21 Days of Prayer 1. Praying that Jesus will be exalted in our lives and in His Church. August 20-September 9. Philippians 1:12-27

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1 21 Days of August 20-September 9 Praying that Jesus will be exalted in our lives and in His Church Philippians 1: Days of 1

2 Contacts Director: Tony Jonas; Women s Coordinator: Gerri Donnelly; gerridonelly@cox.net Young Adults Coordinator: Ashton Jones; ashton@ Crossline Care Director: Erica Davis; erica@ Important dates Every Sunday morning, 8: Every Wednesday evening Gathering; contact Tony Jonas for location and directions Every Thursday morning; 8:30-9:30 AM, Men s, Church Office Every Friday morning; 9:00-10:30, Crossline Chapel 8/19 Sunday Worship, sermon on Just Pray and Seek the Lord for Healing 8/26 Sunday Worship, sermon on Just Take Your to the Next Level 9/2 Sunday Worship, sermon on Just Seek and Save the Lost 9/6 Night of and Worship, 7:30-8:30 PM, Outside Fellowship Center 9/9 Sunday Worship, sermon on Jesus the Promised Messiah 9/16 Sunday Worship, sermon on Jesus the Compassionate Healer 9/23 Sunday Worship, sermon on Jesus the Bondage Breaker 9/30 Sunday Worship, sermon on Jesus the Crucified Savior 10/7 Sunday Worship, sermon on Jesus the Resurrected Lord 10/12-14 Crossline Men s Retreat 10/21 Sunday Worship, Baptisms and Outreach Event 21 Days of 2

3 Pray that: Praying for Crossline to be a Healthy Church and Multiplying Church 1. Ministry is Done in the Authority of Jesus and Power of the Holy Spirit Healthy and multiplying Churches grow in the authority of Jesus and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the builder of His Church and He has sent us out with His authority to bind and loose in His name. Jesus manifests His victory over the devil, produces His remaining spiritual fruit and does His greater works in the Church when we live in the power of the Holy Spirit. 2. There is Consistent Believing that Permeates Everything Healthy and multiplying Churches are energized and empowered by prayer. They are connected to Christ s vision by prayer and prayer is the vehicle through which Jesus does His greater works. The promise of Jesus is that if we ask and believe then He will do it. 3. Leaders and Congregation are Empowered by a God-sized Vision Healthy and multiplying Churches have a clear sense of Christ s vision and call. They are built on Biblical truths and commands that define the Church and give it direction for growth. The Pastor and the congregation are able to see the vision and believe that Jesus will fulfill it. 4. Christ-like and Gifted Leaders Equip God s People Healthy and multiplying Churches are led by healthy and multiplying Pastors and volunteer leaders. Christ-like leaders demonstrate emotional, relational and spiritual health. Christ-like leaders have the spiritual gifts to equip God s people to do the works of service that build up and grow the Church. 5. There is a Church Culture that is Life-giving and Contagious Healthy and multiplying Churches are characterized by a life-giving culture. They have a collective attitude and personality of love, celebration, acceptance and joy. A healthy Church experiences the presence of God in a way that people are in awe of His greatness and drawn together in His love. They become contagious with the light and love of Christ. 6. There is Life-changing Biblical Preaching Healthy and Multiplying Churches grow as God s Word is proclaimed, explained and applied in the power of the Holy Spirit. Spirit empowered preaching of God s Word teaches, rebukes, corrects, trains and equips people to know Christ and make Him known. God uses His Word to change people s lives and grow His Church. 7. We Experience Passionate Worship 21 Days of 3

4 Healthy and multiplying Churches worship God with joyful praise and songs from the heart. Music, songs, praises and prayers arise to the Lord from hearts and minds that are transformed by the Holy Spirit. There is a freedom to express our love for God and to receive from Him a God-sized vision. This kind of worship brings healing, deliverance, empowerment and is itself a gospel outreach to the unsaved. 8. There is Encouraging Fellowship and Community Connection Healthy and multiplying Churches connect people to one another. The whole Church Body experiences life together. Whether in large gatherings, small groups or one on one friendships, believers feel loved and connected to one another. They learn how to experience positive friendships, marriages and families. 9. We Have a Clear and User-friendly Discipleship Pathway Healthy and multiplying Churches provide a clear pathway for connection, growth and discipleship. Members understand their calling to grow and are motivated to progress in their Christian maturity. Classes, groups and practical experiences are designed to facilitate a Biblical paradigm of discipleship. 10. We are Activating Equipped and Empowered Servants Healthy and multiplying Churches train leaders and empower God s people to use their spiritual gifts as servants of Christ. The whole Body is built up as each individual member does their part. Equipped believers do the work of the ministry and the whole Body grows. 11. Gospel-motivated Members are Contagiously Inviting Guests Healthy and multiplying Churches grow as believers shine the light of Christ and share the gospel. Church members invite their friends to join them in Church and the gospel is consistently proclaimed. Jesus adds to their number those who are being saved. 12. We Have Functional Structures and Organization that Releases Ministry Healthy and multiplying Churches are structured for Kingdom ministry and growth. There are Pastor/Elders, Deacons and volunteer servants. Ministry teams serve both inside and outside the Church. Through these leaders, servants and teams, Jesus accomplishes His Kingdom vision. 13. We Have a Culture of Joyful Generosity Healthy and multiplying Churches embrace an attitude and practice of generosity. Financial resources are viewed as gifts from God to be stewarded for His glory. Tithing is practiced as a spiritual habit and generosity is seen as an act of worship and compassion. 21 Days of 4

5 Day 1 Matthew 16: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? 14 They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 15 But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? 16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 17 Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Jesus is the Son of Man, the Messiah, and the Son of the living God. He is the foundation, the builder and the head of His Church. He has promised that the gates of Hades cannot stop His Church and He has given His authority to His Church to proclaim and advance His Kingdom. As believers, we are the Church of Jesus Christ. Crossline is Christ s community of which He is the Head and Builder. We have been commissioned by Jesus to go in His authority and to bind and loose in His name. Let s surrender ourselves to our Head and let s get on with the work He has called us to! 1. Give praise to Jesus that He is the Head and builder of His Church 2. Acknowledge Christ s Lordship in your life and surrender yourself to His Kingdom purposes 3. Ask Jesus to build Crossline into a growing, holy, contagious community that exalts His name 4. Ask Jesus to change people s lives and transform believers at Crossline to become more like Him 5. Ask Jesus to exercise His authority to save lost people, heal sick people and set captives free 6. Ask Jesus to do miracles for His glory and the blessing of His people 7. Ask Jesus to make Crossline a Church a loving, generous and serving community that makes disciples here and of all the nations Day 2 Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you 21 Days of 5

6 In this familiar quote from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clarifies the focus for every believer and every Church. We are to be about Kingdom business. Our pursuit is to be Christ-centered and Christ-purposed. God s Kingdom is His rule in every area of life. The goal of Crossline Church is follow Jesus in every way and in every area. When we seek first in our lives to know Jesus and to follow His will, He promises to add all other things to us. Let s determine to put Christ first, to pursue His kingdom and His righteousness and let s trust the Lord for His provision. 1. Take a moment to acknowledge Christ s Lordship over your life right now and vow to seek Him first in everything 2. Pray for Crossline to be Christ exalting, Christ seeking and Christ focused 3. Pray that every believer at Crossline experiences the transforming work of the Spirit to know Christ, love Christ and become more like Christ 4. Pray that our kingdom focus results in hundreds and thousands coming to salvation and being added to our Church 5. Pray that our kingdom focus results in the least of these being served and blessed 6. Pray that our kingdom focus results in chains being broken, people set free and the joy of the Lord reigning in people s hearts 7. Pray that our kingdom focus results in an outpouring of generosity, tithes and offerings being presented to the Lord and abundant finances are made available for kingdom use Day 3 Acts 4: Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. This passage is one of the most powerful descriptions of the early Church in Jerusalem. Faced with opposition and pressure, the Church gathers for prayer and asks God for miracles and boldness to preach the gospel. God s answer is amazing! They are all 21 Days of 6

7 filled with the Spirit and speak the Word boldly; they experience supernatural unity and generosity; the Apostles powerfully proclaim Christ; God s grace is at work in all of them; people s needs are met; some of the members of the congregation give above and beyond and sell houses and lands so that all financial needs are take care of. When the whole Church prayed, God moved with the greater works of Jesus. May Crossline be like the early Church, may we all pray and ask God to do miracles among us and may we respond with sacrificial generosity and boldness! 1. Ask the Lord to do miracles among us and through us 2. Pray that our entire Church will be filled with the Spirit and we will all preach the Word with boldness 3. Pray that we will experience supernatural unity, love and generosity 4. Pray that our Pastors and leaders will boldly preach the gospel 5. Pray that some of our members will give sacrificial above and beyond gifts to financially provide for God s people 6. Pray that all of our financial budget and vision goals are provided for and met through Spirit prompted giving and generosity 7. Pray that Crossline will be a praying, Spirit filled community, contagious with the love, unity and power of Christ Day 4 John 15:7-8 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. All you have to do is abide, these were the words spoken by one of my early mentors. In context he was trying to disciple me in the truth that Jesus is the one who produces fruit but we are the ones who must stay connected to Him and draw upon His supernatural resources. This is the truth being taught in John 15. Jesus says He is the Vine and we are the branches. The Vine produces fruit and the branch bears fruit. The branch abides or stays connected to the Vine and the Vine provides all the life giving resources for fruit to grow in and through the branches. Crossline Church will bear much fruit as we abide in Christ. Crossline Church is us, the members, and the people who attend and serve. As we abide, Jesus produces His fruit. Let s individually and corporately abide in Christ and prayerfully expect Jesus to produce His fruit. 21 Days of 7

8 1. Talk to Jesus, surrender your life to Him, express your love for Him, renew your commitment to abide in Him today 2. Pray for every believer who attends Crossline to abide in Christ in every way 3. Pray for our Pastors and leaders to strongly abide in Christ and to live fruitful lives 4. Pray that Jesus produces His fruit: the fruit of love in our lives; the fruit of salvation and transformed lives; the fruit of miracles and answered prayer 5. Pray for the fruit of deeper discipleship in the lives of our members; the fruit of greater glory to God in our worship services; the fruit of improving our facility to reflect Christ s excellence; the fruit of increased outreach and service to the least of these; the fruit of greater impact on Haiti for the gospel; the fruit of helping to fulfill the Great Commission 6. Pray that every day, in every ministry and in every service, the believers at Crossline will abide in Christ and Jesus would produce His fruit Day 5 Mark 11: The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, May no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered! 22 Have faith in God, Jesus answered. 23 Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. This passage emphasizes the miraculous power of faith-based prayer. Going into Jerusalem, Jesus curses a fig tree for not being fruitful. (This action in context had far more meaningful implication for God s prophetic words to Israel for their lack of repentance and acceptance to His Messiah) In the temple courts, Jesus declares that 21 Days of 8

9 His house is to be a house of prayer for all the nations. Leaving the temple area, the disciples notice that the fig tree cursed by Jesus has withered. Using this occasion, Jesus says that we are to have faith in God. He promises that whatever we ask for in prayer, if we believe that we have received it, it will be ours. Wow! This prayer-promise links faith to answered prayer and opens the scope of our praying to whatever we ask for in faith. To be honest there is mystery for me and I have tons of questions and other Scriptures that come to mind that I want to add as caveats. But I don t want to miss the intent of Jesus. He is calling us, calling Crossline Church to believe in Him, to have faith. He is calling us to cry out to Him to ask Him for miracles and to believe He is the One who answers and who will answer. How can we grow in our faith? How can we focus more on Jesus in prayer? What miracles do we need to ask Jesus to do for our Church, for our lives? How can we trust more in Jesus promises and less in our own interpretations of reality? How can we break through prayer barriers and truly become a Church and a people of faith based prayer? 1. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you so that He is the focus of your faith 2. Ask Jesus to make you, our Pastors, our entire Church strong in faith and strong in believing prayer 3. Pray for miracles for Crossline: miracles of healing, miracles of salvation, miracles of financial provision, miracles of life transformation, miracles of healthy relationships, miracles of growth and influence for the gospel 4. Pray that everyone who calls Crossline home will join a Community group and experience healthy friendships and connection 5. What is the one miracle you want Jesus to do for you and your family? Ask Him to do it 6. Pray for Crossline to be a House of, that we will be more devoted to prayer, have more opportunities to pray, become more dependent on prayer and see more answers to prayer Day 6 John 7:37-39 On the last day, the great day of the Feast, Jesus stood up and cried, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. For he who believes in Me, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. This Jesus spoke about the Spirit, whom He had not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. This is a classic invitation of Jesus. He identifies a need, being thirsty. He promises to meet that need and cause rivers of living water to flow out of us. He describes our part 21 Days of 9

10 in accessing His provision, come to Him, drink and believe in Him. The Apostle John, the writer of the narrative, goes on to explain that the promise and its fulfillment was part of the larger ministry of the Holy Spirit who was to be given by Jesus after He was glorified (crucified, resurrected, ascended and seated at the Father s right hand in heaven). This invitation and promise is for everyone today. It is available to us and to Crossline Church. We can come to Jesus, believe in Him and drink of Him. When we do, the Holy Spirit fills us and literally flows His life out of us. Let s ask Jesus to make us a Spirit empowered and overflowing Church. Let s do our part and contribute to the community with the overflow of the Spirit s work within us. Are you thirsty? Let s go to Jesus and drink! 1. Ask Jesus to fill your life with the Holy Spirit 2. Pray that the overflow of your life and the overflow of the lives of every believer at Crossline will make our Church overflow with the living water, fruit, miracles and power of the Spirit 3. Pray that the Holy Spirit makes Crossline contagious with Jesus and everyone who comes on our campus or attends one of our gatherings gets drenched with the Spirit s life 4. Pray that believers are transformed to become more like Jesus; that prodigals come home in repentance and restoration; that the sick are made well; that captives are set free; that the least of these are served; that disciples are made and that laborers are sent out into the harvest 5. Pray we exalt Christ; become faithful servants; generous givers and contagious witnesses for Jesus Day 7 Ephesians 5: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ In this passage the Apostle Paul describes the fruit and results of Spirit filled living. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is directing and influencing our lives, He transforms our relationship with God and with people. We speak to one another in positive, Christ-centered and scriptural ways. We sing, make music in our hearts and give thanks to God. We are humble and submissive to one another. The Holy Spirit produces His fruit in our lives. These are the kind of people 21 Days of 10

11 God wants us to be and the kind of Church He wants Crossline to be. Let s ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit and pray that His fruit overflows at Crossline. 1. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit 2. Pray that the pastors, staff and leaders of Crossline are all filled with the Spirit 3. Pray that we are a Spirit filled Church and experience all the fruit, power and miracles and gifts that the Holy Spirit gives 4. Pray that we love one another and that our love is contagious, so that every day someone from our community is influenced to receive Christ, by the fruit of the Spirit impacting them from Crossline Church 5. Pray that our people are led by the Spirit to be generous givers and that we receive the full $4.7 million for our Revive Campaign 6. Pray that many new friends are added to our Church through our Community Group launch Day 8 Ephesians 4:11-16 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. This passage describes God s intention for a growing and healthy Church. Jesus wants to build Crossline into this model, biblical community. Since the Church is made up of people, Crossline will become Christ s model of a healthy Church, as we become healthy and growing people! Growth and health are described as 1) gifted people equipping God s people to do His work 2) the Church being built up 3) unity in our faith and maturity in our understanding 4) speaking the truth in love and growing more like Christ 5) every person doing their part to make the whole body grow full of love. These are the characteristics we should pray for, seek after and model to one another. When 21 Days of 11

12 every member of Crossline is a healthy and contagious follower of Christ then our whole Church will be a model that Jesus uses to bless the world! 1. Pray that you will be a healthy and contagious Christ follower 2. Pray that every believer at Crossline is growing spiritually and being transformed by the Spirit to have healthy relationships and mature convictions 3. Pray for our Church community to be a place where people thrive, flourish and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ 4. Pray that every believer at Crossline knows and uses their spiritual gifts to contribute and build up Christ s Church 5. Pray that we speak to one another with truth and love and seek to encourage one another in Christ 6. Pray that we are all generous servants who eagerly tithe our offerings to the Lord and bless one another with grace 7. Pray we are so contagious with the light of Christ that every day and at every service; friends, neighbors and co-workers come to Christ and join our Church Day 9 Acts 2: Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Here is a description of the first Church after the Day of Pentecost. On the Jewish festival of Pentecost (celebrating the giving of the first-fruits and taking place 50 days after Passover) God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the 120 disciples gathered for prayer. The Apostles begin to boldly praise God and were given the supernatural ability to proclaim their message in the various languages of the people gathered in Jerusalem for the Festival. Accused of being drunk, Peter stands up, filled with the Holy Spirit and preaches the gospel of Jesus death and resurrection. Acts 2:41-47 is a summary of the results of Peter s evangelistic sermon. About 3,000 received Christ, were baptized and along with the 120 disciples, became 21 Days of 12

13 the core of the first Church. They were devoted to spiritual habits of growth and they experienced God s miracles which accelerated their faith. They had community and fellowship and generously shared and offered their possessions to anyone in need. They met in homes and small groups and pursued Christ together. They were a contagious community of love and praise and God was bringing people to salvation daily and adding them to their number. This first Church at Jerusalem exemplifies what God wants to do at Crossline Church. Let s own God s agenda and ask Jesus to build our Church! 1. Pray that the Holy Spirit will produce revival, transformation, life-change and the miracles of Jesus 2. Pray that every day people will be saved, baptized and added to Crossline Church 3. Pray for the people in your network who do not know Christ, pray for their salvation and pray for opportunities to share the gospel and invite them to Church 4. Pray for our relationships and community that everyone who calls Crossline home would be connected and actively growing with other believers 5. Pray that God changes our hearts and attitudes and that every believer at Crossline is a sacrificial giver and humble servant 6. Pray that our worship is passionate, full of praise and dynamically impacts everyone who participates 7. Pray that Crossline grows healthier and larger and that we impact all of South Orange County and the world for Christ Day 10 Colossians 1: To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously work with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. God s mystery is Jesus Christ Himself. His divine nature; His ministry of reconciliation; His unique identity as Messiah of Israel and Head of the Church, these truths were all mysteries before they revealed by God. Jesus is our hope of glory. Through Him we receive glory and through Him we are able to give glory back to God. Because of whom Jesus is, our mission and the mission of Crossline, in fact the mission of every Church is to proclaim Him! Crossline is called by God to admonish and teach everyone, so that 21 Days of 13

14 everyone might become fully mature in Christ. Crossline will fulfill its mission as every believer who calls Crossline home receives and carries out the mission. Crossline Church is not some abstract entity, it is the people who attend, worship and serve. We are Crossline and we are called to proclaim Christ and make disciples. This task can only be done in Christ s power. The Apostle Paul states that, To this end I strenuously work with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. We work out the power that Christ s works in us. We proclaim Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and we leave the results with God. Let s ask God for the power to carry out His mission and the clarity of purpose to do what He has called us to do. Pray that every ministry and program of our Church is effective and fruitful at making Jesus known and helping people to become mature in Jesus 1. Pray that every member of Crossline is filled with Christ s power and works out of the energy that Christ works in 2. Pray that every week more and more people are hearing the gospel, receiving Christ and becoming mature in Christ at Crossline 3. Pray that our missions outreach in Haiti results in Haitian s receiving Christ and becoming mature in Christ 4. Pray that as we build out our Worship Center, hundreds of new people receive Christ and are discipled at Crossline 5. Pray that every member of Crossline joins a Community Group and invites unchurched friends to join with them. Pray that hundreds of new people hear the gospel and give their lives to Christ Day 11 Philippians 3:7-8 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ Life s greatest pursuit is the journey to know Christ. You can know Him, you can know Him deeper and you can know Him some more! Knowing Christ is the key to salvation, healing, hope, deliverance, fullness, joy, purpose, power and the abundant life. Paul, the greatest Christ-follower who ever lived, tells us that knowing Christ is of more surpassing worth than anything else. At the core of every believer and every Church ought to be the supreme priority of knowing Christ and making Him known. Let s pray 21 Days of 14

15 for Crossline that we are all on the same page of knowing Christ. 1. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you and surrender yourself to the journey of seeking to know Christ more and more 2. Pray that every believer and attendee at Crossline would grow in the personal and lifechanging knowledge of Christ 3. Pray that all of our ministries, programs, services, retreats and small groups help people know Christ 4. Pray that we make Christ known in our community and to all the nations 5. Pray that everyone who connects with a Community Group receives Christ and grows to know Jesus better and better Day 12 2 Chronicles 24: At the king s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. 9 A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the offering that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the Lord s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple. 13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord. 15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. The Temple of God needed to be repaired. King Jehoiada believed that God would be glorified if the people generously gave and the offerings were used to make repairs on the Temple and to provide articles for the worship of God. The plan called for a chest to 21 Days of 15

16 be placed outside the Temple. The people were made aware of the need, how the money was to be spent and the command of God about offerings and contributions. As people gave, the money was spent according to God s direction and King Jehoiada s vision. People gave freely and great things were done for God. King Jehoiada was forever memorialized as having done good for God, for Israel and for God s temple. 1. Ask God to make you a worshiper and generous giver 2. Pray that the entire congregation of Crossline internalizes God s commands for bringing our offerings to Him and that we are a generous Church 3. Pray that as we give we see the greatness and goodness of God and our entire Church grows in a God-sized vision 4. Pray that as a result of our giving, Jesus is exalted, people are served and blessed, the lost hear the gospel and are saved, and Christ s Church is built up and grows 5. Pray that we receive the full $4.7 million for our Revive Campaign and that we continue to receive generous weekly offerings to meet our 2018 budget 6. Pray that our generosity sparks revival and in every way we become more holy and filled with God s love Day 13 1 Peter 1: Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. This passage is a call to holiness. Unfortunately, holiness has gotten a bad rap over the years. We equate it with religious legalism and outdated fundamentalism. Nothing could be further from the truth! Being holy is being like God. But just as he who called you is holy; so be holy in all you do. Being holy means to be set apart from one thing and dedicated to a new thing. We are to be set apart from our old life of selfishness, independence and darkness. We are to be dedicated to our new life in Christ, a life of dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a life of walking in Jesus light. Peter exhorts us to do this with alert minds that are focused on the eternal reality of Christ s coming revelation and on all the grace that is going to be brought to us when He is revealed. We are to be heavenly minded so that we can be earthly good! God s desire for 21 Days of 16

17 Crossline Church, for all of us believers who are in community together, is that we pursue His holiness and live with God as our audience. 1. Ask Jesus to show you the grace that is waiting for you in heaven. Surrender your whole life to live with an eternal perspective as a follower of Christ 2. Pray for our entire Church Body to live holy lives and to become more and more like Jesus 3. Pray that every member of Crossline to turn from their old life and put on their new life in Christ; to go deeper in God s Word and live out of Biblical convictions; to walk more in step with the Spirit and to manifest more of Jesus love in their everyday life 4. Pray that Crossline is contagious with the gospel so that everyday someone in our community is influenced to turn from darkness, to be set apart for Christ, to seek to be holy as God is holy and to become a part of our growing Church 5. Pray that every member of Crossline grows in holiness, in the fear of the Lord and in the hope of the grace we will receive when Christ returns 6. Pray that everyone who calls Crossline home lives with eternal priorities, stores up treasures in heaven and seeks to do all they can to advance the Kingdom of God Day 14 Colossians 3: Therefore, as God s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. This great passage of our new life in Christ is addressed and applied to a local Church. We do not live out our life in Christ in isolation or in a monastery. We live as followers of Jesus within the community of the Church and as witnesses in the world. God s will for Crossline is that we recognize we are God s chosen people and we clothe ourselves with the virtues of Christ. God s plan is that we are a community of believers who demonstrate His forgiveness, peace and love. With thankful unity we are to teach and admonish one another with the spiritual message of God s Word and with songs from 21 Days of 17

18 the Spirit. Our goal is to do everything we do in the name of Jesus. As each follower of Jesus at Crossline models this behavior, out entire Church will shine the light of Christ and we will be contagious to influence the world for Christ. 1. Pray that you will put on your new life in Christ. Commit yourself in prayer to live experiencing all of Christ s virtues and the fruit of the Spirit 2. Pray for Crossline to internalize Christ s light and love and to be contagious with the fruit of the Spirit 3. Pray for our relationships with one another; pray that all who call Crossline home are emotionally and spiritually healthy and that our relationships reflect Jesus love and unity 4. Pray that the Lord will add to our number daily those who are being saved as they are influenced by our contagious experience of the gospel 5. Pray that we are a generous congregation and we freely share with one another and contribute to God s kingdom so that we have all the financial resources necessary to accomplish the vision Christ has given to us Day 15 Psalm 100 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. 5 For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. This is one of my favorite Psalms of praise. The Worship Leader is describing the greatness of God and how the congregation ought to worship Him. The Lord is God; He made us and we are His people; the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Because this is who the Lord is, we His people should shout for joy to the Lord; we should worship Him with gladness; we should come before Him with joyful songs; we should enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise; we should give thanks and praise 21 Days of 18

19 His name. Worshiping God like this is a core value for Crossline. We want to be passionate, joyful, authentic and contagious in our worship. We want to come to God with open hearts, open minds and fully yielded lives. With the full expression of emotion and the full response of our bodies, we want give the Lord our praise and thanks for all of His blessings and for all of who He has revealed Himself to be. Let s pray that our worship exalts Christ, brings healing to people s lives and is a catalyst to revival that transforms our Church, our community and the world. 1. Dedicate your life to Jesus; present your body to Him as your offering of worship (Romans 12:1-2) 2. Take a moment to praise the Lord for His greatness and for His goodness 3. Ask the Holy Spirit to anoint and empower our worship at Crossline. Pray for Sergio, our singers, our band, pray for Pastor JP, that all of us would be Spirit filled worship leaders for our Church 4. Pray that every week our congregation would overflow with joyful praise and thanksgiving in worship. Pray that every believer would openly come to God and pour out their hearts and be transformed by the Holy Spirit in worship 5. Pray that our worship would exalt Christ and proclaim His praise so that He is glorified, believers are conformed to His image and lost people hear the gospel and are saved 6. Pray that all who call Crossline home would have a God-sized faith, that we would be generous givers, that we would be other-centered servants and that we would be Spiritempowered witnesses for Jesus 7. Give thanks for all of God s blessings in your life Day 16 Philippians 1: I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ for this will bring much glory and praise to God. This is the Apostle Paul s prayer for the Philippian Church. Recorded in Scripture, this is an inspired prayer that we can pray for Crossline. God desires that our love will overflow and that we will keep growing in our spiritual knowledge. God s will is for every believer to be able to perceive what really matters so that they will live pure and blameless lives. 21 Days of 19

20 Focused on Jesus, God wants us to live righteous lives that bring glory to God. As we personally are transformed to become more like Christ, our Church will be contagious with Christ s love and will have an impact on our community and the nations. Let s ask God to change us so that we can change the world. 1. Thank God for your salvation and ask Jesus to live His resurrection life in and through you today in the power of the Holy Spirit 2. Pray for our entire Church Body to be filled up to overflowing with the love of Jesus 3. Pray that everyone who calls Crossline home will abide in Christ and bear much fruit for God 4. Pray that the righteousness of Jesus, which is ours by faith, fills us and flows out our lives 5. Ask Jesus to make us a holy, mature, loving and contagious Church for Jesus 6. Pray that our Revive Campaign stimulates faith, generosity and hope 7. Pray that our Community Groups flourish, grow and multiply with new believers and mobilized members Day 17 Malachi 3: I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven s Armies. But you ask, How can we return when we have never gone away? 8 Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you? You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the Lord of Heaven s Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe, says the Lord of Heaven s Armies. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight, says the Lord of Heaven s Armies. This passage on bringing our tithes and offerings to God is one of 764 verses in the Bible on this subject. The tithe was a gross 10% offering. The term offerings, referred to various other sacrifices that were offered to the Lord in addition to the tithe. God prefaces His rebuke and promise in these verses by saying, I am the Lord and I do not change. Because God does not change we are kept saved and secure in His grace. 21 Days of 20

21 Because God does not change His Word on our tithes and offerings does not change. God s people, in covenant relationship with God, are to express their love and obedience to God in the worshipful act of bringing their tithes and offerings to Him. God promises in this passage, that if His people, if Crossline Church were to bring their tithes to Him, there would be enough resources for all the Kingdom work He desires to do. This act of worshipful obedience will prompt the Lord of Heaven s Armies to pour out a blessing so great, that we will not have enough room to take it in! God even adds this statement to His promise, Put me to the test! Whether you believe the 10% tithe is a part of the believers grace-giving today (as I do) or whether you believe that believers are not bound by this command but instead by the promise of generous giving in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; when you put these passages side by side they speak of the same results. God says to us as followers of Jesus Christ that if we will sacrificially and generously give of our financial resources to Him, He will bless our lives and use our gifts to bless others and multiply His Kingdom. Let s put God to the test. As a Church let s covenant with God to worship Him and express our love through sacrificial and generous offerings. 1. Acknowledge Christ s Lordship in your life; thank Him for your salvation and surrender everything to Him; specifically give Him your wealth, your material goods and resources (Luke 14:25-35) 2. Thank God for His promise in Malachi 3:6-11 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; ask that every believer who calls Crossline home will worship Jesus with sacrificial generosity 3. Pray that our Church will have a culture of generosity with our time, our talent and our treasure that is contagious and life-giving 4. Pray that our generous giving will result in an abundance of funds to serve Jesus and fully accomplish the vision He has given us 5. Pray that every member radiates the joy of Jesus Day 18 Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and even unto the remotest parts of the earth This post-resurrection promise of Jesus serves as the outline for the book of Acts and for God s redemption plan to use His Church in fulfilling the Great Commission. 21 Days of 21

22 Beginning in Jerusalem, the first followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to preach the gospel. In Acts 8-12, the Spirit-empowered Church expands its witness of Christ into Judea and Samaria. In Acts 13 the first missionaries are sent out and Christ s gospel witness penetrates the remotest parts of the earth. Today, almost 2000 years later, the Spirit continues to empower believers and congregations to take the gospel of Jesus to the remotest parts of the earth. As a believer in Jesus and as a community of believers at Crossline; Jesus promise, call and commission is that we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. Our Jerusalem is South Orange County, our Judea and Samaria is Southern California and all of America and our remotest parts of the earth are all the nations. You, I and all who call Crossline home are recipients of Jesus promise in Acts 1:8. We are also accountable to live it out for Christ s glory. Let s pray that we do! 1. Ask Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit and to use you as His witness 2. Pray for your immediate network of friends; ask the Lord to save them and to use you to share the gospel with them and invite them to Church 3. Pray for Crossline to experience a revival of the Holy Spirit; pray that everyone who calls Crossline home would live as a Spirit filled witness for Christ 4. Pray that we have a culture of inviting and every member of our Church regularly invites their friends to come and hear the gospel 5. Pray that our Community Groups attract new people and that every Crossline participant invites their neighbors and friends to join them 6. Pray that Crossline grows daily as people are being saved and added to our Church Day 19 Matthew 5: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Jesus states that His followers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Our identity, according to Jesus is that we represent Him, we shine His light. When Jesus lives through us, His light is seen in our good works. The works shine the light, the light 21 Days of 22