Wes Woodell
Lead Evangelist
Even though I grew up in a Christian home, had parents who loved me, and even a dad who was a preacher, my life was a wreck for many years. When I was younger, I struggled horribly with a drug addiction that nearly killed me - an addiction problem that stemmed from severe sexual abuse I experienced as a young child.
That sexual abuse was a dark secret I kept to myself for most of my life. The shame I felt when I thought about it convinced me that pushing it down - not thinking or speaking about it - was the best solution for me. Boy, was I wrong. Pushing darkness down instead of dealing with it doesn't make it go away just like drinking poison doesn't make it go away.
Luckily for me, God put some people in my life who were able to help me get connected to Him and a great church that helped teach me how to apply God's wisdom in my life. Because of those connections and a sincere desire to get better, I've been able to get help with some of my deepest issues and struggles.
I've been amazed at, and so blessed by the relationships I've been able to develop at The Crossings, and the exciting thing is that my story is not odd - it's typical of many at The Crossings Church.
Here's one thing I've learned over the years:
God's wisdom can be applied to any situation in life.
It doesn't matter what it is, what the circumstances are, or how bad you think it might be. There isn't a single situation on earth where the application of God's wisdom won't help.
When we say The Crossings is a place "Where the Problems of Life Meet the Power of God" - we're simply repeating the truth that Jesus states himself:
"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
When we come to Jesus in faith, start listening to Him and applying His teachings to our lives, life has a way of getting better and more manageable.
Here's another truth I've learned that's super-important:
God doesn't want anyone to go through life alone, and that's why He designed the church.
After much prayer and planning, we started The Crossings Church Collinsville in Collinsville, IL precisely because we believe it is God's desire to have a local community here so that God's wisdom can be applied to your problems, and so that you can learn to help others apply God's wisdom to their problems too.
Jesus never promised us life would be easy - in fact, he guaranteed the opposite - BUT He did promise He would be present to help us with anything life might throw our way. A major piece of His presence in your life is directly related to your participation in a healthy, local church that loves God, loves people, and teaches the Bible.
If you'd like to get connected with The Crossings Church Collinsville, we would love to see you this Sunday morning, 10AM at 2002 Mall Street in Collinsville.