Noah Filipiak's Blog, page 21
June 22, 2018
Episode 5: Worship Style & Racism! Spray painted N-Words! Ferguson! Abortion! Jeff Sessions! Romans 13! Immigration! Limited Atonement???
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The post Episode 5: Worship Style & Racism! Spray painted N-Words! Ferguson! Abortion! Jeff Sessions! Romans 13! Immigration! Limited Atonement??? appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
June 20, 2018
In Memory of Mark Bozzo, the Man with the Most Incredible Testimony I have Ever Seen
I was disappointed with the Lansing State Journal’s story about my friend Mark Bozzo’s death. If the job was to report the news, the news was not reported. Mark was so much more than a good person who had a big heart. He was definitely those things, but so much more. Mark was also a bulldog, who would be upset by being portrayed incompletely. He’d especially be upset that the most important person in his life, Jesus Christ, was completely left out of his story. I sent the following article in to the LSJ earlier this week, which did not get printed. This is for you, Mark:
Lansing lost one of its finest citizens this past Wednesday when Mark Bozzo passed away peacefully in his sleep. I had the privilege of befriending Mark over the past few months after preaching at the Lansing City Outreach’s Easter breakfast. I just had lunch with him a few weeks ago and am still shocked he is no longer with us.
Mark was the director of the Lansing City Outreach, located at 601 N. Larch St., a ministry to the needy like no other in Lansing. Mark also led a church service at the Outreach every Sunday, where he and his wife also cooked breakfast. Lansing City Outreach has always been a “no barrier” homeless ministry that has had its doors open for anyone, providing overnight shelter, showers, laundry, clothing, meals, Bible studies, and most importantly, belonging and community. Where other shelters will turn people away if they are drunk or high, the City Outreach took in everyone. I always wondered how Mark was able to pull this off. What I found was that Mark wasn’t like any other person I’d ever met.
Mark’s heart for the homeless and for those who didn’t know Jesus had no bounds or barriers. The City Outreach had been closed down by the city in the past for housing people overnight without having the proper zoning license, as well as for other code violations. Mark ran his operation on a shoestring budget, with his greatest resource being a seemingly unlimited amount of love for a demographic of people society isn’t lining up to show love to. No zoning laws could hold back the type of love that Mark possessed.
Mark followed up my Easter sermon with a bit of his story of how he came to put his faith in Jesus. I had no idea Mark ran Omar’s strip club in Lansing for 25 years, prior to going to prison. Mark put his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior while in prison. His changed life is all I will ever need to see that Jesus is as real as this keyboard I am typing on.
I got in my car to head home after my speaking engagement when I had a pause in my spirit. I have written a book for men who desire to see women the way God intended, but who are struggling to do so (for the record, pretty much every man, including myself, would qualify here). I had a box of books in my trunk and decided I’d give this former strip club boss a copy before I left. Little did I know that small gesture would create a deep friendship that has changed me forever.
He read the entire book in two days and we were meeting for lunch the next week. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone so humble. Mark had spent so many years lost on a path of darkness, years he was ashamed of and wished more than anything he could undo. These years made him live every day like it was his last. Every day pouring himself out in love, making up for lost time when he had hurt so many. He shared with me over lunches and texts how heavy the burden of his past sins were. It was so moving to see him realizing, through the Bible, that God really didn’t hold his sins against him. That God just saw his son, and nothing else.
Mark, I can’t imagine the embrace you are getting to have with Jesus right now. I’m mad He took you so soon, mad because so many people here depended on your life and mad we couldn’t have been friends longer. But I know how hard you worked. How much blood, sweat, and tears went into your ministry. Being in the trenches day in and day out. Now you get to rest in that sweet love of Jesus you and I talked about so deeply.
It feels like so many won’t be able to go on without you here. But I know the multitude of seeds you planted were not in vain. I know you have left a legacy where many, including myself, will pick up the torch and carry it on in your honor.
I love you brother, and I’m really looking forward to our next lunch meeting.
Donations can be made to the Mark Bozzo Memorial Fund payable to Angelique Bozzo, 605 South Capital Ave., Lansing MI 48933.
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The post In Memory of Mark Bozzo, the Man with the Most Incredible Testimony I have Ever Seen appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
June 7, 2018
What Christian Culture Has Gotten Wrong About Sexual Purity
My latest article is up on the Covenant Eyes blog, check it out: What Christian Culture Has Gotten Wrong About Sexual Purity.
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Episode 4: Unconditional Election, God’s Skin Color, Steve Kerr, and White Megachurches
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May 31, 2018
Episode 3: Objectification – The Dehumanization of Women
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The post Episode 3: Objectification – The Dehumanization of Women appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
May 29, 2018
Love Offering for Kyle Lake after his store was robbed
Watch a video of Kyle walking through his store after the robbery
Pastor Kyle’s shoe store was robbed this past Friday and Saturday nights. Kyle is the owner of Smokin’ Souls, a sneaker boutique, where he collects half his income; the other half coming from his youth pastor job at Crossroads Church, where I co-pastor. While the insurance should cover the inventory that was stolen, Kyle will have to close the store down for some time and will be missing a significant chunk of his regular income during that time. This is a very emotional and stressful time for Kyle and his wife Alex and we want to
BE THE CHURCH for them during this difficult time. We took a love offering on Sunday, but want to make the love offering available to you online and this coming Sunday at Crossroads as well. If you’d like to give to Kyle and Alex, you can do so via Paypal to info@lansingcrossroads.com (write “for Kyle and Alex Lake” in the notes), or you can mail a check to Crossroads Church, 108 W. Cesar Chavez Ave., Lansing MI 48906. Write your check out to Crossroads Church and put “for Kyle and Alex Lake” in the memo line.
The post Love Offering for Kyle Lake after his store was robbed appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
May 23, 2018
Join me for a 6-week virtual small group through Beyond the Battle
I am partnering with Covenant Eyes to lead 6-week men’s virtual 
small groups through my Beyond the Battle small group curriculum. These are video conference room groups (like what’s pictured) where you will participate from the comfort of your own home or office. Sign up early as groups are capped at 10 people each. There are two groups, click below to sign up:
Thursdays 12:00-1:30pm EST June 28th – August 2nd
Tuesdays 7:30-9:00pm EST June 26th – July 31st
$50 registration cost. What’s Included:
One Free Month of Covenant Eyes filtering and/or accountability software
$4 off Covenant Eyes per month after that (as low as $7.99/month)
A copy of Beyond the Battle (your choice of paperback, eBook, or audio book)
6-week small group led by author Noah Filipiak
Personal coaching, accountability, and interaction with Noah throughout the week
This group will also equip you to lead your own Beyond the Battle small group using the same material we cover together in our 6 weeks.
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The post Join me for a 6-week virtual small group through Beyond the Battle appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
Black & White Theology: James Cone’s Black Liberation
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The post Black & White Theology: James Cone’s Black Liberation appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
May 8, 2018
Episode 2: Golden Gods with Golden Hair
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Beyond the Battle author Noah Filipiak breaks down the second video in the BTB free small group curriculum, “Golden Gods with Golden Hair.” The idea of this episode is that men look to women to give them what only God can, which is always (whether that’s in porn, fantasy, or even marriage) going to end in disappointment. The same holds true for women looking to this from men. The episode looks at what it is we are truly looking for in relationships and sex, and the only guaranteed way to have that need met. This episode also looks at several Christian purity or marriage books which set marriage up as an idol and cater to our self-seeking sin nature in order to produce short-term results that have long term repercussions.
Send your questions/comments in to the mailbag at beyondthebattlepodcast@gmail.com or @battle_podcast on Twitter.
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The post Episode 2: Golden Gods with Golden Hair appeared first on At A Crossroads | Noah Filipiak.
May 4, 2018
12 Things I Have in Common with Terry Crews
[image error][image error]What first drew me to actor Terry Crews was when he made headlines for boldly speaking out against pornography. He shared his own struggles with it to his fans (see video below) and it made national news. The more I looked into his life, the more substance I found. What I discovered was a courageous person who isn’t afraid to risk their popularity in order to stand for important truths. I love this. This led me to read Terry’s autobiography, Manhood. What I discovered was the refreshing account of a real person, not a Hollywood facade. What I found was a transparent, relatable guy that I have a lot in common with. I highly recommend you read Manhood and I bet you’ll find the same thing.
12 Things Terry Crews and I have in Common:
We both wear Old Spice deodorant
We have both overcome addictions to pornography
We have both overcame marital struggles
We both have a ton of daughters (He has 4, I have 3)
We have both written books to help other men overcome pornography and marital struggles. Terry’s. Mine.
We both played football as grown men: Terry in the NFL, me in semipro (Ok, not quiiite identical, but…)
We are both committed followers of Jesus Christ and not afraid to tell people about it
We are both from Michigan: Terry grew up in Flint, I live in Lansing
We both have taken stands against racial oppression and discrimination
We both have spoken out regarding the male mindset that led to the #metoo movement
We both share openly about our failures, insecurities, and depression
And I have to include some joke about how my biceps are the same size as Terry’s
What gets me about Terry is he has a lot more to lose than I do. I’m a pastor and I certainly risk things when I talk about controversial topics like racial oppression and reconciliation, but I still think that to some degree, pastors are supposed to talk about these sorts of counter-cultural things. Hollywood celebrities aren’t! Or so it seems. Especially topics like pornography and infidelity that are so prevalent in Hollywood. I love seeing a guy like Terry step up to the plate big time, even it means losing fans or acting jobs. If he lost any fans from his boldness to speak the truth, he gained one in me.
Here’s the first video in a series about Terry’s porn addiction that he posted on his Facebook page:
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