Crosswind Church: Recent Episodes
Pastor David Sulcer
Guest Speaker Michelle Ford gives a message about the church being at a crossing point.
Cycles week 2 explores cycle of favor- a biblical framework for understanding how God moves us from need to overflow through intimacy, preparation, and a posture of praise and availability.
We welcome our new head pastors Jake and Crystal Baker to the Crosswind Family. Plus, Pastor Jake delivers a great message for our church.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Join Pastor David and Pastor Steve Hall (Heritage Community Church) as they dialogue about the gifts of the Spirit.
Day 21 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Miracles (Matthew 19:26)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 20 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Peace (James 3:18)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 19 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Salvations (2 Peter 3:9)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 18 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Revival (Ezekiel 37:5)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 17 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Breakthroughs (Isaiah 43:19)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 16 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Finances (Philippians 4:19)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 15 - Praying for God to Bring Back Faith for Healing (Isaiah 53:5)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 14 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for Prayer (Jeremiah 29:12)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 13 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for Our Church (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 12 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for Our Families (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 11 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for Our Enemies (Luke 6:28)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 10 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for Our Community (1 Peter 3:8)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 9 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for The Bible (Hebrews 4:12)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 8 - Praying for God to Bring Back Love for Himself (Luke 10:27)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 7 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision Our Nation (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 6 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision Serving Others (Hebrews 6:10)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 5 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision Our Careers (Colossians 3:23)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 4 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision Our Church (Acts 2:46-47)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 3 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision for Justice (Proverbs 21:3; 31:8-9)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 2 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision for Our Families (Joshua 24:15)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended. More info at mycrosswind.com/21days
Day 1 - Praying for God to Bring Back Vision for Our Lives (Habakkuk 2:2-3)
Join us live for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting September 1 - 21 at 7:00 PM. If you miss the livestream, it will be available on demand shortly after it has ended.
Christianity is the most exclusive religion because it includes everyone. God loved us even before we had a chance to love Him.
2020 has been a very difficult year for many people. How do we properly respond when everything is going wrong?
God has placed in us dreams for what He is going to accomplish and the enemy will do everything he can to disrupt it. No matter what obstacles we face in this life we need to keep dreaming!
God is calling us to make use of our exile in this world by being messengers who carry the Good News of Jesus.
God gives us grace not only to bless us, but to bring to blessings to others through us.
God is in control in the midst of chaos. All we need to do is keep our eyes fixed on Him!
If we don't wait on God we often try to fix the problem ourselves. When we do this, we are backspacing on our future; delaying further what God is waiting to give us.
On the Armor of God, why is righteousness attributed to the breastplate? Because we need to guard our hearts.
God's Word says He will never leave us or forsake us. When we are weak, He is strong. He never gives up on us.
When we are in a period of waiting there is a right way and a wrong way to wait. The choice is up to us how we will respond.
Waiting is never easy, but when we persevere and hold on to the promise of God we will find out that He will see us through to the other side.
In the midst of all the storms of life, one of the big questions we ask ourselves is: Where is God in all of this?
Have you ever had to wait? It's not easy to be stuck in that in-between time, but if we let Him, God will use this period of time to grow our hearts.
Bitterness keeps clouds our judgement and keeps us from seeing God for who He really is and what He is doing.
Choosing joy is choosing a lifestyle of praise that is much more than just clapping and singing.
Choosing to look at life through the lens of joy means shifting the divine order of your life.
Join us for this special Good Friday service as we celebrate with worship, a short message, communion, and at the end erecting a large wooden cross. The cross is crafted out of one of the large locust trees that fell during the tornado back on February 7. It will become a permanent fixture on our grounds and serve as a constant reminder that in the midst of any storm, Jesus is always with us.
Jesus calls us all to be His disciples. Becoming His disciple is the greatest journey we can take in this life!
Christ didn’t just suffer for sinners, He died for sinners. Without His death, his teaching may enlighten and his example inspire, but there would be no forgiveness for our sins.
When we try to better ourselves on our own we always come up short. The only way to become the best version of ourselves is through Jesus!
Jesus' finished work on the Cross is the grand finale of His ministry and the beginning of where we find our life's true direction.
Join us for a special online service this morning as we are not able to meet in our facility due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
When Jesus was on trial, He faced the weight and authority on Rome. What you see when you look closer, however, is that the plans of God far outweigh the political power of Pilate and the religious leaders.
Have you ever had a bad day? We all experience them from time to time, but we can rest assured that even in the worst situations we are not alone. Jesus knows what it is like to suffer the worst kind of heartache and pain.
In Jesus' first recorded miracle, John's Gospel paints a beautiful picture of the transforming power of the Messiah.
Life can sometimes be chaotic. When everything seems out of control and nothing seems to be going right, we can turn to Jesus, who is ultimately in control!
In the final part of Jesus' prayer the night before He was crucified, one theme stands out: community. Jesus' heart for his followers is to be unified as one body.
What does it mean to be "on mission"? Jesus is the ultimate example of what it means to live with divine purpose and share the love of God in everything He said and did.
What does it mean to live with Holiness? Knowing God and His Word are transformative to the way we live our lives!
Jesus' prayer on the night he was arrested, He shows us some profound things about the Gifts the Father gives.
Today we are kicking off the New Year with a look at who we are as a church and what God has in store for us this year!
What does it mean to be reconciled? Jesus came to make things right between God and Man! Through belief in Jesus we are made clean and holy!
How can a baby be the greatest gift the world has ever received? This was no ordinary child. This baby boy, born in a manger in Bethlehem, was in fact the incarnation of God, sent to this world to save it!
In Paul's letter to the Colossians, we can find five gifts that God wants all of us to receive this Christmas.
What is the "Good News" of the Gospel? When we revisit the narrative of Jesus being born, we are encountering the greatest gift the world has ever received. This gift brings joy to all people because the Savior, our Messiah, has come into the world!
When you pray, do you realize that you have access to the throne room of Heaven? Our prayers are not just some sort of ritual or script that we walk through in order to check off an item on our Christian to-do list. If we come to understand the truth about where we stand with God and the privileges of our relationship with Him, it will change how we pray.
At one point or another every has experienced a moment of pure joy. Something good, surprising, or exciting happens and we are overcome with emotion. What if we could live a life that is full of joy? If you follow Jesus, living with abundant joy is actually the way it's supposed to be!
Where does truth come from? God has given us His Word and Jesus said we can build our life upon it. Without the mentoring of the Holy Spirit, the Bible would simply be words on a page. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, however, The Word comes alive and breathes the truth into our heart.
Jesus told His disciples that it was good for Him to leave because it meant God would send His Holy Spirit. Without Jesus, the Gospel message needed a force behind it to keep it going. The same Spirit that lived in Jesus and drove Him to do the will of God was poured out on His Church and now lives in us!
Living as followers of Jesus does not mean we will not suffer persecution and hard times. In fact, in the New Testament, we are told to expect it. The good news, however, is that we serve a God who is always for us and will strengthen us in the midst of the storm.
Today we celebrate our Lead Pastors, David and Debbie Sulcer, for their 25 years of ministry at Crosswind Church.
We were made for friendships. From the beginning of time, God's design for humanity was us to be in relationship with one another. Only one time during creation did God declare that something was "not good", and that was for man to be alone.
Singing has been around since the time of creation and it's happening all around us. It has the power to jump-start our heart and move us into a deeper place of worship.
We are hardwired for praise. In our lives we give praise to just about everything that we enjoy, makes us feel good, and excites us. How then are we to direct that energy towards God and live a life of praise to Him?
Communion is much more than a religious ritual that the church participates in. When we partake of the bread and the cup we are encountering Jesus. The Lord's Table communicates the Gospel in ways that nothing else can!
Altars signify places of worship and sacrifice. They are an intersection between the human heart and God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has become the living and permanent altar by which God is able to intersect with the human heart without the need for sacrifice or the building of a physical structure.
Join Crosswind Church for a week of prayer! Tonight Pastor David leads us in prayer for the various ministries and leaders in our church.
Join Crosswind Church for a week of prayer! Tonight Pastor Mike and Crosswind Students Worship leads us in prayer for our kids, students, and the next generation of leaders in our church and country.
Join Crosswind Church for a week of prayer! Tonight Pastor Chris leads us in prayer for families and marriages in our community.
What does true worship look like? Too often it can be reduced to the basics of singing songs and participating in rituals on a specific day of the week. As followers of Christ, true worship emanates out of an adoration for God, humility, a selfless heart, and love for our neighbor.
To illustrate the connection between God and humanity, Jesus used the example of a vine and its branches. If we as believers are the branches connected to God, the life-giving vine, how do we grow healthy and strong?
Who is Crosswind Church and where are we headed? Pastor David shares the vision for our church.
How does one become a better person? Change and growth can be hard. It can sometimes seem like trying walk up the down escalator. Jesus shows us, however, that change and growth are possible as long as we stay connected to Him!
What does it really mean to have peace? Jesus promised to give us peace, but it is nothing like the world gives. If we trust in Him we can have peace in our mind and heart.
Jesus promised His disciples that when He left them He would send The Holy Spirit. His role in our lives is to be our helper, encourager, advocate, and friend. Because of the Holy Spirit, we stay connected to God everywhere we go!
What are the benefits to being in a relationship with Jesus? Most of the world understands that accepting Christ means you go to Heaven, but there is so much more to than that!
Jesus said that if we are thirsty, we are to come to Him. What was Jesus talking about? He knows that inside all of us is a thirst something greater than ourselves, and Jesus promises that if we come to him we will thirst no more!
Are you carrying a heavy burden? Is life tough right now? Jesus has given us an invitation to let Him carry our burdens and He will give us rest.
What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? As believers we are empowered to live a life we would otherwise not be able to live.
What is praying in tongues all about? When we are filled with the Spirit, we are enabled to pray in ways that were never possible.
What happens when the Holy Spirit speaks? The gifts of prophecy, speaking in tongues, and interpreting tongues have been some of the most debated parts of Scripture throughout church history, but they aren't as spooky as you might think.
Do you want to have power to do things you never thought possible? Through the Holy Spirit we can have great faith and do the miraculous.
Ever found yourself searching for an answer? One of the roles of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to give us gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment.
What does The Holy Spirit do? Paul tells us that there are different spiritual gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit but all for the purpose of empowering us to serve one another.
The Holy Spirit is speaking, but are you listening? The key to hearing His voice is learning how He speaks.
The Holy Spirit is our friend, teacher, and advocate. If we are meant to have a relationship with Him, how do we hear His voice?
This Mother's Day we are blessed to have Bishop Larry Timmerman bring us a message on the importance of Biblical values in our homes.
What is the Holy Spirit's purpose? He is our Helper, our God, and our Personal Friend. As such, He speaks to us in order to give our lives direction. If we listen to Him, and allow our spirit to connect with Him daily, we will find that His purpose for our lives.
Who is the Holy Spirit? Scripture has a lot to say about this third person of the Trinity.
This Easter, discover the true worship of our risen Savior, Jesus, as both the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the Lamb that slaughtered before the foundation the of the earth!
Good Friday is a day that was anything but good for Jesus. Starting late in the night Thursday and ending Friday evening, Jesus suffered a great deal of pain. He didn't do so in vain. He did it for us so that we may find true freedom!
In one of His last conversations with the disciples, one thing is very clear. They still could not wrap their head around who Jesus really was. So when Jesus tells them He will die, return for them, and that they knew the way, they were very confused. It's in this moment that Jesus reveals to them that when they have seen Jesus, they have seen the Father. In order to get to God, they must believe in Jesus and follow after Him.
Ever struggle with your faith and/or your relationship with Jesus? Peter surely did, and wasn't afraid to do so openly. Despite our struggles, Jesus always responds with hope!
As Jesus tells His disciples that He is about to enter into His glory, He gives his disciples a simple, but powerful, instruction on how they are to carry on. Love others as I have loved you. In doing so, they would show the world they truly were Jesus' disciples.
One of the most iconic scenes in the Bible is the Last Supper. Jesus is seated with His disciples in the upper room and this is where he uses the breaking of bread and drinking of wine to show what was about to happen. Many times, however, we don't consider the fact that Judas is present for this moment. Despite having already betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, he was still invited and given a seat among the disciples.
From our recent trip to Nicaragua this past January, we have some exciting updates about what God is doing!
What is true worship? When Jesus shares a meal with His friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus we get a glimpse into three different styles of worship. What we discover is that if you truly want to worship Jesus, you have to to give Him everything!
With recent legislation that has passed in the state of New York, the issue of abortion is being widely discussed in our country. What does God have to say about the topic of abortion and the value of human life?
Screens are everywhere nowadays. It's nearly impossible to live your life without them. The question isn't how much time we spend in front of them, but instead how they affect us. If we aren't careful, addiction to the screen can strangle our soul.
Are you stressed out about your kids? Today kids are safer and have more opportunities to succeed than ever before, but parental anxiety is skyrocketing. What are we as parents supposed to do? The truth is, one of the best things we can do for our kids is to be less stressed and overwhelmed.
Our time is valuable and if we aren't careful it can slip away in a flash. In the hustle and bustle of our crazy busy lives, it's important to regularly ask the question, "Is this necessary?" because the reality is, we can't do it all.
Joining us today is World Missions Representative Dr. Terrell Brinson, who is here to challenge us to shine our light and live out the great commission. He is also sharing with us all the great things God is doing through our denomination, the Church of God, in the city of Tokyo.
There's always a lot of things to do, but never enough time to get them done. Obligations can be overwhelming, but if we follow the example of Jesus, we will find relief from the pressure of having to do it all!
Why are we so busy day in and day out? If we take a look inside ourselves and examine our motives, more often than not we will find that our busyness is driven by pride. The problem with pride, however, is that it takes on many different forms and if we aren't careful it, can suffocate us.
There's no doubt about it; we live in a busy world. With our calendars and daily schedules are packed full, how can we find time to slow down? God's will is for you to not be so busy and frantic, but to have a life filled with joy and peace.
What exactly was happening in the sky the night the star of Bethlehem appeared? As modern-day Magi, we are able to use technology to travel back in time and see the sky as it was around the time Christ was born. Like the Magi of Christmas story, we too look at the star and come to worship the King who has been born in Bethlehem.
Throughout Scripture, we find references to stars and lights in the sky. As it turns out, God uses constellations, planets, stars, the sun, and the moon to reveal to us His existence and His power!
This Christmas, encounter Jesus, the star-born child, as we dive into the history, prophecy, scripture, and science behind the Star of Bethlehem!
The closing words of Psalm 23 speak of future filled with joy in the presence of God. As followers of Christ, we can look to the future with Hope because we know that He has been faithful and blessed us every step of the way.
There are two ways to look at things. Your glass is either half empty or half full. Our perspective on life is important and it guides how we make decisions. God's desire is for us to live by faith knowing that even when things seem bad, we know that our cup overflows!
God created you for a purpose and wants to empower you to fulfill it. To walk in your anointing is to live out God's will for your life.
When we go through storms in life it can be hard to focus on anything else but what is going wrong. What God wants us to realize, however, is that in the midst of the attack, when the battle rages around us, there is blessing.
Too often people have a view of God that is harsh and judgemental. What is revealed to us in Scripture, however, is that God is the Good Shepherd. As such, he cares for us and gives our life direction.
Life is full of ups and downs. Everyone goes through seasons of good and seasons of bad, but the key is to remember that no matter what, God is always with us.
Who or what do you follow on a daily basis? There's a lot of different ideologies and paths to take as we seek to find our direction in life. Some people follow the culture and go along with what everyone else is doing. Others their emotions or conscience. God's word tells us, however, that the only true and right direction to take in life is the one directed by His Spirit.
This morning we are blessed to have Bishop Martin Taylor with us to bring a special message out of Ezekiel 37.
Have you ever felt like you needed a fresh start? There are things in this life that can damage our soul and if we aren't careful, they can destroy us. The good news is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is willing and able to restore your soul.
Society today is busy and stressed. Our schedules tend to be full and keep us moving from one thing to the next. The truth is that we were not meant for the fast-paced, "all work and no play" lifestyle. So how do we slow down and de-stress our lives? The answer is found in one word: Sabbath.
There are lots of things to worry about in this life! It can be overwhelming at times, but when we realize that God is the source of everything we need, we can unlock the secret to living a blessed life.
What does it mean to live a Blessed life? Scripture tells us that all good things come from God. The only thing we need to do is recognize God's infinite goodness.
Join us for Community Prayer Week as Crosswind Church, Freedom Church, and Emerge come together! To close out this wonderful week, we are having a worship celebration!
Join us for Community Prayer Week as Crosswind Church, Freedom Church, and Emerge come together! Pastor Herb Reisig and Emerge Worship are leading us tonight as we pray for unity in the Christian community.
Join us for Community Prayer Week as Crosswind Church, Freedom Church, and Emerge come together! Tonight Pastor Mike Ferrante, Pastor Julius Carter, and the Crosswind Student Worship Team lead us in prayer for the next generation.
Join us for Community Prayer Week as Crosswind Church, Freedom Church, and Emerge come together! Tonight we are lead by Pastor Mark Sparks and the Freedom Church Worship Team as we pray for unity in the family.
Join us for Community Prayer Week as Crosswind Church, Freedom Church, and Emerge come together to pray for our Nation. Tonight Pastor David Sulcer and Crosswind Worship lead us in prayer for our nation.
If we aren't careful, prayer can become nothing but a petition for God to get involved in things here on earth. What Jesus teaches us, however, is that before we pray for our own needs, we need to align our hearts with His purpose and plan.
Have you ever seen something that someone else had and wish it was a part of your life? Jesus' disciples did because there was something different about the way He prayed. The secret to His prayer life was found in His personal relationship with The Father.
Ever wonder what it is that God wants for you? When we encounter God face to face, He not only shows us more of Himself, but He also changes us and gives us an assignment.
Do you ever feel inferior, like you don't matter, or that you are unqualified to do anything? Moses felt that way when he encountered God at the burning bush. Despite what Moses thought of himself, God knew who Moses really was and what he was capable of.
What happens when we encounter God? In the book of Genesis, Jacob faces off with God in a wrestling match and his life is never the same.
Our world is in desperate need of hope. Every day people find themselves hopeless and as a result, they make decisions that ruin their lives. As Christians, what hope do we have to offer and how to do we dispense it to the world?
In the Hebrew language, the word for "life" has a numerical value of 18. Let 2018 be a year of coming alive! It's never too late to start over!
Have you ever noticed how married couples become more like one another the longer they are together? That is how it should be in our walk with Christ. As we spend time with Him daily, we become more like Him.
Josh & Mandy Wheeler, our missionaries from Turkey, join us to talk about the great work they are doing and Josh shares the importance of reading the Bible with the proper context.
When we look at the life of Jesus in the Gospel of John we see one of servanthood, obedience and submission. As followers of Jesus, our identity is found in His and that means we are to follow after His example.
Jerry Elder, retired Pastor from the Church of God Delmarva-DC region, brings us a special message on facing your fears.
As Christians, our identity is found in the person of Jesus Christ. In John 8, Jesus tell us that he is the Great “I Am” and this declaration has big ramifications in our lives.
As Christians, our identity is found in the person of Jesus Christ. So in order to discover more about ourselves we must first look at who Jesus was and how we can be more like Him.
The Bible tells us that there are two different powers at work in our world. We can only live under one of them, and this choice has eternal consequences.
Throughout the last several decades, the idea of being filled with The Spirit has meant different things. When we look at Scripture, the true purpose of being baptized in The Holy Spirit becomes clear. It is about empowering the believer to live on mission for God.
When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives He gives us supernatural abilities so that we can advance the mission of God. Too often these gifts are misunderstood and sometimes even feared. What we need to realize is that they are simply meant to strengthen and empower the Body of Christ.
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Many people too often reject the Holy Spirit because of confusion or a misunderstanding of His role in their life. When you look at the meaning behind the day of Pentecost it is clear that being filled with the Spirit is an essential part of following Jesus.
There's often a lot of confusion and misconceptions about the Holy Spirit. This week, take a deep breath and plunge into a better understanding of who the person of the Holy Spirit is and what His role is in your life!
Who or what has authority in your life? The answer to this question is important because nearly every decision we make in our lives is influenced by authority.
Destination is important. Without a destination in mind, we don't really have a sense of direction. In our lives it is important to remember that there is an eternal destination in store for all of us. The choices we make and the path we take in this life ultimately determine our eternal destination.
At some point in our lives, nearly everyone asks the question, "Why am I here?". We all seek to have purpose and to find the true direction for our lives. To answer this important question, we first have align ourselves with God's purpose and calling.
One of the great questions of humanity has been, "Where do I come from?". Many have tried to provide the answer, but the truth of humanity's origin is not as scientific as they have come to believe.
This Easter, discover the God who is in the business of making dead things come back to life!
Jesus tells us that in order to find freedom, we must first know the truth, which is found in the Word of God. When we dig into God's Word and find the truth, we encounter Jesus, and it is this encounter that sets us free!
During this special presentation we highlight our recent trip to Nicaragua in January 2018. During this presentation we celebrate the building of a clean water well and vision cast for future trips.
One of the persistent themes in John's Gospel is Jesus being the Light of the World. As human beings, we so often find ourselves wandering in darkness, but Jesus gives us the light that leads to life.
When the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus and asked him about her judgment, they find that the tables get turned. Instead of this moment being about her sin and punishment, Jesus instead uses it to reveal the hearts of everyone in the crowd.
Don Lawrence, a member of our Pastoral Advisory Team, brings a special message about the importance of surrendering our lives to God.
Throughout Scripture, the imagery of a river is used to describe the Holy Spirit. Out of the river of The Spirit flows the waters of life and we are invited to come and drink!
Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? These are questions we ask ourselves at some point in our lives. God's word says that He has a plan for us, and that plan is purpose. Our goal should be to align ourselves with God's plan, and in turn, find our true purpose in life.
Ever wish you could change how you think? God's word tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Thankfully, we are not left alone to make the change, we need simply need to allow God to do it for us.
What do you put first in your life? First things have power and they often reveal the true nature and intentions of our hearts. God's word says that if we put Him first, everything else will fall into order.
The story of Christmas is one of overwhelming love. God loved the world so much that sent Jesus, his only son, to live among us. The greatest Christmas present the world has ever seen is love of God that was born into this world!
In the opening verses of John's Gospel, Jesus is revealed as the Light of the World. This is in answer to many prophetic statements about his arrival, and therefore, Christmas celebrates the glorious arrival of God's marvelous light!
Where does life come from? The opening verses of John's Gospel tell us that Jesus is the Word made flesh. It is The Word that gives life and brings light to world.
Who is Jesus Christ? The Gospel of John paints a beautiful picture of Jesus' divine identity.
What does true Godly wisdom look like? The knowledge of this world always comes up short and leaves us empty, but thankfully, all we need to do is ask and God will give us the wisdom we seek.
Bishop Larry Timmerman brings us a special word on our true heritage as a seed of Abraham.
Ever find yourself frustrated? Sometimes it feels like we can't get a win and the deck is stacked against us. The good news is that there is liberation for our frustrated souls...
What does a truly generous heart look like? In scripture, we are told that it is better to give than to receive. A heart of generosity goes beyond our finances, and includes every aspect of our lives.
Is the idea of "tithing" simply an Old Testament law? The whole of Scripture actually reveals to us that tithing is really a life-giving lifestyle rather than another rule to follow.
Why is "first" so important in Scripture? Throughout all of scripture, we are told that when it comes to our giving, the first belongs to God. This is true not only of our treasure, but our time and talent as well.
The most important relationship in our lives is the one we have with God. It is our relationship with God that ultimately gives our lives purpose. So if that's the case, then as believers, what exactly is that purpose?
Children are one of the best gifts God has given us. As parents, raising them isn't always easy, but it's one of the most important duties we are given. In a culture where anything goes, how to we raise of kids to follow the right path?
Remember Jerry McGuire's famous romantic declaration, "You complete me"? We often think that connections and relationships with other people can add wholeness and completion to our lives, but this is far from the truth. If we want to build intimate relationships with other people, we first have to work towards wholeness on our own.
The two greatest commandments we are given by Jesus are to love God and love our neighbor. These two actions are inseparable. If we want to be closer than ever with God, we have to be closer than ever to the people around us, even if they are not believers.
The relationship with our spouse is extremely important and Scripture gives us clear instructions on how to make a marriage work. It takes two main ingredients: Love and Respect.
The most important relationship in our lives is our relationship with God. Our goal should be to move closer to His heart. When our relationship with God gets closer than ever, it starts to change how we interact with other people.
We live in a world of distraction. It can be difficult to get into a routine of prayer when we let so many other things get in the way. How do we overcome obstacles to making prayer a priority?
To make prayer a more regular part of our lives, there are some practical things we can do. Our attitude, time, and place of prayer are all important elements to making our prayer life more meaningful.
Throughout Scripture we are reminded of the benefits of starting our day with God through devotion and prayer. Each morning, we should seek to wake to a life of prayer!
How can we truly live in freedom? Many times it can feel as though we are trapped in places of hopelessness, bitterness, and insecurity. The good news is that in Christ, we are more than conquerers and we can overcome our self-destructive ways!
There are enemies in our lives that seek to destroy us. The world, the Devil, and our own flesh are at constant work against us. The Bible says, however, that we are more than conquerers and through Jesus, we have the power to overcome!
In John 7 Jesus presents us with a problem...himself. Jesus is the problem. The crowd was divided on exactly who he was. Some said He was a good man, others said He was crazy, some thought He was a fraud, and some said He the Messiah. The crowd is still divided to this day, which begs us to ask, who is Jesus?
As Christians, we do not believe and act as the world does...or at least are not supposed to. Jesus taught a much different worldview than what his disciples and even the religious leaders of the time had. So how does Jesus show us to think differently from the world?
At the end of this discussion on bread, grace, forgiveness, and eternal life, many of the people following Jesus were left perplexed and even offended. As followers of Jesus, what are we to do when we find ourselves in the same situation? What does it really mean to follow Jesus?
Grace is the key to Christianity that makes it different from all other religions. We can't earn or ever deserve the love of God and the salvation that Jesus brings, but it is given to us nonetheless. In His teaching on bread, Jesus says that He is the true bread and the main ingredient is grace!
Bread is one of the few foods that is universal to almost all cultures around the world. After multiplying the bread and fish, Jesus tells his followers that He is the true bread and anyone who eats of Him will never hunger again. What was Jesus trying to reveal about Himself in this message about bread?
Evangelist Rick Lairsey brings a special message to Crosswind out of 2 Timothy 1:6. Are you ready to stir up the gift of God within you?
Jesus often found himself frustrated with the religious leaders in His time. In John 5 Jesus calls them out on their understanding of the truth in Scripture. The religious leaders disregarded the truth about Jesus because they didn't like him. They refused to see the Scripture for what it really was. So what exactly is the truth of the Bible?
We all have this innate desire to have things be fair and right. When you turn on the news or read stories about things going on in the world it becomes immediately clear that there is a shortage of justice. So, what does Jesus say true justice is all about?
Our founding Pastor, Paul Cushing, brings a message to us this Father's Day out of Luke 15.
A lot of times, our faith is a paradox. Jesus tells us that the way to greatness is to serve, the way to happiness is to make others happy, the way to find your life is to lose it, and the list goes on! That's how God's system works. Jesus called it the Kingdom of God. Up is down, and down is up!
This Missions Sunday we are looking at what it means to be on mission as Jesus mandates in Matthew 9 and 10. We will also hear from and celebrate the missions programs and missionaries that Crosswind Church supports.
When you think of the word "Harvest", what comes to mind? We think of celebration, feasting, autumn, and enjoying the fruits of labor. The truth is that harvesting crops is a lot of work. In fact, it's hard work. Jesus' work here on earth was the harvesting of souls and he passed this work on to His disciples. As followers of Jesus today, harvesting is our job, so what does it look like?
What does real worship look like? As human beings, we are wired for worship, but often times we worship the the wrong people and/or things. What we must come to realize is that we are designed to know who God is and connect with Him. Worship allows us to truly connect to God and the truest version of ourselves.
On this Mother's Day we are blessed to hear a word from the mother of Crosswind Church, Mrs. Harriett Cushing. She and her husband Paul started our church in 1968.
Did you know your soul can be thirsty? We may not use the language of thirst, but down in our hearts, we all long to fulfill certain needs and desires. Many times we try and quench this thirst with activities, careers, relationships, and possessions that in the end leave us no more satisfied than when we began. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus shows us where we can find living water so that we will never thirst again.
A witness is someone who has seen or heard something first-hand. They alone are the ones who have the truest knowledge of an event simply because they were there. In John's Gospel, Jesus is painted as the perfect witness because He is the one who holds true knowledge about God and the mystery of life.
At some point in our lives, we all struggle with envy. It's hard not to look at other people's possessions, success, status, etc. and not be jealous. What Jesus shows in his conversation with John's disciples is that envy is an issue of the heart and we must reorient how we look at the world.
This Easter we are bringing you a unique presentation centered around the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo. These artifacts are commonly referred to as the burial linens of Jesus. In this special Easter message we look at the scripture, facts, science, and studies surrounding these linens. What they reveal to us is a powerful depiction of death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This is truly something you need to see to believe!
In the final part of this series we are looking at Jesus' command to love God with all of our strength. Our bodies are the part of us that makes internal beliefs actionable in the real world. It's not just about believing something internally, but allowing that belief to turn into a behavior.
Usually, the term "brainwashing" would be a bad thing. Get up and run the other way! The truth is, however, as Christians we need a good old fashion brainwashing. Often we say we love God with our Hearts, but we question Him with our minds. There is a war going on inside of our heads pulling us to focus on ourselves, culture, and the lies of the enemy.
The soul is one of the things that sets human beings apart from the rest of the created order. It is the thing that connects us to God in a special way. Many times the word soul is synonymous with spirit. What's interesting is that our soul's are thirsty, and what we choose to quench that thirst will ultimately determine the condition of our spirit.
“I Love You” is one of the most basic, most life-giving sounds to the human heart. As human beings, we were created to love. Though our hearts were made for love, however, we seem to be incapable of doing it right.
So after we have been born again, how do we live it out? This week we look at 4 practical step we can take to ensure that we walk fully in the new life Christ has given us.
How does being born again make the believer different from the non-believer. How exactly does being born again work? For Nicodemus, it did not seem as simple as Jesus was making it sound. To be born again is to have faith in Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit.
What does it mean to be "born again". In our culture today this term can have a negative meaning. Some Christians do not even want that label put on them. For Jesus, however, there was no other way to follow after him without being born again.
In directing our lives we have two options. Cultivate a small heart and thus avoid relationships, disappointment, and pain. The other is to open our hearts, and to live big and love big. One option seems like the easy road, safe and less messy. The other option is full of risk, unknowns, and unpredictability. Which type of heart does following Jesus cultivate?
When Jesus cleanses the Temple by overturning tables and driving out money changers, He did so to reveal a problem in the human heart about reverence and worship. We see in this passage the deep and passionate desire of our Savior to bring righteousness back to humanity.
In John 1:38, Jesus' would-be disciples are approaching Him and He questions what they are seeking. People come to Jesus for lots of different reasons, but ultimately, Jesus wants for you to come to Him to be a disciple. In order to truly follow after Him, and become one of His disciples, we have to be willing to check our own motivations, ambitions, and selves at the door.
From it's beginning, Christianity has been centered around a person. Jesus had a magnetism that drew people to Him. In this opening conversation in John chapter one, we see how powerful an attractive personality can be. John the Baptist shows us what a life looks like when it is founded in its identity in Christ.
As Christians, they key to our entire belief system is faith. We all need to have faith. Hebrews tells us that faith is something hoped for, but not seen. Our Goals can be a declaration of what we hope for in God. What are you trusting God to do in your life?
What is worth the investment of my time? Time is a resource and how we use it is important. Unfortunately, too often we waste time chasing after or doing things that aren't worth it. The good news is that in Ephesians 5, Paul gives us four great ways to learn time management.
Once we establish what our Goals are, it's important to then chart a financial future that will allow us to be successful. This could mean saving money for school, investing, or whatever else may need to happen in order for our Goals to become a reality. The Word says that where your money is, there your heart will be also. So the question is, how do we successfully chart a financial future?
Where is your life headed? It can be an intimidating question, but it is an important one. Studies show that 95% of Americans have never written down a goal for their life. The truth is that goals have power and when we align our goals with God's plan, we are able to chart a course of blessing and joy.
Peace is something a lot of people go without these days. Life is busy and the calendar is filled, keeping us moving from one thing to the next. Usually this lack of peace comes in words like "tired" and "stressed". When the prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah, one of the titles given to Jesus was The Prince of Peace. Through all the business and chaos of life, He is the one we must look to for true peace.
Jesus came to earth, not just to make a way to heaven, but to change things. He came especially for the poor, the prisoner, the blind, the oppressed. Today, we often call them the “Disenfranchised.” As Christians, we are called to bring change to their lives!
As Christians we are people who believe in the Prince of Peace. An important question to ask ourselves is, what we’re going to bring to the table: hatred and fear or grace and love? That is the question for the Church today. As followers of Jesus, it is our duty to show the world what "peace" really means. From the beginning, the issue of race was central to that message of peace.
In this life, God has given each of us three resources: Time, Talent, and Treasure. Where we invest these resources determines where our heart will be. The best investment we can make is to put our resources towards heavenly things. This means that if we want our resources to grow, we have to give them away!
It's hard sometimes to see the end from the beginning. We live in a culture of instant gratification, so when we talk about long term investment, it can be hard to wrap our minds around it. When it comes to our time, talent, and treasure, the Bible is clear, we are work towards the long-term investment. Our eyes should be fixed on the eternal hope of Heaven and not the things of this world.
By worldly standards we look at someone's financial health in terms of how much they have saved, how much they have to spend, how much their investments are worth, etc. This determines their net worth. Jesus tells us Matthew, however, that we are to lay up treasures in Heaven and in doing so, we need to expand our understanding of financial value.
In the story of Lazarus, we see a side of Jesus that no other story shows us. In the midst of death and grief, Jesus enters in and allows himself to grieve with the people. We find that we have a savior that not only feels and understands the pain of loss, He has the power to overcome death itself!
In the story of the blind man being healed we find that the tables get turned on us! We are the ones who are blind. Our sinful nature makes us spiritually blind to the Truth, but in Jesus, we find the Light of the World and our sight is restored!
One of the guarantees in life is that we will go through storms. There a moments when we find ourselves lost in the dark, out at sea, and the entire world seems bent on destroying us. When the storms blows and waters rage, we need to remember that we serve a God who walks on the water! Jesus finds us in the midst of the storm, calling us to not be afraid.
Life can be overwhelming. We face seemingly insurmountable problems and difficulties sometimes and we feel powerless. What Jesus shows us in his miracle of feeding the 5,000 is that no problem is too big, no person is too weak, and no hunger is too deep when you add Him to the equation!
We have all had days or weeks when we've thought that we could go no further. Everybody knows what its like to be at the end of their rope. The good news is that we don't have to stay down in the dumps, crippled by out limitations or current situation. With Jesus, we have the power to get up and walk!
We often talk about our Christianity being a "faith walk" because our faith is journey. It's never in an instant that one becomes a Christian and is immediately strong, has perfect faith, and understands all the ways of God. With Him, faith is a constant journey, taking our life on expected roads and pit stops, all to help us grow and become more like Jesus.
In John's Gospel, the sign miracles are the ones that point the heart to who Jesus really is. The first sign miracle in John's Gospel is when Jesus turned water to wine. When we look at this wedding celebration we see four distinct gifts that Jesus brings us!
It was never intended that we would go through this life alone. We need other people in our lives. For some of us, the temptation can be to not let people get close to us because we don't want to get hurt, feel to vulnerable, or perhaps we are just too busy. The Bible, however, is clear that we are better, stronger, and have more life when we are together with other people.
The Word has a lot to say about worship! You don't have to dig far to realize that true worship is about Him, not us. If we want to breathe fresh air back into our relationship with God, we need to refocus our minds and affections back on to Him. One of the best ways to do this is through worship.
The Bible is much more than a book. It is possible to view it as out-dated and irrelevant, but to do so would be to miss the point that the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Too often, things that are routine can become mundane and prayer is no exception. Jesus, however, taught his disciples a method for prayer that is both life-giving and refreshing. When we look closely at the Lord's Prayer, we can find a way to put some life, and breath, back into our prayer life.
At some point or another, we've all been depressed. Some people even deal with depression their whole lives. Elijah, although a great prophet, was not exempt from dealing with it. His story is a great example of how we react to being depressed and God's plan to draw us out of the cave.
The old adage says that failure is not the falling down, but the staying down. Life can knock us down and we have a choice how we will fight back. The good news is that with Jesus, failure is never final. Jesus is always there to help us recover from failure.
What's the worst storm you've ever been through? Unfortunately, everyone of us will go through storms at some point and navigating them can be difficult. The hope we have is that we know The One who has overcome the world!
Jesus' ministry can be summed up by His words in Luke 19:10, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” For us, being lost implies that we have value. When Jesus talks about saving the "lost" he is saying that people are worth saving. Despite our circumstances in life, we are worth being found.
What does it mean to truly have power? Throughout the Bible we see people who on the outside seem weak, but through God's power, do amazing things! These stories echo Paul's words in 2 Corinthians when he reminds us how God's power works best through our weakness.
Temptation can knock us down in a bad way. Samson found out just bad it could knock you down when he finally gave into Delilah. What can we do if we've given in? Is there hope? The story of David shows us just how powerful repentance and grace truly are to restore a sinful heart.
When we look at the lives of Noah, Abraham, and Moses we see amazing stories of how God tested their faith. Sometimes in our lives, we too can get knocked down by tests. The key thing to keep in mind is that faith helps us to keep believing, obeying, and persisting.
To often worship can be seen as an individual experience. While it does come out of a strong personal relationship with God, worship is also a highly communal activity that is designed to take place in the Body of Christ as a whole.
What does it mean to truly be generous? Over the years, the Church has sometimes gone to extremes when dealing with the concepts of possessions and wealth. What Jesus shows us in the Bible is that true wealth is found in Him and gives birth to a spirit of giving.
One of the biggest lies today is that we can find fulfillment on our own. Self-actualization is sometimes seen as the highest goal of human experience, but in the end it falls woefully short. What we see when we read the Bible is that Jesus tells us that humans can only reach our potential by connecting with other people.
Have you ever had an experience that changed your life? Maybe it changed how you reacted to certain things or how you look at the world. That is how we should be as a Church when we experience the forgiveness of Christ. A community of forgiven and healed people who then turn to the world and become forgivers and healers.
What is the Church here for? Is it here to compete with the other churches in town? Is it here to get the biggest numbers in the seats every Sunday? In Luke 22, Jesus shows us that to be His followers, we must become servants. As the Church, we are the Body of Christ, and as such, we too must exist to serve the needs of others.
As the Church, we are the Body of Christ, and as such we are reminded constantly throughout the New Testament that we are to be unified. How does this work? In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us that we are to be one, united together in the same Spirit, and pressing toward the same goal.
As the Body of Christ, the Church is hopeful community. Having heard the good news, we are called to spread to the hope of Jesus to the world. Sharing our faith is an essential part of being the people of God!
As Christians we are called to live in the world, but not of it. The same goes for the church. The Church as a community is countercultural movement of people bound together by Jesus Christ.
Pastor Mike Ferrante talks about one of his favorite passages in the Bible, Malachi 4:6.
Pastor Herb Reisig talks about one of his favorite passages in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Pastor Chris Kaskel talks about one of his favorite passages in the Bible, Matthew 19:25-26.
Pastor Mark Sparks talks about one of his favorite passages in the Bible, John chapter 9.
What does it mean to live in the Kingdom of God? How can we this out on a daily basis. Jesus tells us that we are to abide in Him and to do so, that means we have to make the right choices.
No one likes to be judged, but often times we enjoy being the one who is doing the judging. If we learn to see people and their problems the way Jesus sees them, we find ourselves able to stand in solidarity with them instead of judging.
In a culture driven by fear, how can we live without worry? It's a concept that can seem like it's easier said than done. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus directly addresses fear and worry, instructing us not to be anxious because God cares deeply for us and provides for all of our needs.
Material things bring a sense of happiness and joy. But not long after, we lose the elation we first felt. This is called avarice. It's an excessive desire for the the happiness money can buy us or secure for us. Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, teaches that true happiness and security come from serving God.
Outside of the Kingdom of God, there is no way to measure our worth other than what other people think about us. What Jesus teaches us is that our value and worth should come from God, who deeply loves and cares about each and every person.
Loving your enemies is not one of the easier or popular things Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount. In a culture of revenge and enmity, how is there room for love? When we shift our thinking and start to see our enemies the way God sees them, we find that we are able to love.
Have you ever been caught in a lie? Have you ever caught someone else in a lie that directly effected you? If you look close enough, you will find that we all lie a lot more than we realize.
Let's talk about sex. Is sexual desire evil or good? How do we know when we have crossed the line? The truth is that sex is a gift from God, but many times, especially today, we have warped and twisted it into something else entirely.
This week is the Blizzard of 2016! Along with our usual message is a full service for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home with your family!
Why do we get angry? Is all anger sinful? Many times it stems from unmet expectations or our own selfish desires. This week we discover how Jesus sees anger.
blessed. What does it really mean to live a blessed life? When we look at the beatitudes in Jesus' teaching, we see words of hope and healing to those who have been marginalized in our world. It is an invitation for the looked-over, left-out, lost, and left-behind people of our world.
One of the things that dominated the teachings of Jesus was the Kingdom of Heaven. This is not something that was a future blessing or some destination at the end of a long Journey. The Kingdom of Heaven is a present power that can be experienced now. It is established here on earth by His people coming together and living it out.
We all seek to live a good and beautiful life. We find pleasure in the the things of this world: money, sex, technology, entertainment, food and drink, etc. All of those things are great, but they can't truly create a good life full of peace. Only a life of virtue can do that.
When we look at the story of the wisemen, we see three men who were the academics of their time. They studied science and astrology, looking for answers and wisdom. The wonderful thing is that in the end, they were brought to the same Christ-child as everyone else.
The coming of Jesus was not without conflict. In Matthew's telling of the story, King Herod plays a major role in Christmas story. The conflict of Christmas brings to us a new fight, a new King, a new fallout, and a new humility.
In a lot of ways, the coming of Christ was the opposite of what was expected for a Messiah. One of the most memorable scenes in the entire Bible happens when the birth of Jesus is first announced to a group of Shepherds. These were people who were despised, outcast, lowly, and seemingly, unworthy.
In Joseph's story, we find a man who loved his wife-to-be, but found himself wrapped in controversy and fear over her pregnancy. On the edge of divorcing Mary quietly, an angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph and challenges him to have courage. So, what does the courage of Christmas look like?
Business, hurry, and urgency are systemic problems in the workplace and even our culture today. There is little to no patience when it comes to making and receiving things. What Jesus shows us in the story of Mary and Martha is the importance of slowing down, sitting still, and allowing the refreshing of God to come into your life. More often than not nowadays, we are Martha busy at work in the kitchen when Jesus is looking for us to be more like Mary and sit as His feet.
Often times we identity ourselves as sinners. The problem is, we wrap our identities around the false narratives we find ourselves believing. The truth is that though Christ, God has transformed us and made us into a new creation, who is alive with Christ.
We often think that in our Christian walk, we are working our way to God, or to Heaven. This work narrative puts the control of life in our own hands and makes our salvation a matter of work. The fact of the matter is, however, we don't work our way to God, instead, He worked His way to us. The work of reconciliation and salvation was done on the Cross. The only thing required of us is faith, and a life lived out of the reality of His love and His sacrifice.
God's wrath is often one of the most misunderstood parts about Christianity. When we look at His wrath based on what the Bible teaches, we see that it not part of who He is but instead what He does. His wrath is not judgment and death, but instead His righteous and just action against sin, because ultimately, God is for us and wants for none to perish.
Most of us tend to think God will love us if we promise to, and work towards improving our lives. He might us if we truly change our behavior and do the right thing. What Jesus reveals to us is a God that loves us even in our worst times, and whose love is truly unconditional. The God that Jesus reveals loves us, period.
Jesus reveals a God who does not demand but who gives; who does not oppress but who raises up; who does not wound but heals; who does not condemn but forgives.
Is God Trustworthy? The God that Jesus talks about is all-knowing, all-loving, and good. When we look through the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6, we see that God is a father that has nothing but good gifts for His children.
We often hear the phrase that "God is Good", but don't often fully understand or believe that it's true. We believe that God is good, and yet at the same time can still think about a God who curses us when we sin. How do we balance the ideas of God's goodness and bad things that happen?
Have you ever wanted to change? Too many times we rely on our own willpower and knowledge to make meaningful changes in our lives. In this first sermon in our new series "Turn", we talk about how to effect real spiritual change in our lives and the God who will make it happen.
Everyone comes to faith differently. God created us with different learning styles and personalities, which means that we don't receive and process information the same. The wonderful thing is that there is not, necessarily, one right way to share your faith.
Telling people about Jesus is an essential part of our faith, but many times it can be the hardest. How do we share Jesus with others?
Why do we pray? Many times we fail to see our prayers as a warfare activity, but for Paul; he saw it as one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal.
What does it mean to wear the "Armor of God"? Paul sees the christian doing battle "in Christ" through the power of self-sacrifice and love.
What is a Christ-like marriage supposed to look like? What causes so many to fail? Husbands and Wives both have roles they are supposed to play, but understanding them in light of Christ is key to keeping a relationship healthy and full of life.
Over the last several verses, Paul has been calling us to a new way of living with a new set of standards. Starting in chapter 5, he now moves from the obligations of Holy behavior to the motivations behind them. Why are we to live Holy lives? What is the motivation behind becoming a new creation?
As we grow into maturity in our Christian walk, we begin to take off rags of our old life and put on the garments of the new life. What find out however, is that the change must happen inside of us before it can be shown on the outside.
What does it mean to be renewed in our minds and put on the new self? Being a Christian redefines our identity and therefore points us in a new direction of purity and walking in the light. We are awakened to who we truly are as a being made in the image and likeness of God!
Why do we go to church? The more mature we get in our faith, the more we realize that we are meant to be in community with other people. We are called to be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church, where we find our identity and purpose.
Spiritual growth is an essential part of our relationship with God. What we will discover, however is that it takes us as individuals, God, and His Community (the Church) all working together!
Paul is in prison when he is writing this letter. He can see people starting to wonder how could God allow such a man, with his gifting, calling, talent, and passion to languish in captivity. If Paul is truly a servant of God, and God has really given him resurrection power and seated him with The Son in the heavens, how can bad stuff happen to him?
Racism is not an issue that is new to us as a culture. In the days of Paul, there was a dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles. The good news of Jesus is that He came to break down the wall and destroy the "Us vs. Them" mentality. In Christ, we are all one humanity.
This Father's Day we are jumping ahead to Ephesians 6. Paul gives us some great practical insight about relationships between parents and children along with employers and employees.
Although Christ died, God resurrected and exalted him. In the same way, we also were dead in our sin, but God resurrected and exalted us through and with Christ!
Prayer is far from being a man-driven monologue toward God as our audience. It is actually a dialogue that leads to discovery of who God is and who we are in Christ.
Join us as we start a new series where we will journey through the book of Ephesians. Over the next several weeks, we will discover the mystery of Jesus Christ that is revealed to us in this wonderful letter.
Industry is about making and constructing things. It works to make our world a better place, and strives to enhance the goodness of our community. Through work it labors, sweats, dreams, and purposes to change the environment to make life more full, free, and fruitful.
Neighborliness rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep. However, envy weeps AT those who rejoice, and rejoices AT those who weep. Envy refuses, at it’s core, family, neighbor, fellowship, friendship by enacting a falsehood of alienation instead of the truth of solidarity.
A healthy understanding of both anger and patience must begin with a true understanding of the brokenness of the world. God's slowness to unleash His justified rage is a perfect expression of the restraint of patience. It is the basis for our living out patience. Whether we're stuck in traffic, dealing with a whiny kid, or faced with an incredible injustice, we must be slow to let our anger kindle into rage.
When we talk about purity, most of the time we think about sexual situations. It’s not merely about our actions, it’s about our thoughts, our motives, and the heart behind it. Purity is a constant journey of moving in the right direction.
The “flesh” inside of us wants to be dominant, and its chief way of doing so in creating a sense of drivenness within side us. This drivenness creates compulsive behaviors to turn a want into a need, and in doing this it turns what you seek into an idol that begins to call the shots in your life.
For though we can give without loving, it is almost impossible to love without giving. We want to repurpose the old world “charity” that is often seen exclusively today as “throwing money at poverty” or giving money to charitable institutions and see it in its broader, biblical setting.
Join us on a journey through this series called "Navigate: Change Your Direction." We will explore the seven heavenly virtues. This first week, on Easter Sunday, we explore Christ-like humility.
In the conclusion to our Marriage Matters series we talk about the journey to relational depth. What does it take to make marriage last?
Sex is something that was created by God. In our marriages, sex is a wonderful and essential part of our relationships. This week we will see what the Bible has to say about sex and how it can bring intimacy and unity.
So what happens when you have married the wrong person? Does that mean we simply get a divorce? NO! God longs to take a bad decision or even a bad marriage and redeem it. He loves to make marriages into miracles.
What does the Bible really say about Divorce? This week we talk about what to do when a marriage ends. Whether you've been divorced, going through it, or are on the brink, there is still hope!
One of the quickest things to learn about a marriage is that there will be disagreements and at times heated arguments. How you choose to deal with them when they pop up, how you seek to resolve them is a critical part of enjoying and sustaining a great marriage.
What is God's will for my life? Did I marry the right person? In the first message of our "Marriage Matters" series, we discuss finding the love our lives.