The Fragrance of Forgiveness

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

You can bless others in a multitude of ways, but perhaps the most difficult way is forgiving someone who has hurt you. That takes some work, some time, some prayer, some stamina, some humility, some courage, some hope, some clear words, some … I read a quote today (the source of which is reported to be Mark Twain) that expanded …

Who Is Changed by God’s Living Water?

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

“VIP Water Day” at Vacation Bible School was a different day. We invited parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors to CrossLife Church.  They joined the kids for the opening Bible teaching, celebrating, cheering, praying and singing. Oops, the VIPs kinda got wet. Then, we had water games for the kids and the VIPs took pictures while the kids got wet. Soaking …

What Is God’s Living Water?

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

During Vacation Bible School last week, I ran around a room full of kids with this soaker spray gun or this watering can. The kids joyfully jumped up and down, screaming “Get me! Get me!” Water changes things. After hailstones the size of baseballs drop from the sky during a summer storm, rooftops are dented and car windshields bashed in. …

When You’ve Had Enough

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

Elijah’s emotional, spiritual, and physical condition is at its peak. By the power of the Lord he had just outrun the mighty horses of King Ahab’s chariot and returned from Mt. Carmel 30 miles away. At Mt. Carmel the Lord had answered his prayer and consumed his saturated sacrifice with fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal watched and waited …

Change Me, God

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

When it comes to God’s divine work of forgiveness, the Bible makes one thing clear: forgiveness changes things. Forgiveness changed Joseph’s brothers, it changed the sinful woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her tears, and it changed Nicodemus. Forgiveness is powerful. It doesn’t matter how impossible it might seem, when God is at work, forgiveness is possible. Have years of …

Happily Married

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

A young girl had just seen Cinderella and was testing her aunt’s knowledge of the story. The aunt, wanting to impress the young girl, said, “Okay, but I know what happens at the end.” “What?” the girl inquired. “Cinderella and the prince live happily ever after.” To which the girl answered knowingly, “No they didn’t, they got married!” Ouch. That …

Son of Suffering

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

There’s an old dialogue in which a Christian asks the question, “How much does Jesus love you?”  After a moment, the Christian stretches out their arms as wide as possible and continues, “This much.” As if showing Jesus on the cross. Here’s a song by Christian artist Matt Redman and some friends, called Son of Suffering. It shows how much …

Lord, I Want to Be Just Like You

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

Hey all you men, dads and husbands out there. They’re watching you.  Your kids. The kids in your cul-de-sac. The kids you coach. The kids on your kid’s team when you’re screaming at your kid on the soccer field, or buying the whole team popsicles after losing a tough game. The kids at church. The younger men at church sitting …

A Place For Men

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

There’s no better place for all of us to celebrate men (and also for men to celebrate) than church and here are three reasons why.  First, the best father, best person ever to take care of his children perfectly—okay, the only father ever to take care of his children perfectly—is God, our Father in heaven.  You don’t hear about God …