DO YOU LOVE KIDS?We need volunteers to help with our 1st Wednesday services each month with our elementary aged children (kindergarten through 5th grade). If you love kids and want to be a part of Crossing Kids’ exciting 1st Wednesday service, please contact Kim Gore at kgore@crossingonline.org.

WWW.TWITTER.COM/CROSSINGOINLINE

MARCH’S KP3 FOCUS: PEOPLE Week 1Big Idea: When I love God I will love others.Scripture: Deuteronomy 15:7-8

Mom & Dad…Sometimes kids have a hard time giving stuff without expecting something in return. This week find ways where you can teach your kids that it is better to give than receive.

Crossing Family,

This weekend as we prayerfully consider giving above and beyond our regular tithes to the Vision fund, we pray that God blesses your faithfulness. Your gift helps us move forward with The Vision here at The Crossing Church. Our message today is all about seizing the opportunities God has placed before us. We know and believe that God is calling The Crossing Church to a new place of ministry and know that it can only be done with your help. We love you and appreciate you using your spiritual gifts and talents here for God’s kingdom.

Be Encouraged, Greg & Tamara Dumas

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN A 2010 SHORT TERM MISSION TEAMTeams have just formed or getting ready to form so please check out the 2010 Missions Brochure at crossingonline.org (follow this path: I’m an attendee, Ministries, Missions) to see each trip, date and leader information. For questions please contact Scott Phipps at missionsworld@crossingonline.org.

FOR

MO

RE IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N, P

LEASE V

ISIT WW

W.CRO

SSING

ON

LINE.O

RG/A

NN

OU

NCEM

ENTS

WWW.TWITTER.COM/CROSSINGOINLINE

The 26.2 Spiritual Race is intricately designed with you in mind! Through the different 26.2 Experiences, you can learn more about The Crossing and its leadership, become involved in a LifeGroup, and understand more about your spiritual gifts. We encourage everyone to join in the race! Register for all the 26.2 Experiences at www.crossingonline.org. The next experience dates are:

• Warm-Up: March 28, registration closes March 21 • Starting Line: May 22 and 23, registration closes May 15• Mile One: March 7, registration closes February 27• Pushing Through: March 20, registration closes March 14• Momentum: April 24, registration closes April 18• Pass it On: March 20, registration closes March 14

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDYMe, Myself, and Lies: A Thought Closet Makeover is a video-driven Bible study for women, designed to encourage us to clean out the junk in our thoughts and replace the hidden negativities with positive truths from God’s Word. The class begins March 11th 9:15am-11:30am and 7pm-9pm. Register online at www.crossingonline.org/news. Childcare is available evening as well as morning. Contact Debbie Price dprice65@verizon.net for the AM class or Melinda Abston mindaab@hotmail.com for the PM class with any questions.

MARRIAGE BUILDERSWhatever season your marriage is in – whether you’re struggling, or you’re more in love than ever – this six-week class is designed to equip you and your spouse with the tools to build a better, more fulfilling relationship. Marriage Builders meets on Tuesday nights, 7:00-9:00 pm, April 13th thru May 18th. The registration fee is $60 per couple. Childcare is available with pre-registration only. Please register online at :www.crossingonline.org/marriage-builders .

SOUTH TAMPA HEALTH & REHABMarch to our the Lord’s beat by serving others. At Serve 2nd Saturday (??) we’ll celebrate birthdays, visit the residents, & spread His love. March 13th from 10:15 am to 12:30 pm. For info and details contact Joe & Cathy Miles: cjmiles13@aol.com or 813-908-2015.

Nehemiah 4: 9-14

WELCOME TO THE CROSSING CHURCH

Saturday, March 6Sunday, March 7Epic Journey: Through the BibleThe Book of NehemiahNehemiah 4: 9-14 Lead Pastor: Greg Dumas

The people were in great distress and reproach, they had lost their national/personal dignity and identity

The city of Jerusalem was in disrepair, the wall was torn down and it’s gates were burned with fire

There was great corruption externally and usury and injustice internally

There was formidable opposition internally and extreme opposition externally

He restored their Importance

They all received Weapons: The Word of God is your weapon Ephesians 6:10-18 They all received Work: The work of the Church is where you belong Isaiah 58:12 (NASV)

He restored their Identity

You and your families are the hope of the world You are the workmanship of God Ephesians 2:8-10

SCRIPTURE

OBSERVATION

APPLICATION

You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world Matthew 5:13-15 You are Christ’s ambassadors 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

You are a Royal Priesthood 1 Peter 2:9-12

Lord, give me the courage to believe what You say about me; give me the courage to accept my identity in You to its fullest extent. Help me to overcome my fears and insecurities, help me to overcome what others have said about me in the past. I am unworthy and unrighteous on my own but in You I am holy, redeemed, and able to do all things you lead me to do in Christ Jesus. I am usable in your Kingdom, I am your child. I am blessed and the ruler of this world doesn’t determine my future any longer. I am a child of the light and I will walk with You in the light. I am

willing to be used by You for Your great glory and honor!

PRAYER

LIFEGROUPSUse the following as a resource for your LifeGroup to go deeper with this week’s message. We hope this helps you as you “do life together”.

Opener: Without looking ahead, complete the following statement: “What this church needs is……! Somebody ought to do something!” Discuss a time in your life when you were saying something similar to these statements (perhaps even now) only to find out that you were the “somebody.” What the church (or school, team or government) needed was you. Go ahead, tell us how it makes you feel!

Digging Deeper:Nehemiah found favor with men and God and was successful in rebuilding the wall in large part because he was a man of prayer. Read the following verses from Nehemiah that contain his prayers and discuss the coinciding points.

1:4-11 How often do you pour out your heart to God? How often do you give Him a specific request to answer?

2:4 Giving God credit for what happens before it happens keeps us from taking more credit than we should. How do your prayers put the expected results in God’s hands?

4:9 Trusting God does not mean we do nothing. Action does not mean we do not trust. Like Nehemiah, we need to do both. He prayed AND posted a guard. In what areas of your life do you need to pray and execute an action?

Application:There are two ways we, like Nehemiah, can become useful to God and accomplish great things. Discuss the following ways to be used of God and ask for accountability within your group to see them through.

1. Be a person who talks to God. Welcome Him into your thoughts and share yourself with him—your concerns, feelings and dreams.

2 Be a person who walks with God. Put what you learn from His word into action.

Apply these lessons from Nehemiah’s life to your life and remember this. God may have an “impossible” mission that He wants you to accomplish.