$1,000,000

Lots of people dream of winning $1,000,000 (or more). These people also have lots of ideas for what to do with the money should they get it. Some people would pay off debt, buy a new house, share with family and friends, go on a dream vacation, help those in need or countless other ideas. 1 million dollars is a lot of money but what would it actually get you assuming you could spend the entire million and not have to worry about taxes? How about:

• A Patek Philippe watch for a mere $716,288



• A 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast Series 1 - $935,000



• A 3 bedroom, 5 bathroom house on Lake Stevens (WA) - $999,950



• 184,162 $5 foot long sandwiches at Subway (including tax)

At this point you may be wondering why I am talking about 1 million dollars. Well, it's because yesterday I discovered that Crosswater (the church where I am one of the pastors) passed the $1,000,000 mark of giving received sometime in the middle of October last year. While many churches have annual budgets far exceeding this amount, this "milestone" struck me as significant. Crosswater is in the small town of Sultan, WA and will be 4 years old in September, yet we have been entrusted with now over $1.2 million. This realization caused me to pause and think about what we have done with that money which is not always easy to quantify.

As a church we have seen people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We have been able to offer free events such as movie nights, parent's night out, VBS and others to our Community. We have been able to help support the local schools. We have taught the word of God on over 200 Sundays. We have provided counseling. We have given over $175,000 towards missions/outreach locally and globally. Most of all we have seen the power and the grace of God as he has used the people of Crosswater to reach a community.

$1.2 million isn't significant because it is money and that's what makes the world go round. It is significant because of the lives it represents and the reminder that it brings of God's amazing power, grace and faithfulness. Thank you to all who have given faithfully from what God has provided.

Our vision is to transform our community and the world with the love and life of Jesus Christ. We are only getting started, come join us for the ride!

A Good Soldier

This morning I read a verse in 2 Timothy that I have probably read at least a dozen times before but had never really noticed in the past. Verse 3 says to "endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus". Before I go any further, I want to admit that my knowledge of soldiers comes primarily from stories and movies which means that I am not the best source on what makes a good soldier. That being said, as I read that verse this morning, I took a few minutes to think about what makes a good soldier. Here is the list that I came up with (certainly not exhaustive)

• Courageous


• Loyal/Committed


• Hard-working


• Dependable


• Risk Taker


• Calm under pressure


• Leader


• Self-Sacrificing


• Discipline

After thinking through this list, I looked at Paul's analogy of being a soldier of Christ Jesus and asked myself if I am these things when it comes to following Jesus. The answer was sometimes. Unfortunately, if I was a soldier in the U.S. military and acted the way that I do as a soldier of Jesus, I would be in a lot of trouble, maybe even dead.

As I continued to think through this analogy, I thought that it should be even easier to be a soldier for Jesus because He is the only "General" that is 100% trustworthy. No matter how good an officer in the military is, he/she will make mistakes, they will do things that they shouldn't do. Jesus isn't like that, so, shouldn't it be even easier to follow Him? Shouldn't I be able to live out the qualities listed above without fear and without restraint?

For some people the idea of being a soldier for Jesus is why they don't want to follow Him. They don't want to be told what to do, they want to do things their way and be in control. But, when you are in a battle, like we are, doing things on your own gets you killed. I'm not so sure that I would make a good soldier in the U.S. military, but I am going to strive to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. After all, He has already won the war.

I Love My Wife

Today is my wife's 36th birthday (I know, I'm probably not supposed to say how old she is) so I want to take a minute to express just how blessed I am. My wife is an amazing woman who loves God, loves me and loves our kids. She is a perfect balance to my uptight, linear, black and white personality. She supports me but also challenges me. She encourages me and gives me grace. She works hard but knows how to have fun. She sees things that I don't see and feels things that I don't feel.

Kristina, I love you very much and am fortunate to have you as my wife. Thank you for all that you do (most of which goes unnoticed and unappreciated, at least verbally) and for who you are.

Happy Birthday