Crossroads Talk

But it amazes me that when things seem to really be going good, the old enemy is out there raising his ugly goat smelling butt, trying to cause me trouble!

He takes on many disguises, but the truth is the truth....."he is a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Get behind me you old goat smelling jerk!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

I know that most of you just love the holidays and so do I for the most part.

The problem for me gets to be that when you take that day off as we did on Monday, it just seems to compound all the work for the rest of the week. I have been playing catch up all week.

That's why I tend to just love the same routine schedule. It just seems to work so well and their are a lot less headaches.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

Website is back up and going.....gotta love technology.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

oh well, still having server problems with the Crossroads website.

Be patient my little pretty!!!!! (Wizard of Oz talk there)

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Crossroads website is back up and running.....

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 5:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Crossroads website was down for most of the day......should be back up in a few hours.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ok, for most of you guys summer is officially here.

You already have most of it planned and I am sure that it includes some great trips. I spent Memorial Day with some people who are going to be headed to Hawaii later this week (must be nice).

I would love for some of you to post your summer plans. You don't have to leave your name, just let me know what kind of neat things your going to be doing between Sundays. You can post it as a comment on this blog.

Have a good week!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

I just happen to be sitting in the office this morning trying to keep up with all that's going on around Crossroads.

We had a great couple of services yesterday.....I am always amazed at how God seems to show up on days that I know are going to be a little off (because of the holiday).

Many of you made the decision yesterday to get something out of the way that had been the "barrier" between you and God. Some of you went as far as going down to the front and you just said, "God, I am going to lay it down right here and I am getting it out of the way, because there is nothing I want more than to have an intimate relationship with you." Amazing!

God is good.....have a great day!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

The weekend weather is going to be great and we hope you have guys really have a great time with friends and family.

With all that you have going on, we hope you try to make to one of our services this Sunday!

Peace like hair grease!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

Hey, I just wanted to let you guys know that the entrance to Crossroads has moved over about 50 feet from where you use to come in.

The Mill Street entrance has been turned into a dead end street so that means that you will now have to enter through the "main" Mill entrance and snake your way back to our area.

We hope to have the North Greenwood entrance paved and open sometime during the summer.

Thanks!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

Do you know what Wilma Flinstone's maden name is?

It would be.....Slahoopal!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

Have you ever had some words come out of your mouth and you go, "where in the heck did that come from?" It happens to me more than I like to admit and the truth is that it probably happens to all of us more than we would like to admit.

Behind everything we say there is something going on and its usually going on in our hearts. Matthew 12:34 says that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." The truth is that what is in the heart will always come out....and it amazes me what I find in my heart sometimes.

I think it always pays to look at what we've allowed to creep into our hearts and you will always be able to tell what's in there by what is coming out!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

amazed
unbelievable
freakin
idiot
amazing
off the hook
jacked up
screwed (I know)
far out
fantastic


(I will add more as they come to mind)

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Because this will give you a bad name!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Crossroads has been going for about six months now and some of you have jumped in and helped from the beginning, but others of you have just been sitting in the stands and you're just watching the game.

The truth of the matter is now is the time for you to take the walk, walk right out of those bleachers and get yourself into the game that God has been nudging you into by His Spirit. You know He's been telling you, but you just sit there waiting for someone else to keep doing it.

There is no way that we can do what God has called Crossroads to do with you sitting in the stands.

Come on and get in the game!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hey, I think its too late for you to go now, but Gibbs Pharmacy was having a Grand Opening today and they were offering free grilled burgers and dogs. If you didn't have the opportunity today to make it I would sure encourage you to stop by and check out their new diggs....it's really nice and as most of you know we at Crossroads are really into cool environments and they have a really cool place.

Check it out! and spend a little money with those guys.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

I continue to be amazed at what God is doing at Crossroads.

We had two really good services yesterday and as one person made the comment, "there was really a spirit of worship there."

Thanks to our great musicians.....you guys do a great job and it was good to have Milton Sledge filling in (I guess that's the way you say it) at percussion, it made such a difference and I have had some really good feedback.

Thanks for all you guys do!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

We are continuing our look at one of the three vital relationships this weekend.

"Intimacy with God" is the first of the three vital relationships that we believe that every believer should have. Last Sunday we started looking into this most important relationship and we will pick back up on it this Sunday morning. It promises to be a great day!

For those of you who have middle and High School students, please remember that they the middle school (xtreme) will meet during the 11 a.m. service and the high school (InsideOut) meets on Sunday night at the church at 6 p.m. Please help us get the word out about the start of these new ministries.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

If you are interested in reading this blog (I wonder about you then!) and you don't like looking it up every day, then you can scroll down and enter your email address in that little box and then you will receive the things I post in your email....how in the heck do you like that!

It may save you a little time....remember I am here not to be served, but to serve!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments

Go to Subway and order the Club Salad....tell them to leave off the Roast Beef and add a little extra turkey. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, a little spinach (without e-coli) and top it off with pepper jack cheese.

Do not add any dressing, just a little oil and a heck of a lot of vinegar. Tell them to sprinkle sale, pepper, and oregano on the top. Drink a glass of water and you will enjoy being full without all the blah feeling.

It's really good!

(if you get really bad diarrhea that means you forgot to ask for the spinach without the e-coli)

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

Grab your Bible, which I know you all do every morning! Flip over in the New Testament to the book of First Timothy and read it all the way through. When you run into the name "Timothy" substitute your own name. This is so, so powerful, try it. (I got this idea from a friend who advised me to do it....man, it was great)

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 7:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

Grief that is. For the last few months I have really been taking some heat for carrying my "man bag."

I always have so much stuff to carry around that I found this great leather bag that enabled me to keep the things I needed with me organized. So immediately after I started carrying it, I caught heck from a bunch of you, but the tides are turning.

Several of my friends have also jumped on board and now have their own "man bag."

The truth is, I just love mine....and it matches my shoes!!!!!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

We had a great start this past Sunday to a new series where we are looking at one of the three vital relationships that we believe every believer should have, "intimacy with God."

Thanks to all of you guys who have already given me some very positive feedback, its always great to know that you are working on applying God's word to your lives.

Have a great week!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

And I am still sitting in the office getting ready for Sunday.

The rain is starting to hit the window and I am thinking how much we really are needing this rain. Here in the big city it has been a pretty dry spring and we need a few days of some good soaking rain to try to get us caught up.

I just can't stand it when the ground gets dry and the plants all start looking fatigued....oh well, you can tell I am bored.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hey, Mothers Day is coming this Sunday and I want to take this opportunity to say a big thanks to all the mothers out there....we appreciate you every day, not just one day a year!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

This Sunday we're going to start looking at one of the three vital relationships that we believe is important in the life of every believer, "intimacy with God."

I am really hoping that you guys will try to make it to one of the two services and that you will take the time to invite someone. If you would like to invite them using email, just go to our website and use the evite and it will send them a personal email invitation from you.

Have a great day and we hope to see you Sunday!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 6:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

Hey Guys....be praying for all of our students as many of them will be starting their final exams.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

I am loving being Lead Pastor at Crossroads!

These are amazingly exciting times and you guys are some of the best people I know. God is going to use all of you in amazing ways!

Listen...be open...He has some great things waiting!!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Our Student ministry got a great kick off this past weekend.

xtreme, our ministry for middle school students met during the 11 a.m. service and InsideOut, our high school ministry met on Sunday night in the main auditorium at 6 p.m.


We invite you to help us get the word out....we are starting off small, but we intend to grow this baby!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Some people (sticks in the mud) have made the comment that the services at Crossroads were just entertainment......well I guess I have to say something to you, "Do you know the definition of entertain or entertainment?"

It means to "keep, hold or maintain attention" and if you're using that definition then you are exactly right! What in the heck do you think Jesus did when he told stories? He got and held peoples attention! Give me a break.....

People are coming to know Christ at Crossroads and some people just want to complain. I'm just glad that God has given us a vision bigger than I can explain. If you don't like it, talk to God!

We're having fun!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well as most of you know I had one of my daughters graduate from MTSU this past weekend. Needless to say, it was a very busy weekend.

After the graduation we had family over to do the cookout thing. It's funny now how that since I have to speak on Sunday I like for Saturday to be a little lower key...not! The past two weekends have both been packed with things personally and with church stuff.

Today I find myself totally spent.....time to get ready for next Sunday!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

We have a daughter graduating from college this weekend.

It is hard to believe that I am 39 and already have one graduating from college.....

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

This Sunday we will be winding up the teaching we started last week. In case you weren't there we were focusing on how God could and would allow something like the events that happened at Virginia Tech.

Make sure and be there this weekend as we finish it all up! It's gonna be good!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

I remember as a kid using a magnifying glass to take the sun light and focusing it on a piece of paper and after a few seconds the paper would start smoking and before long you would have a flame.

Focus is huge! If you really plan on having any impact at what your doing then you need to be focused on exactly what that is.

Crossroads has no problem with focus, but I must admit that every day we have to make sure and keep the main thing the main thing. There is always someone that is wanting you to do what they want and what they think and very quickly you can loose your focus.

The challenge is to just keep focused. We say it this way when we talk about the leadership at Crossroads, "we keep one eye on our effectiveness, and the other on the next step God seems to be showing us."

We stay focused!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

I have been amazed over the past several months how people that don't even attend Crossroads have helped us.

Sometimes its just really hard to get your arms around what God can do through each of us if we will just let him.

A special thanks to you people.....you know who you are!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

We are going to be scheduling a work day on one of the Saturdays later this month or early next month. Please try to keep that in mind, we are going to need some help from everyone!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

Thanks!

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

I just now realized that it's flippin' Wednesday and I haven't even made an entry here since last week.

We had a great day on Sunday. The crowd was down a little in both services but I think that everybody enjoyed having Adam Cunningham fill in for Mike (our guitar dropping worship leader). Adam and his band did a great job and it is always encouraging to see other people using their gifts.

Sunday also brought us some new people visiting. Being all new and stuff, we get a lot of tire kickers. The good thing is that most of them are coming back.

Posted by Randy S. Cook at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments