Rob Slane

In about five hours I will begin a prayer hike of 100 miles with my good friend and partner in student ministry, Rick Jones and my new friend Wes Brewer. We have been training for this hike for a couple of months now and I have been anxiously awaiting the start of this hike. As the time quickly approaches to begin the hike, I find myself very nervous… Nervous, because I have never attempted to push myself to this degree of physical endurance. Nervous, because I have no idea whether or not I will be able to complete this feat. Nervous, because I know that I am going to have to rely on God’s strength to complete this task.

As we begin this prayer hike, I am asking for your prayers to give us the strength to complete this journey.

March 25th, 2010
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Week number two of our current message series “RESET” is in the books. “RESET” is based on the idea that life would be a whole lot better if we had a “RESET” button that we could push after making the often-times stupid life decisions which we all tend to make from time to time!!!

This week I spoke about a topic that quite possibly was more difficult to share than it was to hear… I spoke about the decisions that our teens face regarding… (gulp) sex… We discussed how the world portrays sex (through television, movies, music, etc.) as a fun, no-one-gets-hurt past time that everyone should be doing. I shared the fact that this is far from the truth… Sex—apart from the sacred, God given gift of sex that should be shared between married couples only—can cause emotional and physical hurt and trauma that teens shouldn’t have to be subjected.

I shared the story of a young man who is very close to me, almost like a nephew, who is (at this very time) facing the reality of becoming a dad at the age of 17. I shared the reality revealed in a recent report that states 50% of people who become sexually active as teens will contract an STD by the age of 25! I shared my personal story of how pre-marital sexual relationships have negatively impacted my life. Most importantly, I shared the truth that—no matter what we’ve done in life, no matter how bad the things we have done may seem—God is ready and waiting to hit that “RESET” button in our lives. Through repentance and an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, we are given the opportunity in His eyes to “RESET.”

It is important for our teens to know this… sex is, and has always been, a beautiful and awesome gift from God. Sex is not a “dirty word.” The problem is this… the world has taken this incredible gift and destroyed it’s beauty and purity. The world has cheapened sex and made it out to be a “conquest” or “badge” to be worn with pride by young, single men and women. The reality is that God intended for the pleasure and fulfillment of the sexual relationship to be shared between husband and wife only… period…

March 2nd, 2010
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I think it’s fair to say that each and every one of us have made decisions in life that we wish we could “do over.” Don’t you wish that life came equipped with a “RESET” button that we could press from time to time to reverse the poor decisions that we frequently make?

Unfortunately, there is no “RESET” button for life… however, thanks to the sacrificial gifts of mercy and grace given to us through an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, He can wipe the slate clean of our past mistakes.

The key to this “RESET” in our lives lies in a biblical concept that I feel is being neglected in our modern day, “westernized” version of Christian living. The pivotal key to this “RESET” lies in a heart of repentance. It is so easy for us to beg forgiveness for our mistakes… we do it all the time when we apologize to friends, family members, classmates, teachers, bosses, and other authority figures in our lives for the various things we do wrong. However, there’s more to “repent” than simply asking forgiveness… to repent means that we not only have to apologize for our wrongdoings, but we also must turn—at times even run—from the things that we’ve done wrong and turn instead to God.

I kicked off this series sharing the story of King David… One of the greatest leaders in the history of the Jewish people… this is the same David who burst onto the scene as a youth by killing the giant Goliath with a sling and stone, then went on to become a great warrior king and just ruler.

For all of the great things that David did and the incredibly close relationship that he shared with God (scripture tells us that God considered David a friend), his life wasn’t lived mistake free. In fact, David seduced a woman (Bathsheba) the wife of one of his military leaders (Uriah). He slept with her, got her pregnant, and then tried to cover up the sin by calling Uriah back from the battlefield in hopes that he would sleep with Bathsheba so that everyone would believe that the child-to-be belonged to the husband—not the adulterer King David.

When this plan failed (because Uriah believed it wrong to sleep in the comfort of his home while his men were sleeping on the battlefield) David sent Uriah back to the front lines carrying his own death warrant… King David sent a note with Uriah to give to the commanding officers instructing that Uriah be sent to the heaviest part of the fight, at which time he was to be left to fend for himself… ensuring that he would die on the battlefield.

King David’s plan worked, Uriah was killed, and after Bathsheba’s time of mourning, the king took her for his wife. Everything worked out perfect, right? Wrong… The prophet Nathan came to the king and told him a story of a rich landowner who stole the finest sheep from his poor neighbor to slaughter and serve at a feast thrown by the rich man… Nathan asked how the king would respond to this injustice… the king quickly called for this rich man to be punished for stealing the lamb from his neighbor… At this time Nathan told the king that the rich man was none other than David, himself… and that God knew what he had done concerning Bathsheba and Uriah…

At this point, David could have sent Nathan to the gates of the city and have him stoned to death for speaking so boldly to the king… but this is where the true heart of repentance revealed itself in David. Scripture tells us that David immediately fell face down on the ground and cried for forgiveness from God—who recognized the sincerity of his plea and saw deep into David’s heart of repentance–and IMMEDIATELY restored David… RESTORED=RESET…

High school students are faced with many potentially life altering decisions throughout their school years. Pressures to experiment with sex, alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc. lead to dangerous life choices. Unhealthy friendships, difficult family relationships, etc. lead to rebellious attitudes and poor decisions. What students (and everyone else) must know is this… no matter how poor your decisions have been… no matter what you’ve done… when you approach God with an attitude and heart of TRUE repentance, He pushes that “RESET” button for you…

Join us next week at “RPM” (Monday night 6-8pm @ Crossroads Church) as we continue the discussion on “RESET.”

February 26th, 2010
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Crossroads Church officially launched the new Senior High Student Ministry (a.k.a. “RPM”) on Monday February 22, 2010. We had 12 students present, and one of the most exciting things is that 8 of the 12 present were students who had never previously been involved with Crossroads Church student ministry!!!

We kicked off a new message series titled, “RESET.” Look for upcoming blogs about the content of each weekly message in the series.

A special thank you goes out to both, our incredibly gifted worship leader, Joe Miller and A/V guru Bryan Richards who helped with lights and sound (on last minute notice, I must add!!!) for making the night all the better!!!

Some people have asked how I came up with the name “RPM.” RPM stands for Revolution Pre-Adult Ministry. My hope and prayer is that our students would become Revolutionary leaders in a world that desperately needs Revolution! I also want to encourage our students to see themselves as Pre-Adults… not merely post-adolescent “teenagers.” My hope and prayer is that RPM will be a positive impact in shaping the lives of the students involved and help to teach them biblical approaches for dealing with this crazy mixed up thing we call “life.”

Unfortunately I believe that, for far too long, we have neglected teenagers by not equipping and training them on how to handle “adult” life. We expect teens to “magically” grow-up and handle the responsibilities of adulthood once they reach the age of 18. However, we fail our students miserably by refusing to encourage them to step up and demand from them a “Pre-Adult” level of maturity and responsibility.

Enough with the rant! RPM meets every Monday evening from 6-8pm at Crossroads Church in Lithopolis, OH. Bring a friend and JOIN THE REVOLUTION!!!

February 25th, 2010
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I’ve been thinking a lot about Pastor Tim’s message yesterday on how to begin experiencing true change. It got me to remember where I’ve been and who I once was before I realized the need to make a “180″ in my life and turn towards God.

Most of you have no idea who I used to be. You have heard me share my personal struggles, but you never experienced the jerk of a man that I once was.

I have a saying that I use frequently… “we are all sinners, but there are two kinds of sinners in this world… there are sinners running from God and sinners running towards God.”

Which kind of sinner are you? Have you committed to running towards the one true agent of change in your life? Or are you–like the old me–running as fast and hard as you can away from God… trying to do things on your own? Trying to experience change, yet always coming up short?

The one who can bring about true change in your life is standing at the door of your heart… knocking… waiting for you to answer. If you are tired of always failing on your own… open that door and let Him in…

August 31st, 2009
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Ok, I try my hardest to remain apolitical when it comes to blogging, but something is really burning my rear end about the whole “health care reform” legislation, and I need to vent…

I have heard the president assert–on more than one occasion–what seems to be his lack of trust (or at least a skepticism over the ethical practices) of doctors in this country. As the husband of a physician, I am appalled at this tactic. Certainly there are some in the medical field who have practiced medicine in a questionable manner. This is true with every type of occupation. There are auto mechanics who have lied to customers, bank tellers who have stolen money, lawyers who handle obvious nuisance cases, and even politicians who have behaved in abominable ways. So what is up with the president’s apparent beef with doctors?

Certainly, the cost of medical care appears absurdly high to the average person (and apparently the average president). However, to make doctors out to be some evil group of money hungry, unethical goons is ridiculous.

My wife chose to pursue a career in medicine after much prayer and careful deliberation. Monetary gain was very low in the decision making process. Counting her time in undergraduate college studies, my wife has devoted more than 13 years of her adult life in school and residency to become a physician.

Fortunately, she began medical school with a clean financial slate… she had no outstanding student loans from her time in undergraduate studies. However, when she graduated from medical school, we owed more than 160K in student loans!!!

We know of doctors who have finished their schooling with more than 250K in student loans!!! Money isn’t everything… on top of the great financial strain when becoming a doctor–there is a great physical and emotional toll being paid. Trust me when I say that the 13 years of study were some of the most trying years of my wife’s life. There is a reason it is called “residency.” In years past, the residents literally lived at the hospital and worked as “slave labor” for the medical system.

Certainly, my wife is beginning to reap the rewards of such hard labors. Slowly we are beginning to repay our huge amounts of debt accrued during her studies.

With the current health care legislation, it would seem that the lawmakers are attempting to “punish” the very physicians who have worked so long and hard to pursue their passions and uphold the Hippocratic Oath.

To make these physicians appear to be money hungry, greedy, and unethical goons is just another low attempt by the current administration to perpetuate “class warfare.” Pitting the “haves” versus the “have nots” is the classic socialistic scheme–don’t believe me?, ask any Cuban intellectual who survived Castro’s rise to power…

Sure there are problems with our current health care system… however, the doctors–who are on the front lines in this battle–are not the problem… I am sick… sick and tired of the current administration making people like my wife–a passionate and very competent health care provider–out to be an evil goon. Shame on you Mr. President… shame on you…

August 23rd, 2009
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Are you ready for a fun-filled day of adventure floating down the Hocking River? Do you think you’ve got what it takes to tip over Pastor Rob’s canoe? If so, then have we got the trip for you…

The 2009 UTURN Student Ministry Canoe Trip is scheduled for Saturday August 15, 2009. The cost for the trip will be less than $25/person (a discount is given based on the size of the group–therefore the more friends you invite, the cheaper the trip will be!!!). Groups of 10-19 are $19/person and groups of 20 or more are $17/person–add $5/person for lunch and drinks and this is one great deal for a day of supercharged fun and adventure!!! Check the church website (www.crossroadschurchwired.com) for more details. You can also check out www.hockingriver.com for additional info about the Hocking Hills Canoe Livery.

Departure times and more info about the trip will be posted later!

July 13th, 2009
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Ok, I am sick and tired of all the Michael Jackson hype. There, I said it… Before you start to vilify me as some kind of cold and heartless person, let me briefly explain. I feel sorry that MJ’s children are now left without a father. I feel sorry that his family is left with nothing but memories of their time with MJ. I am deeply saddened that MJ apparently required a full-time medical staff and countless medications to make it through a typical day. What kind of life is that?

I am not going to judge MJ for past behaviors or actions that may or may not have happened. I am not going to question MJ’s sincerity when he spoke of his love for the Lord. That is between the King of Pop and the KING OF KINGS…

What blows my mind is the way in which we–as a society–tend to deify our celebrities. Yes, MJ was a very talented entertainer… no one could argue this truth. But why is it that we can absolutely sell-out when it comes to our undying love and support for a celebrity–yet show mediocre, at best, devotion to Jesus Christ?

If more Christians would express the kind of love and adoration for the “KING OF KINGS” that we’ve seen thrown at the feet of the “King of Pop” over the past week, there’s no telling how many lost and dying people would come to know the the life-changing, life-saving relationship that can exist between the One True King and us, His beloved children…

July 8th, 2009
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: Rob . Comments: 1 Comment

When exactly did the Christian life become associated with an absolutely boring and overwhelmingly mundane existence?  Why did we allow this journey that we know as Christianity to become a completely sterile and “safe” mode of travel?  Could I be the only one who desires–no, who utterly craves–to experience the unpredictable nature of the Creator of the Universe?  I don’t want sterile… I don’t want clean… I don’t want boring… I want to feel the surge of adreneline and the rush of blood that accompanies the quickened pulse and heightened sense of awareness when danger–that’s right, DANGER, is at hand!

Please don’t get me wrong… I do not have a death wish… but I do wish that I would live my life as if death were ever present… I want to live a DANGEROUS life in full pursuit of the One who placed within me this desire to seek the exciting.  I refuse to allow myself to be contained.  I refuse to allow this world to tell me that Christianity was meant to be lived out in “quiet and peaceful” surrender.  The God whom I follow wrote this story in my heart that is full of action and adventure–and I want to live this life to the fullest!

I’m sick and tired of worrying about “shaking things up.”  I want to live a radical life pursuing a radical God.  I want to feel what the eleven remaining disciples must have felt after Jesus’ resurrection.  A sense of fear–fear of the unknown, girded by the promise of the Savior–the promise of enduring loyalty, protection, and presence.  A sense of complete awareness that God had left them–had left us–to complete His task–a task so daunting that reliance on Him was, and remains to be, an absolute necessity.  A sense of awe, knowing that Jesus believed in and trusted these eleven ordinary, unschooled men to complete His task–and the knowledge that He continues to believe and trust in every believer to come–including me… WOW!

I want to be a part of the adventure of a lifetime…  I want to be a dangerous believer in a dangerous world!

April 29th, 2009
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: Rob . Comments: 3 Comments

So my wife, Audry, and I spent a great afternoon together yesterday celebrating her birthday. She said I was actually an “OK” stand-in for a girlfriend because I accompanied her for some shopping, lunch, and then we went to see the new Nicolas Cage movie–”KNOWING.”
I personally think that the last decent Nicolas Cage movie was “Raising Arizona,” but we both agreed that we would give this new one a shot. First let me say that the special effects were incredible and the story line was actually pretty intriguing–right up to the point that I realized that this movie is actually a propaganda film for the cult known as Scientology.
I’m not going to give you a scene-by-scene critique of the movie, but I will say this… everyone dies and it turns out the freaky dudes are actually aliens who take the boy and girl to another planet to start over (very Adam and Eve-like with the two left to re-start the human race in the presence of a large glowing tree in the final scene)…
Now that I’ve ruined the movie for you, don’t waste your money supporting the Scientology movement.
I say that the story line was initially intriguing because it leaves the audience wondering who these four freakish characters are and how they seem to be manipulating the odd sequence of events. At one point I even whispered to my wife that I thought maybe they were angels and that the events were somehow being orchestrated by God. There is even a scene where the lead characters are looking at a picture depicting the biblical story from the first chapter of the Old Testament book of Ezekiel–immediately followed by a very supernatural encounter with one of the freakish characters. Again reinforcing my thought that perhaps they were angels…
As it turns out, however, earth and all of its inhabitants are wiped out by a huge solar flare and these four freakish figures are actually aliens who have come to rescue a boy and girl to reseed another planet supposedly capable of supporting human life.
It is at this point that I recognized the Scientology slant and realize that I have been subjected to their hidden propaganda message.
My problem with this is the hidden nature of the message. I don’t have a problem with people selling their wares–as long as they are open and not doing so in a covert manner. For example… If Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” had been titled–”Some Dude’s Passion” and the story of Jesus Christ’s trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection been revealed to unsuspecting movie goers in a “gotcha” manner, I would not have been pleased.
As a follower of Christ, I don’t feel that I need to “trick” anyone in to hearing the message of hope and love that is the “gospel” message. Why then do the producers of “KNOWING” feel it necessary to hide their Scientology message in this movie?
They feel it necessary because they know that most people would not see the movie if they knew it was supporting their “religion.” I believe that they share this story as a work of fiction knowing that they can use it down the road to plant a seed about the bogus claims of Scientology in the minds of unsuspecting people.

April 22nd, 2009
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: Rob . Comments: 5 Comments