NURSING MOTHERS ROOM MOVINGBeginning this week, the nursing mother’s room has been relocated to the first floor on the south (left) side of the lobby near the Children’s area. Please note that there will be a closed circuit television provided for viewing our worship service available. We hope this brings a new level of convenience for you and your family.

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FEBRUARY’S KP3 FOCUS: KINGDOMFor the month of February, we are teaching elementary children about God’s Kingdom. The one big idea we want them to learn is: When I become who God wants me to be, I will change the world. Week 2Big Idea: I must do all things with God’s love.Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13

Mom & Dad…all we really need is love! It’s the kind that Jesus talks about. This week open up the bible and read with your child what Jesus teaches about love by walking through some scripture together.

Crossing Family,

If we were to look back on our lives, every circumstance, every struggle, every failure and every victory has defined who we are and has prepared us for the challenges we will face tomorrow. This weekend we will be looking at Esther’s life and how God is calling us to something bigger than we think we may be prepared for. What is God’s next call on your life? Whatever it may be, we pray that God speaks clearly to you.

Praying for you, Greg & Tamara Dumas

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS NEEDEDEvery week at The Crossing we offer sign language interpretation for the deaf and hearing impaired. We currently have several volunteer opportunities open for those trained in ASL interpretation. If you are interested in serving, please contact Morgan Burch at 813.626.0783 or via email at mburch@crossingonline.org

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The 26.2 Spiritual Race is intricately designed with you in mind! Through the different 26.2 Experiences, you can learn more about The Crossing and its leadership, become involved in a LifeGroup, and understand more about your spiritual gifts. We encourage everyone to join in the race! Register for all the 26.2 Experiences at www.crossingonline.org. The next experience dates are:

• Warm-Up: March 28, regitration closes March 21 • Starting Line: May 22 and 23, registration closes May 15• Mile One: March 7, registration closes February 27• Pushing Through: March 20, registration closes March 14• Momentum: April 24, registration closes April 18

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDYMe, Myself, and Lies: A Thought Closet Makeover is a video-driven Bible study for women, designed to encourage us to clean out the junk in our thoughts and replace the hidden negativities with positive truths from God’s Word. The class begins March 11th 9:15am-11:30am and 7pm-9pm. Register online at www.crossingonline.org/news. Childcare is available evening as well as morning. Contact Debbie Price dprice65@verizon.net for the AM class or Melinda Abston mindaab@hotmail.com for the PM class with any questions.

SPECIAL GUEST FIRST WEDNESDAYThis coming First Wednesday we will be welcoming special guest speaker, James Robison. Pastor Robison is the Founder and President of LIFE Outreach International and has preached to more than 20 million people, and by the grace of God has led over 2 million people to relationship with Christ. Make sure to invite your friends for this special First Wednesday gathering.

WANT TO IMPACT A GENERATION?We’re looking for potential LifeGroup leaders for our new twenty-somethings ministry! For more information, contact Scott McIntosh at smcintosh@crossingonline.org or call 813.626.0783 ext. 136.

Esther 2:12 “Before a girl’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.” (NIV)

NKJV – “Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.”

Matthew 16:24-27 “ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

WELCOME TO THE CROSSING CHURCH

Saturday, February 27 Sunday, February 28Epic Journey: Through the BibleThe Book of EstherEsther 2:12 , Matthew 16:24-27 Next Gen Pastor: Burnard Scott

She surrendered her former life

Began 12 months of preparation Months of oil of myrrh

Months of perfumes & cosmetics

She went into the kings chamber

Her preparation won the kings favor, & she became his bride.

SCRIPTURE

OBSERVATION

We must surrender our former lives

I will never again live in a way that is not in pursuit of the King!

Repentance

A spiritual posture we maintain before the King 2 Peter 3:8-9

Prepare for Intimacy through Praise & Worship

Serving (Matt. 16:24-27)

Enter His Presence

Psalm 100:1-5

PRAYER

Three Choices:

Conformity Bitterness Character

I pray that we choose character. That we choose to embrace our destiny by being prepared for such a time as this! You never know when God will call for you to be in position to save a life!

APPLICATION

LIFEGROUPSUse the following as a resource for your LifeGroup to go deeper with this week’s message. We hope this helps you as you “do life together”.

Opener: What’s it take to get you ready in the morning? Go ahead and give us the details. Do you eat first, then shower? Do you guzzle excessive amounts of coffee? What kind of relationship do you have with your alarm clock – are you abusive to that machine? How long does this whole process take (husbands may need to remain silent while wife shares)?

Digging Deeper:Pastor Burnard preached this weekend regarding the Book of Esther. While this is a story of God’s faithfulness to a faithful woman in the midst of dire circumstances, none of this story would be possible without preparation. Look at these passages and discuss what kind of preparation took place:

Esther 2:12-18; Esther 4:12-17

Make every effort to tie together the preparation with the results of the preparation. Speak together about what would have happened throughout the story of Esther if these preparations had not occurred. How would the story have been different?

Application:Are you prepared to be used of God? Let us not assume everyone knows neither the significance nor the means to prepare. Why is it essential to be in a state of preparedness as a Christian? Does your time preparing for your day equal your time preparing for your Lord? Tough question – answer openly! II Timothy 4:2 has another echo of this message. What must you do to prepare?