What Shall We Do?

What does it take to understand the Christian faith? On Pentecost Sunday, Peter stood among the crowd of 3,000 people and gave a moving sermon that brought the people to their knees. Then the Holy Spirit began to work among them. In this week’s sermon, we will discuss what it takes to bring us to our knees so the Holy Spirit can work in our lives.

Scripture: Acts 2
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?”
Some made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.
“’In the last day, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’
“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Hymns
“Breathe on Me, Breath of God”
“Rock of Ages”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will bless your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “But Who Is the Holy Spirit?“ delivered on Christian Crusaders May 27, 2007.
It was a wonder when God, on Pentecost Sunday, brought 3,000 people into the fold. Those of us who are children of God by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, are the ones to carry that message and through whom the Holy Spirit will do his work. It will bring enlightenment to your church, new joy to your home, peace and comfort to your own life.

Christian Crusaders Blog
Blogging is now available! Visit our new blog at http://crusaderweekly.blogspot.com/. Here you can view our e-newsletter, leave comments, and read information on previous broadcasts. Watch for podcasting in the near future. With podcasting you will have the opportunity to have weekly sermons delivered directly to your iPod.

On the Light Side
Mrs. Jones was in labor with the couple’s first child. Things were going pretty well when suddenly she began to shout, “Shouldn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t, can’t!”
“Doctor, what’s wrong with my wife?” asks Mr. Jones.
“Nothing,” replied the doctor. “She’s just having contractions.”

We Have Peace With God

Have you ever had to watch a loved one die? It is an excruciating experience. How does a person find peace when they have lost their job, are undergoing chemotherapy, or are watching their child walk away from God? What about when their savings has been wiped out? This week we will talk about where we can go to find peace in the midst of all this turmoil.


Scripture: Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hymns:
“Oh Worship the King”
“How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will bless your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “Beyond the Physical“ delivered on Christian Crusaders September 5, 1999.
As believers in Christ, we are not exempt from difficult and depressing experiences. We confess our faith in Christ and are assured that God has forgiven our sins, but still have trials. Where do we go with our burdens? Are we not strong enough to carry them ourselves? . . .our faith is not perfect. However, if we live with God daily in His Word and the Holy Spirit is able to change words into living truths, we will get a good taste of what this verse is saying to us about peace. Then we can join the people of Judah who sang their hymn of praise, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.”

The Crusader Quarterly Newsletter
Christian Crusaders’ new quarterly newsletter is being mailed this month. The theme for this issue is gentleness. Call or e-mail our office if you would like to be added to our mailing list and receive this special publication.

On the Light Side
I felt like my body had gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor’s permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

I Want to Be Your Friend

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Many people shy away from this idea. In this week’s sermon, we will talk about what this relationship involves: how it is initiated, how it grows, and why some people are not interested in knowing Jesus Christ better.

Sermon
“I Want to Be Your Friend”

Scripture: John 15:9-17
This is my command: Love each other.”“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

Hymns
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
“Are You Able?”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will bless your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “Friend, You Are a Part of the Mission“ delivered on Christian Crusaders July 16, 2006.
The more we study the Bible, the more it becomes abundantly clear that God wants to have a strong personal relationship with us. . . . When the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the meaning of these words, we hear God saying, I want you for my friends. I have big plans for you. Together we are going to build an eternal kingdom, and you will have a major role in serving as my ambassadors.

Sermons on DVD
A new sermon series is available on DVD! Four powerful sermons on the Resurrection, which aired on the radio April 12, 19, 26, and May 3 have also been recorded for you to enjoy watching on DVD. Call or e-mail our office if you would like a copy of any or all of these DVDs, which are available for a suggested donation of $5.00 each.

On the Light Side
Church Bulletin Bloopers

• The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”
• Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 pm in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.
• Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
• The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
• Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
• Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

The Power of the Home

Scripture: Luke 15:11-24
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

Hymns
“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
“O Master Let Me Walk With Thee”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will bless your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “Who Is Monica?“ delivered on Christian Crusaders May 14, 2000.
There are mothers who know the Lord Jesus, but simply do not talk to their children about Him. That is sin. Remember what Jesus said, “You are to be my witnesses at home.” That means you, mother, and you too, dad. Why not talk to those children, whether they are 50, 55, or 60 years of age. Talk to them and tell them what Jesus Christ has done for you.

Radio Station Broadcasting Changes
Christian Crusaders is on a new station! WIRL/AM1290, a classic country station in Peoria, Illinois, began broadcasting Christian Crusaders May 3. Let your friends and family in the Peoria area know they can tune in for worship with us on this station.

On the Light Side
Some Things Mom Would Never Say

• “How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?”
• “Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too.
• “Just leave all the lights on – it makes the house look more cheery.”
• “Let me smell that shirt – Yeah, it’s good for another week.”
• “Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I’ll be glad to feed and walk him every day.”
• “Well, if Timmy’s mom says it’s okay, that’s good enough for me.”
• “The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It’s not like I’m running a prison around here.”
• “I don’t have a tissue with me. Just use your sleeve.”
• “Don’t bother wearing a jacket – the windchill is bound to improve.”
  

Christian Crusaders Weekly E-Preview for May 3, 2009

Have you ever been told you have a potentially fatal illness? It is a frightening experience. What an exciting day it was when we learned of a polio vaccine! Imagine the joy when we learn of a cure for cancer. In this week’s sermon, we will talk about the sting of another disease – death. We will hear a person who faced two serious illnesses tell how she learned to claim victory over death.

Sermon
“Death Has Been Conquered”

Scripture: I Corinthians 15:54-57
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hymns
“Amazing Grace”
“The Church’s One Foundation”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will bless your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “Our Heavenly Home,” delivered on Christian Crusaders November 5, 2000.
The Bible tells us that only in the heavenly home will we come to know the meaning of perfection. “Those who live in the heavenly home will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (16-17). Our neighbors, whose beautiful little girl is suffering from a brain tumor, will not have to wonder why she should be afflicted in this way for there will be no disease and imperfections that we live with while here on earth. We will not see bodies dying of malnutrition, and no more tears will be shed. How freely they have flowed here on earth when the bad news was given to us telling how a loved one has met with disaster or pain. Is it no wonder that St. Paul, knowing the heavenly home awaited him, said, “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.”

Mother’s Day Gift Idea
Are you looking for a meaningful Mother's Day gift? Perhaps the special mother in your life might like a limited-edition set of audio CDs from Christian Crusaders. This unique five-disc set of sermons, appropriately centered on motherhood, comes wrapped in a pretty ribbon and gift tag. This gift set is available for a suggested donation of $10. Please call us at 1-888-693-2484 or visit our Web site to order.

Christian Crusaders Outreach Posters
Would you help us spread the Word? New Christian Crusaders posters are ready for distribution to care centers and senior living communities. If you or someone you know lives in such a facility and you’d be willing to take a poster to be displayed, simply call us toll-free at 1-888-693-2484. We will be happy to mail a poster to you or to the senior center of your choice. Thank you for your help!

On the Light Side
Technology
After having dug to a depth of 10 yards last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their New York ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, California scientists dug to a depth of 20 yards, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: “California archaeologists have found traces of 200-year‑old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.”

One week later, the Ness County News, a local newspaper in Ness City, KS, reported the following: “After digging as deep as 30 yards in wheat fields near Beeler, KS, Larry the Cable Guy, a self-taught archaeologist and dyed-in-the-wool Jayhawks fan, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Larry has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Kansas had already gone wireless.”