What makes you happy? We are all born with a need for happiness, and so we search for that one thing that will satisfy this craving in our soul. What we find, however, often leads to a path of danger and destruction. Listen as we learn what can fill our lives with true, lasting joy, excitement, and purpose even during tragic circumstances. www.christiancrusaders.org/audiostream/ccr20130127.mp3
Scripture: John 10:1-10
“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon The Hand that Holds Me delivered on Christian Crusaders April 29, 2007.
I heard it said once that sheep spend the summer in the high country. On their way back to the shepherd’s fold, they eagerly anticipate their homecoming, although they have to go through difficult terrain and storms that make them cold and wet. You can sense in the flock an excitement and enthusiasm as they come nearer and nearer to the shepherd’s fold. The same goes for Christians in the flock of Jesus Christ who know that we will dwell forever in the house of the Lord. Yes, life does have its question marks and scary moments that can cause us anxiety and make us feel insecure. However, we have a wonderful Shepherd who laid down his life for us, rose again, and lives to walk with us. He knows you and wants to hold you close in all circumstances. He promises that no one and nothing will snatch you from his nail-pierced, loving, strong hands.
GEM Club Members
Christian Crusaders is a nonprofit ministry dependent upon gifts from you, our listening audience. Some of you are members of our GEM Club “Gift Every Month.” No matter the size of the gift, this faithful, regular giving provides Christian Crusaders with a steady income to pay monthly radio expenses. We warmly thank each of our GEM donors. You are truly jewels in this important ministry.
On the Light Side
A guy took his girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team’s bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.
“Oh, I really liked it,” she replied. “I just couldn’t understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents.”
Dumbfounded, her date asked, “What do you mean?”
“Well, they flipped a coin. One team got it, and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was, ‘Get the quarter back! Get the quarter back!’ I’m like, Hello-o-o? It’s only 25 cents!”
http://www.christiancrusaders.org/details_web.asp?ID=753
Friday, January 25, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Jesus Changes People
Do you ever find yourself doing or saying something that you later regret? We all have things in our lives that we wish we could change about ourselves, but find it impossible to do. Yet, real change is possible and in this week’s message we’ll talk about where to find the power to make those changes.
Scripture: John 2:1-11
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon "He Will Change My Lifestyle. I’m Not Interested" delivered on Christian Crusaders July 15, 2012.
What if I am one of those people who doesn’t want to change my lifestyle? I want to go to church on Sunday, be considered a religious person and all the rest, but I don’t want to risk persecution. Jesus was crucified, John the Baptist was beheaded, and many others in lesser ways along the way have had to pay the price when they identified themselves with Jesus Christ. I pray to God that we will have the courage to really look into our lifestyle, as individuals, as a congregation, and as a Church at large and ask what needs to be done. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we may see that it is done.
About Christian Crusaders
Christian Crusaders is governed by a policy-making board of directors. This eighteen-member panel makes many of the decisions of Christian Crusaders, including our yearly budget, where we broadcast the program, future plans of the ministry, and personnel issues. This year we welcome five new members to our Board of Directors: Rev. Mark Decker of Hudson, Iowa; Fred Morris of Evansdale, Iowa; Jim Potts of Hudson, Wisconsin; and Jan Reisetter and Richard Vande Kieft of Cedar Falls, Iowa. These persons, along with our remaining board members, represent a broad spectrum of business backgrounds.
We are thankful for all our board members and ask that you help us pray for them as they direct Christian Crusaders to better serve our listening audience.
On the Light Side
Those Were the Days – This Date in History, January 20
1885 - The roller coaster was patented by La Marcus Thompson of Coney Island, New York. His coaster was 450 feet long with the highest drop being 30 feet.
1929 – In Old Arizona was released. The movie was the first full-length talkie to be filmed outdoors – mainly the great outdoors of Utah and California.
1937 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to be inaugurated on January 20th. The 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution officially set the date for the swearing in of the President and Vice President. The amendment was ratified by Congress in 1933.
1942 - Harry Babbitt sang as Kay Kyser and his orchestra recorded, “Who Wouldn’t Love You,” on Columbia Records. The record went on to be a big hit for Kyser.
1953 - A television show was transmitted from the United States to Canada for the first time. The CBS Television production of Studio One was transmitted to CBLT-TV in Canada.
1958 - Elvis Presley got a little U.S. mail this day with greetings from Uncle Sam. The draft board in Memphis, TN ordered the King to report for duty, but allowed a 60-day deferment for him to finish the film, King Creole.
1964 - This was a big day in U.S. record stores as the first album by The Beatles was released. The LP, Meet the Beatles, became a huge success and was #1 on the charts by February 15, 1964. The British Invasion had begun.
1965 - Alan Freed, “the Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” died in Palm Springs, CA. Freed was one of the first radio disc jockeys to program black music, or race music, as it was termed, for white audiences. In the 1950s, Freed – called Moon Doggy at WJW Radio in Cleveland – coined the phrase, “Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
1986 - New footage of the 1931 horror classic, Frankenstein, was found. It depicted the monster, played by Boris Karloff, throwing a girl into a lake and showed a hypodermic needle in the monster’s arm! The scenes had been cut because they were considered too shocking for the 1930’s theatre crowd. They have since been put back in and the film has been rereleased.
Scripture: John 2:1-11
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon "He Will Change My Lifestyle. I’m Not Interested" delivered on Christian Crusaders July 15, 2012.
What if I am one of those people who doesn’t want to change my lifestyle? I want to go to church on Sunday, be considered a religious person and all the rest, but I don’t want to risk persecution. Jesus was crucified, John the Baptist was beheaded, and many others in lesser ways along the way have had to pay the price when they identified themselves with Jesus Christ. I pray to God that we will have the courage to really look into our lifestyle, as individuals, as a congregation, and as a Church at large and ask what needs to be done. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we may see that it is done.
About Christian Crusaders
Christian Crusaders is governed by a policy-making board of directors. This eighteen-member panel makes many of the decisions of Christian Crusaders, including our yearly budget, where we broadcast the program, future plans of the ministry, and personnel issues. This year we welcome five new members to our Board of Directors: Rev. Mark Decker of Hudson, Iowa; Fred Morris of Evansdale, Iowa; Jim Potts of Hudson, Wisconsin; and Jan Reisetter and Richard Vande Kieft of Cedar Falls, Iowa. These persons, along with our remaining board members, represent a broad spectrum of business backgrounds.
We are thankful for all our board members and ask that you help us pray for them as they direct Christian Crusaders to better serve our listening audience.
On the Light Side
Those Were the Days – This Date in History, January 20
1885 - The roller coaster was patented by La Marcus Thompson of Coney Island, New York. His coaster was 450 feet long with the highest drop being 30 feet.
1929 – In Old Arizona was released. The movie was the first full-length talkie to be filmed outdoors – mainly the great outdoors of Utah and California.
1937 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to be inaugurated on January 20th. The 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution officially set the date for the swearing in of the President and Vice President. The amendment was ratified by Congress in 1933.
1942 - Harry Babbitt sang as Kay Kyser and his orchestra recorded, “Who Wouldn’t Love You,” on Columbia Records. The record went on to be a big hit for Kyser.
1953 - A television show was transmitted from the United States to Canada for the first time. The CBS Television production of Studio One was transmitted to CBLT-TV in Canada.
1958 - Elvis Presley got a little U.S. mail this day with greetings from Uncle Sam. The draft board in Memphis, TN ordered the King to report for duty, but allowed a 60-day deferment for him to finish the film, King Creole.
1964 - This was a big day in U.S. record stores as the first album by The Beatles was released. The LP, Meet the Beatles, became a huge success and was #1 on the charts by February 15, 1964. The British Invasion had begun.
1965 - Alan Freed, “the Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” died in Palm Springs, CA. Freed was one of the first radio disc jockeys to program black music, or race music, as it was termed, for white audiences. In the 1950s, Freed – called Moon Doggy at WJW Radio in Cleveland – coined the phrase, “Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
1986 - New footage of the 1931 horror classic, Frankenstein, was found. It depicted the monster, played by Boris Karloff, throwing a girl into a lake and showed a hypodermic needle in the monster’s arm! The scenes had been cut because they were considered too shocking for the 1930’s theatre crowd. They have since been put back in and the film has been rereleased.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Love Came Down to Tell the Truth
Life can sometimes be very confusing, frustrating, and even dangerous at times, as we stumble around in moral darkness. We no longer know what is right and wrong, and some doubt that truth even exists. We need someone to give us truth. Join us this week as we learn what truth is and that it cannot come from within ourselves or within our world.
Scripture: John 18:33-38
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”
Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him.”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon That’s What I Like About Jesus – He Paid delivered on Christian Crusaders October 16, 2005.
When people ask me what’s so special about Jesus, I tell them the difference between simply being religious and having Christ in your life. With religion, personal belief is spelled this way: D - O. Do this and do that; then maybe you can get God to love you so he will let you into his heaven. But Christianity is spelled D - O - N - E. It’s all been done for us by Jesus Christ. Consequently, He offers us the forgiveness of our sins and the promises of heaven freely as a gift. “Jesus paid it all,” as the old hymn says. That’s what I like about Jesus.
About Christian Crusaders
Christian Crusaders publishes a quarterly newsletter called the Crusader. The theme of the upcoming issue, to be published in February. The Crusader is sent free of charge to all friends of the ministry who desire to learn more about the ministry and receive spiritual inspiration. If you are not currently receiving this mailing and would like to, contact our office at cc@naz.org. You may also call the office toll-free at 1-888 My Faith (1-888-693-2484).
On the Light Side
How Embarrassing!
A professor at Texas A&M taught during the day and did research at night. He would usually take a break around nine, however, calling up the strategy game Warcraft on the Internet and playing with an online team.
One night the professor was paired with a veteran of the game who was a master strategist. With the veteran at the helm, their troops crushed opponent after opponent, and after six games they were undefeated. Suddenly, the professor’s fearless leader informed him that his mom said it was time to go to bed.
“How old are you?” the professor typed.
“Twelve,” he replied. “How old are you?”
Feeling his face redden, the professor answered, “Eight.”
Scripture: John 18:33-38
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”
Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him.”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon That’s What I Like About Jesus – He Paid delivered on Christian Crusaders October 16, 2005.
When people ask me what’s so special about Jesus, I tell them the difference between simply being religious and having Christ in your life. With religion, personal belief is spelled this way: D - O. Do this and do that; then maybe you can get God to love you so he will let you into his heaven. But Christianity is spelled D - O - N - E. It’s all been done for us by Jesus Christ. Consequently, He offers us the forgiveness of our sins and the promises of heaven freely as a gift. “Jesus paid it all,” as the old hymn says. That’s what I like about Jesus.
About Christian Crusaders
Christian Crusaders publishes a quarterly newsletter called the Crusader. The theme of the upcoming issue, to be published in February. The Crusader is sent free of charge to all friends of the ministry who desire to learn more about the ministry and receive spiritual inspiration. If you are not currently receiving this mailing and would like to, contact our office at cc@naz.org. You may also call the office toll-free at 1-888 My Faith (1-888-693-2484).
On the Light Side
How Embarrassing!
A professor at Texas A&M taught during the day and did research at night. He would usually take a break around nine, however, calling up the strategy game Warcraft on the Internet and playing with an online team.
One night the professor was paired with a veteran of the game who was a master strategist. With the veteran at the helm, their troops crushed opponent after opponent, and after six games they were undefeated. Suddenly, the professor’s fearless leader informed him that his mom said it was time to go to bed.
“How old are you?” the professor typed.
“Twelve,” he replied. “How old are you?”
Feeling his face redden, the professor answered, “Eight.”
Friday, January 4, 2013
Growing Up
We know very little about Jesus’ life as a boy growing up in Nazareth. However, the Bible does give us one glimpse into his childhood and the kind of home in which he was raised. In this Sunday’s message, we will talk about that home and learn what it takes to raise our own children to be Christian adults who are eager to walk with Christ.
Scripture: Luke 2:41-51
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon Don't Forget the Children delivered on Christian Crusaders March 23, 2003.
. . . teach God’s Word to your children. Let your witness begin at home when your children are small. What an opportunity you have to read them a Bible story before they go to sleep. Let them see you get on your knees and pray to God. When you are driving and the trip gets boring, visit with them about God’s love. Looking at the marvelous creation is an opener for you to point out how God has blessed your family with an exciting world in which to live. Hang pictures and symbols on the walls of your home that will be reminders of God’s presence in your midst.
Christian Crusaders Speakers
Would you like to know more about our speakers – Rev. Homer Larsen and Rev. Steve Kramer? On our Web site, www.christiancrusaders. org, you will find information about all our speakers since we first began broadcasting on the air 77 years ago. We have also posted an interesting historical slide show, which you can find at the page.
On the Light Side
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.
“Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge, and all the people walked across safely. He used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike. They sent in bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.”
“Now, Joey, is that REALLY what your teacher taught you?” his mother asked.
“Well, no, Mom, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"
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