Crossmap Podcast

Through a comprehensive exploration into the word “herald” (ok, a simple Google search using AI tools), we find that this declarative moniker is a messenger, especially one announcing important news or proclamations, often for royalty. Kim Gentry-Meyer, an Award-winning singer/songwriter, believes that the most important news or proclamation for royalty in the history of the world is delivering th...

To have a calling on your life is sometimes difficult to explain. Beyond being a sense of purpose or direction in your life, a calling is the unexplainable belief that there is something you were meant to do. It’s a mission or a destiny that is unique to you. But what if your calling involves other people, specifically those who are related to you?   The Erwins, a Gospel quartet from Texas, believ...

We have all heard the well-worn statistic that one in every two marriages end in divorce. It’s hard. There is too much responsibility involved. The longer you are married the more boring life becomes. The excuses for ending a marriage seem endless. Yet research tells us the happiest people in the world are those in a healthy marriage. For example: A recent study from the National Center for Health...

It has been said that a good laugh can completely change your day for the better. Why is comedy so important? The Bible is filled with example after example of laughter being a vital and valuable gift from God. For example: In Job 8:21, it says, ““He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken heart saps a person...

To be lost in the heart of worship is something that all Christians aspire to do. To be  moved by God’s presence due to His goodness, love, and mercy, is something so strong and profound that it can’t easily be put into words. Bethel Music’s Jenn Johnson agrees. For the last 25 years, Johnson and Bethel Music have sought to bring music to the masses that invites listeners to take hold of their tru...

For centuries, theologians, scholars, and everyday people have debated whether miracles still happen. Are they a glorious outcome from the hand of a living God, or are they a relic of a bygone era rooted in the Old Testament? As people of faith we would like to believe that someone’s cancerous tumor mysteriously shrinking overnight is a miracle, yet the scientific community quickly pumps the brake...

Movie director Jon Erwinis someone who has had great success over the years. From October Baby way back in 2011 to Jesus Revolution and back to I Can Only Imagine, the Birmingham, Alabama native has always had a knack for finding and telling stories that resonate with people deeply for their foundational family values told through the lens of faith. Erwin is also someone who is a collector and kee...

With the premiere of The Chosen’s Season 5 upon us, fans anticipating more of the same may be surprised by what they encounter from the eight new episodes coming over the next few months. Seen as the beginning of the end in the highly-sought after program’s seven season arc, viewers will be challenged with the most intense, mature, and challenging themes yet. In a phased release, Season 5 will be...

When thinking about racial equality in sports, one immediately conjures up thoughts of young Jackie Robinson stepping between the lines to become the first African-American athlete in Major League Baseball in 1947. But what about the other major sports? While we hear so much about Robinson suiting up for the Brooklyn Dodgers, less is known about the other three major sports. While Fritz Pollard is...

No Gospel artist has had more of a seismic impact on Christian music over the last 100 years than Bill Gaither. Along with Gloria, his wife of more than 62 years, the Gaithers have left an indelible mark, writing more than 700 songs, many of which have become staples of Sunday morning praise and worship across the world. With songs like “He Touched Me”, “Because He Lives”, and “The King is Coming”...

No one wants to go through life with the feeling of utter hopelessness. But sometimes, due to a set of unforeseen circumstances, a person is forced to navigate through the perils of daily living without any clear sense of purpose or encouragement.    But there is always hope.   Nathaniel Deen knows hardship and hopelessness very well. Due to a traumatic incident, he lost both his parents at the ag...

For better or for worse, we have all heard the phrase, “Go to hell.” While considered a coarse and crass thing to say, this snide directive is seen as sarcasm and never viewed in a positive light.    But what about the inverse of that phrase? Have you ever heard someone utter, “Go to heaven?” It seems sort of foreign yet hopeful.   As far as heaven is concerned, who goes there? Where is it? What w...

From the ghettos of Brooklyn, New York, to a successful singing career, to a stunning restoration in Jesus, Jeannie Ortega, a contemporary Christian musical artist, fought demonic attacks, thoughts of suicide, rejection, and being treated like a commodity earlier in her career as a secular pop star.   After many years away from music due to a new career in journalism and starting a family with her...

Even for the most devout people of faith, the Holy Spirit can be mysterious and the least understood person of the Holy Trinity. Bible scholars point to Abrahamic religions, where the Holy Spirit has equal footing with God the father and the Son of God, who is Jesus. According to Acts 5:3-4, the Holy Spirit is considered to be fully God, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and the Son of G...

In what has become a time honored tradition, my wife and I spend the first Saturday morning in December wrestling with a Christmas tree. And for the twentieth year in a row we hope to accomplish our goal – to move our artificial bundle of joy from our attic’s crawl space to the centerpiece of our living room. Serving as the soundtrack for our sloppily choreographed annual rite of passage this  yea...

In a world not too far removed from our past, a young pastor and author named Dietrich Bonhoeffer and a small group of dissidents worked tirelessly to dismantle the Third Reich as Adolf Hitler and the Nazis attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe and beyond. Rather than flee to the safer haven of America, Bonhoeffer instead chose to uphold his moral convictions and risk it all to save millions...

As we inch ever closer to our next presidential election just a few days away, more than a few have pondered the notion that we as a nation are edging ever closer to the Apocalypse. For centuries, the term apocalypse has been used to characterize a great disaster, a prophetic revelation, or the end of the world. Vivid imagery of communist takeovers, the rise of artificial intelligence in the form...

The human imagination coupled with ingenuity can be an amazing thing. Through the creative process, what often begins as a spark of an idea can quickly germinate into a full-blown living, breathing entity.   One need to look no further than the overwhelming success of 'The Chosen' streaming video season. As the program approaches its fifth season, we must not forget that this global phenomenon beg...

Whether you love him or hate him, former President Donald Trump has certainly been someone that “moves the needle” when it comes to political discourse.   From public policy to contentious political debates to failed assassination attempts, the former Commander in Chief has been a non-stop presence in our daily news cycle in his quest to return to the White House for four more years.   Troy Anders...

It is quite evident that the most successful crowdfunded series of all time, The Chosen has had a tremendous ministry impact through the 770 million episodes to date that have been streamed worldwide. In what has become a global phenomenon, the multi-episode television drama based on the life of Jesus, is gearing up to release Season 5 early next year. Through the first four seasons, hearts have b...

For people from more mature generations such as Generation X or the Baby Boomers, it has become increasingly more difficult to understand what motivates people under the age of 30.   While these older people groups view the workplace with an eye toward rigidity, security, and ever changing objectives, Generation Z and Millennials are more interested in flexibility, fluidity, and clear goals. Their...

From “Courageous” to “War Room” to their last theatrical release “Overcomer”, Alex and Stephen Kendrick have always found themes that address a critical topic at just the right time.   Their latest movie, “The Forge” coming to theaters nationwide on August 23rd is no different.  The movie tells the story of a young man who has no idea on how to be a man. Drifting through life with little direction...

Have you ever been personally discipled? Do you desire to walk closer to Jesus but wish someone would show you how? How can your faith become a thriving relationship instead of a religious duty? What are the keys to assurance of salvation, abiding in Christ, praying effectively, overcoming trials, and deeply loving others?   All of these questions have reasonable answers. In fact, each and every o...

With more than400M streams and a combined social media following of almost two million, Kim Walker-Smith was on top of the highly instrumental praise and worship music movement here in America and across the world.   Having spent more than 20 years in worship leadership, Walker-Smith is known for her spirit-led worship anthems that have touched the hearts of so many near and far. But then in 2020,...

As people of faith, we have all been there. You find yourself in a situation that begs for you to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but for whatever reason you stop short. The timing isn’t right, the logistics are bad, or you just feel awkward and out of place doing it. The problem is that it just doesn’t feel natural. Perhaps you fear the other person won’t be receptive or they will become hostil...