa way
Tracy, 95376
US

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2011-10-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

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Truth for Today

The Heinrich Newsletter

2010 was a year of blessings at Crossroads. We saw 11 people make professions of faith throughout the year. We added a new Sunday School class on Sunday Mornings and Nursery on Wednesday nights. We also ran our first Vacation Bible School, sharing the gospel with 70 different children. Measurable numerical growth has been slow, as it seems that as soon as a new family joins, another moves away. However, God is clearly working spiritually in many lives. We had our first funeral, are planning the first wedding shower, and three babies have entered Crossroads homes.

Looking ahead to 2011

WORSHIP

The view from the platform this past Sunday Morning brought tears to our eyes. The deacons have had to put up extra chairs each Sunday in January. They keep setting up for more and still needing more than that. God is bringing many new faces into our congregation.

This week I could see Noel and Amy and their three children. Noel was raised in a Catholic home in the Philippines. Amy was raised in a Charismatic home in the US, even attending a Christian College. She was always told that she wasn't spiritual enough because she wasn't experiencing the "gifts". She says that through Bible study she recently came to understand that God was giving her discernment and protecting her from Satanic influence in the church. After studying the doctrinal statements of many churches in Tracy, God lead them to Crossroads. Praise the Lord for this young couple who are hungry for discipleship and burdened for their family and friends.

Next to her is Chiry, a believer who just moved to Tracy after going through a nasty divorce after 23 years of marriage. She is struggling to raise an adopted teenager who is out of control and a very hyper 8 year old. She has many needs and is being loved by Crossroads families.

Behind her sits Alaina. Alaina's 29 year old husband died unexpectedly on New Year's Eve. Because the family did not have a pastor, the funeral home "randomly" called on Tim to do the service. Their four year old daughter is in the pre-school class of a lady who attends Crossroads (Eileen, whose salvation we have asked you to pray for). Alaina is now left to raise two small children on her own. And Eileen, who is not yet saved, but is really studying the Bible, brought Alaina to church with her family. Pray for the salvation of Eileen and her husband Mark, and also Alaina.

Hiding in the back is Aaron. His dad used to pastor a Baptist church in Tracy. He is 22 years old, has been divorced and spent time in prison. Homeless, he is staying on weekends with Crossroads member, Daniel, and his family, trying to get his life back on track.

There's a pretty good sized group of teens on the side and we could tell a story on each of them. Sierra was saved at camp this summer. We are continuing to pray for the salvation of her parents Margaret and Craig. Because we have 14 teens going to snow camp, we needed people with four wheel drive vehicles to transport the kids. Margaret offered to drive and is going to stay at camp for the weekend. Pray that God will work in her heart. Please also pray for the unsaved, public school friends of our kids that our going to camp with them. The speaker will be sharing about "Our Indescribable God" refuting evolution. Powerful! It has been encouraging to watch our teens, who (like the rest of us) sometimes struggle with boldness, use Face Book to tell their friends about what God is doing.

These are the things that make us cry! I could go on for hours, sharing about the lives that God is working in, as you pray, but the letter would be too long! ;) So, pick a name to pray for and know that they represent many others. Crossroads members have made "7 in 11" lists and are praying for salvation of seven friends or family in 2011. Will you join us?

Wednesday Nights!

We are packing the school on Wednesday nights also. But, it is a totally different crowd. We are running close to 50 at each service, but reaching about 75 different people each week. About half of the Sunday morning crowd attends Wednesday nights. About half of the Wednesday night crowd has never even met the other half of the Sunday morning crowd. On Wednesday nights we have people from several other churches in town, who were looking for MORE BIBLE STUDY then their churches offer. We have people from the Assembly of God, a Hyles Anderson Church, Calvary Chapel and the American Baptist Church attending. Pray for Don Shade as he leads the Adult Study, for our JOY Club workers as their classes continue to grow, for the nursery workers who can have as many as 7 babies at a time, and for Dan Graham as the Lord has laid it on his heart to start a teen study on Wed. nights.

Facilities!!!

We are experiencing MAJOR growing pains. We are thankful that there is plenty of room at the school and God continues to supply our needs as we meet our building rental budget. We were blessed to receive a Baptist Builders Club grant to purchase more chairs and dividing walls for our Sunday School classrooms. However, we can not fit any more equipment in the trailer, and our pickup truck can not pull a bigger trailer. We have two options, as we see it and we are pursuing both.

1. We need a 24/7 facility. We are actively looking, but nothing seems to be available that we can afford without compromising the excellent visibility of the school.

2. We need a new truck or van and trailer in order to haul enough chairs, dividers and other equipment to and from the school. We are sending out a letter, asking our prayer supporters if anyone has the ability to help with this need.

Please pray that God will give us clear direction as we stand at our Crossroads.

Outreach:

We are making plans for another Resurrection Egg Hunt. Crossroads families have committed to stuffing 8, 000 eggs. We are praying that God would lay it on the hearts of our supporters to help us with an additional 4,000. We are planning on handing out Gideon's New Testaments and having a kids gospel concert as part of the event. Eggs can contain gospel bracelets, small toys, stickers, Bible verses, and wrapped candy (no chocolate, please) Please contact us if you would like to help with this project. We also have a source for pre-stuffed eggs that are stuffed by a Christian organization that employs handicapped individuals. www.plasticeastereggs.com The Egg Hunt will be on Good Friday April 22nd. This event usually draws 1,000 people, and it is our goal that they will each hear the gospel 6 different ways. Thank you for your prayers and help!

Support:
We are thankful to three of our supporting churches for increasing support this year. This brings us to 60% of our needed income coming from Churches and individuals. God continues to provide the remainder through Susan's music studio and Tim's substitute teaching. We are still praying that God will raise up additional support so that Tim can focus more of his time on the Church Plant.

Standing at the Crossroads with you
Tim & Susan Heinrich
Janae, Samantha, Alyssa & Talitha

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Crossroads Baptist Church
1220 Appalosa way
Tracy, 95376
US

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Merry Christmas from Tracy CA.....the drama continues.......

2009-12-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

When we opened our front door this morning, we were shocked to find the church trailer (Church in a Box) standing open, and some of its contents scattered in our driveway. Missing was our rear projection screen, microphone stands, cords, a speaker, a decorative screen, and the Children's Ministries cart (probably mistaken for a lap top case). The thieves left behind our entire sound system cart, projectors, keyboard, the good speaker and the nursery equipment. They apparently couldn't figure out how to unstrap them. Thankfully the contents are the trailer have been carefully documented and insured. Crossroads will need to pay a $500 deductible, but that is nothing compared to the value of the items that were stolen. Even in this time of "Inconvenience", we have so much to be thankful for!

This Christmas, we are thankful for safety (that our house was NOT broken into), friends (who quickly rallied today to help take care of this minor crisis), and the true church (not in a box) that God is building here, which can not be touched by thieves!

We are praying for each of you, as you reach into your communities with the true meaning of Christmas.
We so appreciate your prayers, especially this weekend, as we proclaim to Tracy "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth, Peace Goodwill toward Men" in a world that does not know peace!!!

Merry Christmas!!

Your ministry partners in Tracy CA,

The Heinrich Family

2009-02-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

LOVE

Love is the foundation for people-transforming ministry. Without love our sound theology is a boat without oars.
I. Hope is found in the Love of Christ.
a. Romans 8:31-39
b. It is given to anyone willing to confess sin and repent.
c. It is the core of effective ministry to others.
d. I Cor 13
e. We must be willing to lay down our lives Luke 14:26-27
“How often do you give in to stress and do things that do not honor Christ or show his character? How often do you see people as obstacles to ministry rather than the object of it? Whom have you given up on?
II. The relational foundation for ministry
a. We are relationship thieves
i. People do not belong to us they are God’s
ii. Our relationships are not primarily for our fulfillment
iii. We must confess that we have taken relationship that belong to God and used them for our own selfish purposes.
b. How does Christ work in our lives. - The model of Salvation
i. Justification,
ii. Adoption,
iii. Sanctification
c. We must build relationships of Love, Grace and Trust!
i. These relationships give the context for His continuing work of Change.

III. How do we establish and build the kind of relationships that will bring change.
a. The four elements of a ministry relationship.
i. Enter the person’s world
ii. Incarnate the Love of Christ
iii. Identify with suffering
iv. Accept with agenda
b. Entering the person’s world
i. We must recognize the way in.
1. It is not
a. A particular situation or event.
b. Another person or problem.
2. It is
a. That persons response to a situation, problem or relationship.
b. Fear, Anger, Guild, Anxiety, Hopelessness, Aloneness, Envy, Discouragement, Desires for vengeance, etc
3. We must be a good listener.
4. Building horizontal trust.
a. Let them know that you have heard their struggle
b. Let them know that God is there and understands.
c. Let them know that you will stand with them!
5. Giving Vertical hope.
a. You are the voice and flesh (ambassador) of God. Assure them of God’s love and ability

Building Strong Relationship in '09 part 4

2009-02-04T15:27:00.000-08:00

Me, an Ambassador?

We are all torn between God’s calling and the fear of man, between compassion and anger, between love and bitterness.
Being an instrument of heart chance means following Christ’s example and focusing on the heart – starting with your own.
1. The incarnation
a. Its purpose - Christ though the incarnation made the presence and glory of God visible, He made know the unseen God. (John 1:14, 18)-{ 97}
b. Its character – Full of Grace and Truth –{99}
i. Grace – results in reconciliation , restoration, and peace.
1. The impossibility of sinners becoming godly becomes possible
2. By grace {99-100}
a. Parents can pursue rebellious teenages with patient preserving love.
b. A wife can put away bitter memories and fully forgive her husband
c. People can exit the prisons of depression, anxiety, and compulsion to live in hope filled freedom.
d. Those bound by lust, greed, fear or vengeance can live in the purity of courage of faith –
ii. Truth – if grace addresses the moral results of the fall (our rebellion and inability) then trugh addresses the noetic (ability to understand) effects of the Fall, sin’s impact on how we think about life and interpret it.

1. We live for what is already in a state of decay and ignore what will remain forever. We tend to hide, ignore, or be blind to our own sin, while we are obsessively focused on the sins of others. (Prov 14:12)
2. We offer people a whole new way of making sense out of life. – a worldview in which God is central, where unseen things are of the highest value, and where eternity is what makes sense of the present moment.

c. Its Agenda – That we would reveal his grace and truth to a dying world. (John 17:20-23) {101}
i. For the world to see and Know Christ through us!

d. Its Calling (2 Cor 5:14 – 6:2) {103}
i. We are God’s Ambassadors. {104}
1. Representing God – Everything we do and say must intentionally represent God.
2. And ambassadors relationships are not primarily driven by his own happiness. He decides to go places and do things because they will help him to faithfully represent the King.
3. Where are you God’s Ambassador
a. In your marriage
b. As a parent
c. To friends and neighbors
d. At work and play
4. What we tend to do instead
a. Live as mini-kings
b. My desire, my will and my way!
ii. The Work of an Ambassador – As God’s Ambassador I represent
1. The message of the King
2. The methods of the King
3. The character of the King
iii. Four words represent four aspects of a personal ministry relationship, four ways to serve as an ambassador in someone’s life
1. Love
2. Know
3. Speak
4. Do

Building Strong Relationship in '09 part 3

2009-02-04T14:33:00.001-08:00

The Conflict of Desires
James 4:1-10
1. Where does conflict come from? Why do we get angry? P77
a. Luke 6:45
b. Why do we respond to people and situations differently? P78
2. Desires precede, determine and characterize everything you do.

3. A war of desires is constantly being fought inside each of us. It is a war for control of our hearts, lives and behavior! P79

4. A heart ruled by a certain desire. P 80

a. I can only respond 2 ways….
i.
ii.
5. “It is not wrong to desire relaxation at the end of a long day. It is wrong to be ruled by relaxation in such a way that I am irritated with anyone who gets in the way. It is not wrong to desire the tender attention of your (spouse). It is wrong to be so ruled by it that your days are filled with bitterness because of its absence and your nights are filled with manipulative attempts to get it.”
pg 80-81

6. Spiritual Adultery
a. If adultery is the sin of giving someone the love I have promised another, then Spiritual adultery is giving the rule of my heart to someone or something other than God. James 4:4

7. Jealousy, a good thing?

a. God is a jealous God.
“How would you react if your husband plopped down on the couch, pulled you close and said, “dear, of all the women I love, tonight I think I love you the most?” You would not be encouraged, You would be outraged! True love is ALWAYS Jealous.” Pg 84
8. The Slippery slope pg 87
a. Desire becomes demand “I Must”
b. Demand morphs into need “I Will”
c. Need becomes something to painful to live without.

9. Problem –
a. Others are unaware of your slide down the slope!
b. They do not meet your expectations
c. You are disappointed
d. Your disappointment leads to anger
e. Anger leads to punishment (“because you didn’t, I will …”)

10. The solution James 4:7-10
a. First Vertical
i. Humble ourselves
ii. Submit to God
iii. Cleanse our hearts.
“You cant keep the second commandment unless you are keeping the first.”
b. Then Horizontal.
i. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

11. Galatians 5:13-26 for further study.

Building Strong Relationship in '09 part 2

2009-02-04T14:32:00.001-08:00

As we seek to build stronger relationships with both God and those around us, we must first understand the heart. We must understand how God designed human beings to function.

1. What does the Bible refer to when it speaks of the heart?

2. The Bible describes human as having two essential parts (Eph. 3:16)

3. The Fruit of the heart (Luke 6:43-45)

a. Fruit = ______________________

b. Our words are the overflowing of our _________

4. If our heart is the source of the problem then we must first deal with the heart. (Matthew 23:25-26)

5. Jesus speaks to what rules the heart in Matthew 6:19-24

a. Everyone seeks some kind of ________________.

b. Your ____________ will control your __________.

c. What controls your _____ will control your __________.

6. Three conclusions to guide our efforts to build stronger relationships with God and man.

a. There is a root and fruit connection between our heart and our behavior

b. Lasting change always takes place through the heart. Fruit change is the result of root change.

c. The heart is our target in personal growth.

7. Application

a. Our hearts are always being ruled by someone or something.

b. Whatever controls my heart will control my responses to people and situations.

c. God changes us not just by teaching us to do different things, but by recapturing our hearts to serve him alone.

d. The deepest issues of the human struggle are not issues of pain and suffering, but the issue of worship, because what rules our hearts will control the way we respond to both suffering and blessing.

Building Strong Relationship in '09 part 1

2009-02-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Building Strong Relationships in ‘09

As we begin the 2009 year we are focusing on the need for a stronger relationship with God and our family & friends. Some books for you to read on this topic are: "Instruments in the Redeemer's hands" by Paul David Tripp, "Shepherding a child's heart" by Tedd Tripp, and "Strengthening your marriage" by Wayne A. Mack.

First take a few minutes and answer the following questions

1. List the four primary relationships in your life in order of importance

2. What should the role of the church be in helping to make these relationships strong?

3. What are some areas in these relationships that need to be stronger?

4. Who is the best one to help you? Who does God use?

5. Why do you “get up” in the morning? What motivates you?

6. If God uses people, who are themselves in need of change, as instruments of the same kind of change in others, how can God use you?

7. If my relationships are going to get stronger, what things must change in my life?

Strengthening Your Marriage

2007-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Now that we have defined the four seasons of marriage and determined which season you are in, lets look at some Biblically based strategies to enhance the seasons of your marriage.

The first strategy is to deal with past failures.

This strategy involves three steps:

Identifying past failures
Confession and repentance
Forgiveness

In our marriage counseling experience we often hear statements like “I don’t have any problem identifying my failures. My spouse rehearses them every time we get into an argument.”

I am confident that each of you have failures, because I have many of my own. However, having them thrown in our face does not usually help us deal with them.

Jesus described the problem in Matthew 7:3-5 Applying this to marriage would be “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your spouse’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?... First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your spouse’s eye.”

However, when shown this verse, many people will say their spouse does not have a speck in their eye, they have hundreds of logs. They are the real problem in the marriage.

Perhaps you feel this way, and perhaps you are right. But, as a follower of Christ, are you willing to start where Jesus told us to start, by dealing with your own failures?

Start with some time alone, a Bible, a notebook, and a pen or pencil. Then pray the prayer of David’s from Psalm 139:23-24 Ask God to show you specific times when you have failed your spouse, and make a list of them. Be warned, though, Satan will try to throw you off track. He wants you to blame others for your own sinful behavior. Remember that Adam and Eve fell into the blame trap, and Satan still uses the same tactics today.

Once you have identified your failures, you are ready for the next step, confession and repentance Read Psalm 51. It is David’s confession after he was confronted by Nathan the prophet and realized how deeply he had failed God and others. It is a beautiful model.

The word confession means to agree with. When you confess your failures, you are agreeing with God that you were wrong, that your behavior caused pain to your spouse and grieved God’s heart.

Repentance means to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. By doing this you are expressing to God your desire to behave differently in the future. You are asking for the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to love your spouse as God intends. I John 1:9 reminds us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Once you have confessed and repented to God, then you need to do the same with your spouse.

Now you are ready for true forgiveness. In the Bible, forgiveness is always the Christian response to confession and repentance. In fact, Jesus taught that an unforgiving spirit is rebellion against God. Remember, it is not a feeling. It is a decision to lift the penalty for past failures and declare the spouse pardoned. It does not mean that you will never remember the event, but it does mean that you will no longer hold that failure against your spouse.

Couples in the season of winter or fall may have huge storehouses of past failures that have never been processed. Couples in the season of spring or summer will need to deal with failure as part of the normal flow of life, so they do not become a barrier to intimacy.

Often we are asked “What if my spouse is not willing to deal with the past. Let me say that you can influence your spouse by your own behavior. When you choose to follow a Biblical strategy, God is honored and you will have a positive influence on your spouse.

Make it a date!!!

Much of the focus of this section has been on dealing with negative aspects from the past. However, for most couples the past holds joy as well. Revisit a favorite place that hold positive memories for you. Get out the photo album and remind yourself of a positive event in your marriage. Remind yourself why you fell in love.

Conversation starters:
Talk about your first date. See how many details you can remember!
Talk about how you’ve grown since then

Exchange prayer requests and commit to pray for each other and your relationship this week!

For further study:

Why is it important to look at our own failure first?

Psalm 50:6

Lamentations 3:58-59

Zechariah 7:9

Matthew 7:2-5

Romans 2:1-7

What are some potential benefits of working through past issues?

Psalm 78:1-8

How does Ecclesiastes 3:15 fit with Isaiah 43:18

Are you hurting, needing hope?

Read Isaiah 43: 19-21, 25

Pastor Tim (PT) & Susan Heinrich
Crossroads Baptist Church
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Much of the material in this Bible study is from the Books Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack and The Four Seasons of Marriage by Gary Chapman. For further study, these book can be purchased at www.Christianbook.com <www.ChristianBook.com>. <www.christianbook.com>

Grace from Romans Lesson 3

2007-10-03T16:14:00.001-07:00

Grace from Romans

Romans 1:18-32

In the Bible we always see: first the law and condemnation for breaking the law, and then Grace and Salvation

Think of it this way. Breaking the law is like the evidence of a terminal disease. Grace is like the cure to that disease. Consider this scene: A man comes to you and offers you a great cure to a terrible disease. But, you have never heard of that disease. He wants you to apply the cure, so that you will not die from the disease. You would be unlikely to take the cure unless you are convinced that you have the disease! You would think that the man with the cure needs a cure of his own!

But, if he were to say, there is a terrible terminal disease and I can tell that you have it because you exhibit the following symptoms. If you do nothing you will surely die and soon. But, I have good news! There is a cure. I have it and will give it to you freely! Now, you are likely to listen to the man. You will take seriously the disease and the cure that he is offering.

As we continue our study in the book of Romans, Paul has completed his introduction. He shared with the believers in Rome that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because it is the Power of God to bring salvation. Now he moves into showing the disease, sin.

Paul is showing, not only that every man everywhere is guilty, but what the consequences of that guilt. Paul is using a court room idea. God is the Judge and Man is the Defendant. Paul is a little like the prosecuting attorney giving the evidence of guilt. None of us like to think of ourselves as guilty of a crime. However, if we have no guilt we need no Savior! Jesus death would have been in vain. However it is clear that we have guilt and that we are in desperate need of a Savior. The penalty for the crime of sin is the wrath of God which brings death. That is why Paul starts with verse 18 saying “The wrath of God is revealed ...”

I wish to focus on what follows the word because.

Man is under God’s wrath because...

The world around us tells us of God and renders us guilty before Him. Verses 19-20

The world around us shows all that we need to know about God. It shows that He is the creator and giver of life. This knowledge makes us without excuse, or defense.

Man did not glorify God. Verses 21-23

Even with the knowledge of God that comes from creation, man (unsaved man) is still under God’s wrath (judgment) because they fail to apply what they know. They refused to be thankful for what God had given them. This led to foolishness and hearts that were darkened. A darkened heart is unable to see the truth. This darkness combined with an understanding of the existence of God leads to idolatry in verse 23. Our God is a very jealous God. He is very displeased when we give our worship to another.

Next, Paul will look at God’s judgment in this life for man’s rebellion. God allows sin, like a disease, to run its course, consuming mind and body. We will go into this in detail in the next lesson.

All we must do to know God exists is to look around. To know God even better we must look into His word. Just as we are looking at the book of Romans and its description of God and how he works in the lives of man, so we also must look at other parts of the scriptures for insight to who God is and how He works.

Take time this week to appreciate God’s work in the natural world around us. I am thankful that we can know the Father God, creator and not “Mother Nature.”

Pastor Tim (PT)
Crossroads Baptist Church
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

2007-09-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!!!!

I have not sent a Bible study for a few weeks, giving you the chance to
apply the principles that we had discussed. How's it been going? Are
you applying the Biblical rules of communication to your relationships? I pray that God is guiding you in this area. If you have fallen back
into your old habits, ask the Lord to help you and begin again!

Now we will move on to the next level. Before we discuss the roles of
husband, wife and parent, we need to evaluate where you are in your
marriage.

I have been fascinated by a book written by Gary Chapman titled "The
Four Seasons of Marriage" (many of you have read his book "The Five Love
Languages"). He states "Marriages are perpetually in a state of
transition, continually moving from one season to another.....Sometimes
we find ourselves in winter - discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times, we experience springtime with its openness, hope and
anticipation. On other occasions, we bask in the warmth of summer -
comfortable, relaxed, enjoying life. And then comes fall with its
uncertainty, negligence and apprehension. The cycle repeats itself many
times throughout the life of a marriage, just as the seasons repeat
themselves in nature."

It has been popular in Western culture recently to exalt emotions as the
guiding light that determines our actions. This is very dangerous and
not Biblical. However, God has made us emotional creatures, and
emotions often tell us that something is wrong or right in a
relationship. Emotions must lead to reason, and reason must be guided
by truth if we are to take constructive action. In the next several
weeks, we will guide you through this process, using the powerful tool
of God's word, so that you may glorify the Lord and exalt his name
together.(Psalm 34:3)

Expect Satan to attack your relationship as you seek to grow. But
remember, if you are a Christian "Greater is He that is in you than he
that is in the world" (I John 4:4) and "In all labor there is profit"
(Proverbs 14:23)

This weeks assignment is a profile. Knowing the season of your marriage
will allow you to take the positive steps to maintain the joys of spring
and summer and correct the sinful behaviors that lead to fall and
winter. All of the steps will be from the perfect marriage manual, the
Bible. It is my prayer that your marriage will be one that brings glory
to God.

If you would like, print the profile, so that both you and your spouse
can complete it.

Four words or phrases appear in each of the following sixteen rows. Choose on word or phrase per row that best represents your thoughts and
feelings about your marriage during the past few weeks. Once you have
checked one word or phrase per row, tally each of the four columns by
counting each check mark in that column as one point. You will have a
score ranging from 0 to 16 for each of the four columns.

1. 0 Discouraging 0 Exciting 0 Satisfying 0 Uncertain

2. 0 Hopeless 0 Happy 0 Peaceful 0 Confusing

3. 0 Empty 0 Hopeful 0 Committed 0 Stressful

4. 0 Harsh 0 Nurturing 0 Secure 0 Frustrating

5. 0 Resentful 0 Open 0 Trusting 0 Tired

6. 0 Destructive 0 Fresh 0 Relaxed 0 Distant

7. 0 Rejection 0 Anticipation 0 Appreciation 0 Apprehension

8. 0 Tension 0 Sharing 0 Honest 0 Drifting

9. 0 Give up 0 Making plans 0 Teamwork 0 Apathetic

10. 0 Critical 0 Caring 0 Connected 0 Concerned

11. 0 Angry 0 Joyful 0 Understanding 0 Burned out

12. 0 Disappointed 0 Optimistic 0 Comfortable 0 Neglectful
13. 0 Untrusting 0 Tender 0 Supportive 0 Afraid

14. 0 Withdrawn 0 Growing 0 Attached 0 Detached

15. 0 Cold 0 Alive 0 Content 0 Prideful

16. 0 Unforgiving 0 Willing to change0 Overlook flaws 0 Growing apart

Column 1 total Column 2 total Column 3 total Column 4 total

You probably figured out that column 1 lists words and phrases that are typically used to describe the winter season of marriage, 2 represents spring, 3 represents summer, and 4 represents fall. The column with the most points reflects the current season of your marriage. You may find your self with a close score, indicating your marriage has elements of both seasons, or may be in transition.

Do you agree with your scores? Are you surprised? If you are willing to be open with me, let me know your score. That would help me with the direction to go in future studies.

Regardless of the season of your marriage, there's hope and there's room for improvement.

Pastor Tim (PT) & Susan Heinrich
Crossroads Baptist Church
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

2007-07-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

Crossroads Cares

Strengthening Your Marriage
Bible Study
"Lesson Four"

God's Rules for Good Communication

Ephesians 4:25-32

Good relationships are not built because of an absence of problems. Nobody is immune from problems. All of us are sinners and that is all it takes to set the stage for conflict!

Take heart! Solid and lasting relationships can be built by those who know Christ as Savior and who learn to deal with these problems God's way.

In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul talks about “How to grow and change” by replacing the “old self”, thoughts and actions with biblical thoughts and habits which is God’s way of handling conflicts.

He illustrates this in the following verses (Vs. 25-32), and in these examples of “Put Off” – “Put on,” he gives four very effective “Rules of Communication.” They are good for preventing and solving problems. In this lesson we will look at the first two rules (Vs 25 - 27).

25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

First Rule - Be Honest

Paul says to not just put off lying, but speak the Truth. The tense of this verb makes this a command not just an option. We must speak. I know that my Susan and I have discovered that we cannot read each others minds and neither can you. Being honest is more than just not lying, it must also involve speaking truth. There is no way we can solve problems unless we express them to each other.

Being honest also involves no dishonesty with each other. Dishonesty can be outright deceit, telling with your words something that is simply not true. It can also be a conflict between your words and your body language and tones. We can even be guilty of dishonesty by disguising our true message with innuendos and sarcasm. All Dishonesty must be put out of our communication if we are to have successful marriages as well as any other types of relationships. Dishonesty is very damaging to any relationship.

Rule number Two - Keep Current :Verses 26-27

Here Paul tells us to get angry but don't sin. Where lying is always sin anger is not necessarily sin. Anger that is focused on how I have been wronged is always sin, however anger that is focused on how God's law has been broken is righteous. Anger that is used to attack others or yourself is always wrong. It is not my desire to give anyone a license to be angry however it is a command that we are to be angry, and not sin. We must understand what is right anger and what is wrong.
We need to take that anger and use the energy to solve the problem that we are facing. Paul continues by saying "Don't let the sun go down on your anger (wrath). We need to solve problems in a timely manner. Failure to solve problems daily means that we are giving Satan an open door in our lives. We don't want to give the devil any foothold in our marriages.
It is very important that we do not cut off communication during or after a conflict. Some people so want the problem to go away that they will just stop talking until it does. Others will cry uncontrollably or threaten to "go off" like an explosion or a volcanic eruption. While still others will bottom line it "All I have to say..." or "I don't have anything else to say ..." None of this will lead to dealing with the problem in a timely manner. Don't put off this problem till tomorrow, tomorrow will have its own problems (Matt 6:34). Besides, when we put off problems they just tend to build up.

The last thing that I want to give you today is six questions to ask yourself before deciding to "Make it a fight" or "bringing up a sticky issue".

i. Do I have the facts right? Prov. 18:13

ii. Should love hide it? Is it sinful? Is it hindering growth? I Peter 4:8

iii. Is my timing right? Prov. 15:23b

iv. Is my attitude right? Am I trying to help the other person? Eph 4:15

v. Are my words loving? Eph 4:15

vi. Have I ask for God’s help? Prov 3:5b

Pastor Tim Heinrich(PT)
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Much of the material in this Bible study is from the Book Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack. For further study, the book can be purchased for $8.99 at www.ChristianBook.com.

To participate in the Bible study, send your confidential reply to this e-mail address or interact with others on PT's Blog.

If you wish to be removed from this Bible study please reply to this e-mail address and we will remove your name.

2007-07-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

**Strengthening Your Marriage*
Bible Study
"Lesson Five"

*God's Rules for Good Communication part 2*

Ephesians 4:25-32

Good relationships are not built because of an absence of problems. Nobody is immune from problems. All of us are sinners and that is all it takes to set the stage for conflict!

Take heart! Solid and lasting relationships can be built by those who know Christ as Savior and who learn to deal with these problems God's way.

In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul talks about “How to grow and change” by replacing the “old self”, thoughts and actions with biblical thoughts and habits which is God’s way of handling conflicts.

He illustrates this in the following verses (Vs. 25-32), and in these examples of “Put Off” – “Put on,” he gives _*four *_very effective “Rules of Communication.” They are good for preventing and solving problems. In this lesson we will look at the last two rules (Vs 25 - 27).

25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Third Rule - Attack the Problems not People Ephesians 4:15, 29-30,

Here we have another "PUT OFF" and "PUT ON. Put off corrupt or unwholesome words and put on words that edify or encourage. Let us deal first with the put off.
What is a corrupt or unwholesome word. Words that attack a person's character are words that tear down. In Matthew 5:21-22 our Lord said " "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire." We must avoid name calling, it only adds fuel to the fire. It NEVER solves the problem! It is so easy when we are angry or upset, to start calling our spouse names such as "Idiot" or "Jerk" or"______" you fill in the blank. These are words that hurt and tear down. James describes our tongue as a fire that is quick to burn and destroy, and impossible to tame. (James 3:5-12) In the end, anything we say that does not encourage or build up the other is to be avoided
Now the "PUT ON." Life is more that just a bunch of do nots. There are also the Do's. We are to use communication to encourage and build up the other. In this passage we are told two was that we are to speak. first in Eph 4:15 we are to speak in love. Love is putting the other persons interests and needs before our own. The second is "To bring growth" or to build up. Things that support and help the other person. We sould use words that give grace (the desire and ability to do God's will) to those who hear. We need to zero in on a conflict and look for solutions. This also includes body language and tone of voice.

Put off - words that tear down!
Put On - words that build up!

Rule number Four - Act, Don't react:Verses 31 - 32

Reactions are attitudes and actions that must be "Put Off" Here are some definitions for the terms used in these verses

1. Bitterness: the refusal to treat someone as if they never hurt you.

2. Wrath: flaring outbursts or rage.

3. Anger: settled indignation or hostility that frequently seeks revenge: the “Slow burn”

4. Clamor: harsh contention and strife, public quarreling, brawling,

5. Slander: speech that injures, abusive speech.

6. Malice: desire to harm others or see them suffer.

It is our natural tendency in or sin nature to be defensive when dealing with our own sins. In Genesis we are told how Adam and Eve sinned and how Adam defended himself blaming the woman and how Eve defended herself blaming the snake. We must be willing to own up to our own sin before we can overcome it.

Actions are attitudes and actions we must "Put On' to replace the reactions: Here are the definitions for the action terms used in Verse 32

1. Kind: benevolent, helpful, courteous – Polite

2. Tenderhearted: Lit, “of good heartedness” compassionate, sympathetic.

3. Forgiving: to give up your right or claim to revenge, hold a grudge or get even.

You, through God's Spirit must learn to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. This starts before we "Feel like it". It starts with a decision to act in a way that will please God by "Doing" these things. Always remember that Arguments are only possible if each person "Reacts". but if you are willing to act in the way God has said the argument will be over before it began!

In Conclusion- It is not easy to change a bad habits. But with God's help it can be done. Your communication in your marriage and with your children will take on a whole new blessing when you begin to act biblically.
No matter how irresponsible the other person is you can always do what is right. You can change the other persons actions or attitudes but you can change how you respond to them!

Pastor Tim Heinrich(PT)
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Much of the material in this Bible study is from the Book _Strengthening Your Marriage_ by Wayne Mack. For further study, the book can be purchased for $8.99 at www.ChristianBook.com.

To participate in the Bible study, send your confidential reply to this e-mail address or interact with others on PT's Blog .

If you wish to be removed from this Bible study please reply to this e-mail address and we will remove your name.

2007-06-18T20:15:00.001-07:00

*Strengthening Your Marriage*
Bible Study
"Lesson Three"

Good Communication

This morning my daughters were fighting over a little baton. They both wanted the toy and their desire to have their own way totally overwhelmed them. There was no communication happening, simply a selfish desire to have what they believed that they deserved. Neither one was considering the needs or desires of the other and communication had come to a standstill. None of the other things which they planned to do were getting accomplished, because they were wrapped up in their anger at each other. Amos 3:3 asks "Can two walk together except they be agreed?"
We all know the answer to the question is a resounding no. The challenge is how to come to a point where we are in agreement. This takes communication skills.

"What do you mean our marriage lacks communication?
Look at all the communication we have!"

Have you been memorizing James 1:19 "Where fore, my beloved, let everyone be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”? I hope you are listening carefully to your spouse and giving much thought to the words which you speak. This week we will discuss "slow to anger"

Self control is a requirement for good communication. The old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is so NOT true!!
The Bible has a lot to say about the destructive power of wrong speech. Words can be as dangerous and painful and destructive as "the piercing of a sword" or as a cup of poison or as the burning of a fire (Prov. 12:18; 16:27; James 3:5-8) We all know that a jab from our spouse is terribly painful.

The temptation to be angry with our spouse must be controlled, but that is not enough. Paul tells us we must not only put off certain things, but we must put on other things.
Ephesians 4:2 tells us to live with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances, because you love one another. Verse 29 commands us to only use speech that is a blessing to those who hear it. Verse 32 reminds us to become useful and helpful to one another, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

It is not hard for a wife to be open and honest with a husband who is patient. She will be free to communicate when she knows that he will bear with her and make allowances rather than condemn and demean her

The husband will feel comfortable opening up to a wife who only uses speech that is good for the occasion and who freely forgives.
In a non-threatening environment, the husband will have no reason to put on a false front or hide his struggles.

Does this mean you should condone error or evil?

Eph. 5:25-27 says there will be times when a husband must disagree with his wife and point out her error or sin.

Acts 5:1-11 Saphira was clearly wrong for going along with Ananias and was judged for her co-operation in his sin.

What the Bible teaches is a love for the other person that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things:" I Cor. 13.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET ANGRY?!?!? Eph. 4-26-27 tells us to be angry and sin not, do not let the sun go down on your anger. Leave no such room or foothold for the devil.

Anger is not always sin. The emotions that come when something is difficult can be used for the strengthening of your marriage. I believe that the energy that is natural when we are angry can be used to solve the problem. It must be turned into a drive to resolve the issue before the devil gets a foothold in your relationship. That natural energy must be kept under control, never violent, and never used to allow harmful speech.

There are two forms of self control that are equally important in solving problems. One is the ability to control angry outbursts. Word said in the heat of the moment can have lasting effects.
The other is the ability to control the urge to retreat. Unresolved conflict gives the devil a foothold.

Take the energy that comes from your anger and apply it to communication that is Biblical.

When both partners are working on the relationship, this can easily be done before the sun goes down. It simply requires a commitment to putting aside other things until the issue has been resolved. However, sometimes time is the enemy. A spouse must leave for work, or is unwilling to work things out. Can a husband or wife obey this command, even if the other is unwilling to work it out? I believe you can. The key to victory in this area is prayer. Step one is to do what ever you can to resolve the issue. Ask for forgiveness for any wrong that you have done. The other person may not forgive you, but they will answer to God for how they responded. Second, resolve to show love to your spouse, even if they have not forgiven you. This is a Biblical way to win them back. If it is possible, write a letter to express yourself. And lastly remember that I Cor. 13 tells us that love covers a multitude of sins. Then you must ask God for the strength to let the issue go. A root of bitterness gives the devil a foothold. You must not let it grow.

When you are angry, you must still be quick to listen and slow to speak. When these principles are put in the right order, even the most difficult issues can be resolved.

Check it out!!!

!. Describe the last three situations in which you became angry

2.Read Ephesians 4:26-27. What does this verse have to say about the wrong way to handle anger?

3. Read Romans 12:19-21 What does that verse have to say about the right way to handle anger?

4. What is keeping you from doing the right thing when you are tempted to become sinfully angry? Confess this to God and seek help in this area!

Have you noticed a lot of references from Ephesians 4? Next week we will start to cover God's rules for communication from Ephesians 4.

Pastor Tim Heinrich(PT)
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Much of the material in this Bible study is from the Book Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack. For further study, the book can be purchased for $8.99 at www.ChristianBook.com.

2007-06-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Grace from Romans

Lesson two

Romans 8-17

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ! With these words Paul wraps up his introduction of his letter to the Romans and he transitions into the main points of his letter.

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established–– 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

Ø I am thankful Vs 8

“First” meaning of greatest importance. Paul is saying that the thing that he wanted to say to the Romans before anything else was how thankful he was for their testimony and how that testimony had spread throughout the whole world of that day.

Ø I am eager Vs 9-13

Paul wanted the believers in Rome to know that he earnestly desired to come to them and minister to them in Rome. He calls on God as the witness to his desire and his prayers for them. It was Paul’s desire to be an encouragement to the believers there in Rome and to teach them from the Word of God.

Romans 1:14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

Ø I am a debtor Vs 14

What does Paul mean when he says that he is in debt to the Greeks and the barbarians, both to wise and unwise? Warren Wiersbe says “Paul had an obligation to all men” He was given a task from the Lord Jesus when they met on the road to Damascus. Paul was given a job to do and until it was completed. He was under obligation to take the word of God to them.

Romans 1:15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Ø I am ready to preach Vs 15

“Two different Greek words are translated ‘Ready’ in the Bible. One means ‘prepared’ as in Acts 21:13. ‘I am ready to die at Jerusalem...’ the other one, used here in Romans 1:15, means ‘eager, with a ready mind.’” WW. Paul was eager to share with them the good news. The Roman church only had a part of the Bible at this time and Paul wanted to give them a fuller understanding of who God is and what he has for his children.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Ø I am not ashamed Vs 16-17

Many people were ashamed of the gospel in that day. If they let it out too much that they were Christians, it could cost them their life. They would hide the fact that they were believers. Paul here is saying that he is willing to put it all on the line for people to hear the gospel. It is that important, he says, because it is the power of God to bring salvation to those who believe.

Check it Out

Ø Thankful – Are you thankful for the witness and testimony of others? Do you have the kind of reputation in your community that God is thankful for?

Ø Eager – Do you just plod along through life or are you joyful, looking forward to the next way that God will use you for His Glory?

Ø Debtor – God has given you a job, “Go, make disciples of all nations...,” What are you doing to pay your debt to the world?

Ø Ready to Preach – Maybe this would be better said “eager to share.” When is the last time that you just couldn’t wait to share your faith with a neighbor, friend or family member

Ø Not Ashamed –

o James Boyce, in his commentary on Romans gives eight reasons to not be ashamed of the gospel.

§ 1. The Gospel is Good news. When was the last time you had good news to share? I know, for me, I can’t wait to tell people about it.

§ 2. It is the way of Salvation.

§ 3. It is God’s way not man’s.

§ 4. It is the Power of God. It is the means to accomplish God’s salvation. It is not weak or powerless, it has the Power of God.

§ 5. It is for Everyone, both Jew and Gentile, man and woman. It has no prejudice.

§ 6. It is Salvation revealed to sinners.

§ 7. It is the Righteousness from God. We have no righteousness on our own. We are totally dependant on God to give us His righteousness. And Lastly

§ 8. It is totally of Faith from first to last. It begins with saving faith and ends with the faith to live each day for him.

o When you have the opportunities to share your faith, do you run and hide in shame or do you take the opportunities? Are you ashamed?

Strengthening Your Marriage Bible Study "Lesson Two"

2007-06-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Crossroads Cares
*Strengthening Your Marriage* Bible Study "Lesson Two"

Good Communication

Communication has the power to destroy or enhance a relationship

Last week I challenged you to write Proverbs 18:13 in your own words. Did you read it daily, commit it to memory, and ask God to help you apply it to your communication with your spouse? God's word is powerful. I know God will help you as you desire to communicate well with your spouse.

Last week we also discussed James 1:19 "Where fore, my beloved, let everyone be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”
It is my prayer that you are learning to be swift to hear. This week we will discuss being slow to speak. Certainly open and honest communication is essential to any relationship. You can not be of one mind if you do not know what the other person is thinking. However, openness and honesty are often the cause of much stress in marriage. Most relationships fall on one side of the communication spectrum or the other. Either they are so open and honest, that no thought is given to the other persons feelings or they keep their feeling to themselves, retreating in silence or using manipulation. The Bible warns about each of these methods.

When there is a lack of self control in speech, wounds are inflicted and many a marriage has been hurt. Scripture states that our words can be as dangerous and painful and destructive as "the piercing of a sword" or as a cup of poison or as the burning of a fire (Prov. 12:18; 16:27; James 3:5-8.) When words are used to strike out, the couple is not living "happily ever after"

The opposite is equally destructive to the marriage. Some people pride themselves in never yelling at their spouse, but what they do is retreat quietly and have a good pout. God's Word says that the ideal wife "Opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue"(Prov. 31:26). In a marriage, issues must be faced. Disagreements and conflicts must be calmly, respectfully and fully discussed.

Does that sound like a big job?!?! Sometime it is, but God's word gives us the tools to do this effectively.

Here are some questions to ask when you need to speak to your spouse about something. I believe the principle of being slow to speak is that you take the time to think through what you are going to say before you say it.

1. Is is really true? Do I really have the facts (Eph. 4:29, Prov. 18:13)?

2. Is what I would like to say profitable? Will it help or hurt? Be constructive or destructive (Prov. 20:15; Eph. 4:29; Rom. 15:1-3)?

3. Is this the proper time for me to say it, or would it be better for me to wait (Prov. 15:23, 28; 25:11-12)?

4. Is my attitude right (Eph. 4:15, 32; I Cor. 16:14; Titus 3:1-2)?

5. Are the word that I will use the best possible way of saying it (Prov. 12:25; 15:1, 23; 16:23; Eccles. 12:10)?

6. Have I prayed about this matter and am I trusting God to help me (Prov. 3:5-6, Col. 4:2-6: Ps. 19:14)?

On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you rate your communication with your mate?

Pray that God will help you improve your communication this week. I will ask you at the beginning of the next Bible study to evaluate if you have improved this week!!

Each of you are in my prayers as you seek to strengthen your marriage!

Pastor Tim Heinrich(PT)
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Much of the material in this Bible study is from the Book Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack. For further study, the book can be purchased for $8.99 at www.ChristianBook.com.

2007-06-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

Grace from Romans

Lesson 1
By who and to whom?

Romans 1:1-7

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“On May 24, 1738, a discouraged missionary went “very unwillingly” to a religious meeting in London. There a miracle took place. “About a quarter before nine,” he wrote in his journal, “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

“That missionary was John Wesley. The message he heard that evening was the preface to Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. Just a few months before, John Wesley had written in his journal: I went to America to convert the Indians; but Oh! Who shall convert me?” Warren Wiersbe

In this first study on the Book of Romans we will take a look at the first six verses of chapter one. You may say to yourself that this is just the introduction, just Paul’s way of saying “HI.” I think that we will find as we look closely at these six verses, that they are full of wonderful truths about our God.

Let us first look at what the writer says about himself. In this book the writer calls himself Paul, not his old name of Saul. Saul had been well known among believers as the man who persecuted the church. Paul was known, however, as the man that spread the word and was a teacher of the church.

Here he calls himself a bondservant. In that day there were 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire. A person was a slave by being born into it or being sold by your family into slavery. Having a debt that you could not pay could also land you in slavery. This word bondservant has a bit of a different twist. It means willing slave. Here is one that is set free by his master, and yet says that he will continue to serve him willingly. Often times an ear would be pierced showing that this one was a willing slave. Paul here is saying that he is a volunteer slave of Jesus Christ.

Paul goes on to give his credentials for why he is writing this book. He says that he is called to be an apostle and separated to the Gospel of God.

The word called here means to be appointed by one in authority. It is a little like the president of the USA appointing ambassadors to other countries.

An apostle is one that is sent out with the authority to instruct in the name of the Lord.

Paul also says that he is separated to the Gospel. That is talking about being given a specific task to do apart from what everyone else is doing. In this case his special task was to spread the Good news about Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

Next let us look at the message that he was spreading. This is summary statement of the entire book.

First, the end of verse one and the beginning of verse three state that the message was the good news (gospel) about Jesus Christ. Well what about this Jesus? First of all he was the son of David. This means that He had the physical right to rule in Israel, being descended from King David. Second, he was the Son of God, which is to say that he is God in the flesh, equal with and of the same essence (stuff) as the Father. Some people have great difficulty with the concept of the Son of God. “How can God have a baby, a son?” We must understand that the Bible is not calling Jesus the Son of God in the sense of offspring; rather it is a Hebrew expression of equality, of being of the same essence. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all equal and of the same essence. He is one God, existing in three persons. He goes on to show that it was the resurrection that proved that Jesus was God and holy.

Second, the message is about what Paul had received from Jesus, Grace and apostleship. Grace talks of receiving something that one cannot earn or ever deserve. This is Salvation. Apostleship was the Job that Christ had given him to do, reaching all nations (the gentiles) with the message of God’s Grace and Mercy.

Paul then turns to the reader of the book and talks to them for a moment. This letter was being sent to Rome and Paul states that they are called of Jesus Christ Verse 6. Just as Paul was called by Jesus to be an apostle, the people at Rome have been called by this same Jesus. He goes on to say that they were all called to be saints. The word saints simply means, “people who have been separated from the world and consecrated to the worship and service of God.” Followers of the Lord are referred to by this phrase throughout the Bible. He also calls them beloved of God: ones that are greatly loved, special, or precious.

Here are the main things that I want you to take away from this passage.

1. We should be willing slaves for Christ

2. The Message of Grace and Mercy is for people of all nations.

3. We have a Job to do. We are called to be “Saints.”

Check it out

1. Knowing that we were all once a slave to sin, What are you doing to make yourself a willing servant of Jesus?

2. Since you are separated from the world and called a saint, What are you doing to spread the Good news to your friends and neighbors?

Pastor Tim Heinrich(PT)
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Strengthening Your Marriage "Lesson One"

2007-05-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

"Good Communication"

Wherever you find marital failure you will find a breakdown in real communication. Wherever you find marital success, you will find a good communication system.

In his book Christian Living in the Home, Jay Adams asserts that communication comes first. In His book, After You’ve Said I Do, Dwight Harvey Small declares that “the heart of marriage is its communications system.” Scripture asks, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3.

God intends the marriage relationship to be the closest of all interpersonal relationships. God said “for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh "(Gen. 2:24). The experience of genuine oneness can only be achieved through a healthy communication system.

The first principal of effective communication is good listening.

1. Good listening involves letting the other person speak without interruption

Proverbs 18:13 say that it is folly and shame to answer a matter before you hear it. Here is an example A woman starts to tell a story. She says “Last week we went for a drive on Route 352 and ...” “No dear,” her husband interrupts, “it was not Route 352. It was Route 252.” “Oh yes, you’re right. Well anyway, we were traveling down Route 252 at about 45 miles...” “I hate to interrupt you again,” says the husband, “but we were not going 45 miles an hour. We were going 47 ½ miles an hour, I distinctly remember looking at the speedometer, and it did read 47 ½ miles an hour” After several attempts to tell the story, she gives up and says “You tell the story.”

2. Good listening involves making sure you really understand what the other person is saying or thinking.
People often heard the words of Jesus and thought that He meant something He never meant. Jesus Christ was history’s best communicator. Yet men misunderstood Him and misquoted Him. That should be a warning to us as we listen to others. We must attempt to really understand our spouse.

3. Good listening involves being willing to admit when you misunderstood. In his book, Discovering the Intimate Marriage, RC Sproul tells about a time when he gave a lecture and then conducted a discussion about the lecture. One person asked him a question about a word in his lecture. He did not remember using that word. A student suggested he had used a different word. Quickly the group became divided, arguing over which word he had used. When the tape of the lecture was played, it revealed that he had used neither word!

The first principle that I encourage you to work on this week is found in James 1:19

“Where fore, my beloved, let everyone be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”

We will work on the second and third principles in the coming weeks. This week, lets just work on being swift to hear!

Check it out!! This is the part of the Bible study where you apply what you have learned!

Make a list of things that block you from being good listener. Write beside them how you will work to remove that road block.

Write Proverbs 18:13 in your own words. Place it somewhere that you will see it this week. Read it daily, commit it to memory, and ask God to help you apply it to your communication with your spouse. In what area have you been resisting listening to your spouse's opinion?

If your conscience is telling you that you have not been a good listener, confess this to God and to your spouse. Recommit your self to this area of your marriage. Make sure you know what your spouse means before you respond to them. If possible, share an area where you have heard them out, and it changed your opinion.

I am praying for you as you seek to strengthen you marriage through God's word.

Be slow to speak this week. Next week we will cover Biblical principles for how to share your thoughts with your mate.

Pastor Tim Heinrich(PT)
pastor@tracychurch.org
814-1815 (cell)
833-8423 (church)

Much of the material in this Bible study is from the Book Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack. For further study, the book can be purchased for $8.99 at www.ChristianBook.com.

Spring, Easter, Resurrection, What are we really celebrating?

2007-04-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Spring, Easter, Resurrection, What are we really celebrating?

Recently I have seen reports about the Easter Bunny being renamed the Spring Bunny and Easter Egg Hunts being transformed into Spring Celebrations. In an effort to be politically correct, some local communities are re-naming their festivities. This begs the question “What are we really celebrating?

Spring: Webster’s defines spring as the season between winter and summer. Everyone acknowledges spring. It is an indisputable event that occurs every year. Along with spring comes outdoor sports, barbques, and a general excitement about warm weather and new beginnings.

Easter: Traditionally Easter is a holiday that includes baskets, bunnies, eggs, chocolate and fancy dresses. Drawn from the traditions of many cultures, most people have been able to agree to some sort of acknowledgement of Easter. For many years in America, it was also expected that Easter included some sort of religious service.

Resurrection: Resurrection is defined as returning to life after being certifiably dead. Jesus was raised from the dead after being in the tomb for three days. The Bible says that those that are saved from the punishment of their sins, must believe that Jesus came back to life after being dead. Romans 10:9 says “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” With out the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, we have no hope for the future or for eternity. But with it we not only have hope, we have the assurance that just as Jesus was raised, we also will be raised.

Jesus said in John 11, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” Not only did Jesus raise from the dead on “Easter Sunday Morning” He is the way that all that believe on Him will rise one day. The Bible teaches that Jesus is coming back to earth and when he does all those that have believed on Him will be resurrected and go to live with Him for all eternity.

I am personally excited to see spring arrive each year. I love the flowers blooming, the warm weather and the activities that accompany the season. I also think that the activities traditionally associated with Easter can be a lot of fun. However, the thing that causes me the most excitement is the realization that the God whom I serve is Alive!!! There are many religions today but Christianity is the only one that has a Risen Savior and a day set aside to celebrate Him! I am so excited about what He did that I want to shout it from the rooftops. Our church is so excited that we plan a huge Resurrection Egg Hunt on April 6 and invite the community to celebrate with us! We put on a puppet show to explain the resurrection to the children and throw a great big party because “He Is Alive.” On Resurrection Sunday we will celebrate through worshipping God. We give Him all the glory for what He has done. Our celebration will never be demoted to simply a “Spring Service” because the God who created the seasons died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. The Bible says that He is preparing a home for His believers in heaven. Only those who put their faith in Him can understand how exciting this is! That is what we celebrate! It is not about being politically correct or incorrect, it is about having the truth and wanting everyone else to know! Will you celebrate with us?

Tim Heinrich is Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Tracy. For more information about the church www.tracychurch.org. He can be reached at 209-814-1842

Loving Christ

2007-02-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

We are told in Matthew 22 as well as many other places in the Bible, that we are to Love God and Love our neighbors. I am sure that all people that call themselves Christians would agree that this is of utmost importance. What does it really mean? How can I love God, something that I can not see or touch? I can love my wife, I can love my children, I can see them and touch them. Jesus said to the church at Ephesus in the book of the Revelation, that they had lost their first love. I thank that we also have lost our first love, the love for God, the love for Jesus. People are so caught up in the busyness of life that they forget about the one they say they love, God. I must admit that I am included in this category. Thank the Lord for His patience with us and His love for us that never wavers. As I reflect of Valentines day, I hope that I am lit on fire once more with a passionate love for God and for those around me, many of which are on their way to an eternity with out God in the lake of fire. To love God is to love His Word. To study it and memorize it and to be eager to learn more about God through it's pages. It reveals Him to us. Finally my motivation to love must always come from the cross. What Jesus did there for me is something that I can never repay or earn, to do so would nullify the gift that it is. It can only be responded to with love and devoation to Him every day. Day in and Day out.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

2007-02-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

Today I received word from friends in Ohio that a young man (in his 30's) is in Kidney failure. He is on the transplant list and has to go through dialysis three times a week. Last night (Wed) at church he passed out right in front of his daughter and some other boys and girls there for Joy Club. We were notified and ask to pray for Ron. Why is this happening to Ron? He is a young man raising his three children (his wife left him), struggling to make the ends meet, and now he is very sick.

The answer is in the book of James. "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." God takes us all through different trials to complete us and to strengthen our faith.

Opening Post

2007-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome.

I am hopeful that this venture into writing down my thoughts and responding to yours will be profitable for all.

Let me introduce myself. I am the Pastor of a new church, Crossroads Baptist church of Tracy Ca. I have been in the ministry now for 12 years. My family and I have served the Lord in Churches in Southern Michigan and in Central Ohio. God has richly blessed my family and I over the years. In the fall of 2003 God laid on our hearts the need for church planters in the state of California. After sharing the need in a number of churches in the Midwest God moved us to Tracy to help to start the church. We are excited to see how God has worked. Sunday Services began in September of 2006 at a local School. our attendance averages about 20 on Sunday morning and we also are having a Bible Study on Friday's.

I look forward to sharing what God lays on my heart.