the Cross Orlando

The closing message of the Lenten series in Isaiah 58, working through the final verses of the chapter and recapping the whole passage's call for worship that moves outward in mercy and justice rather than empty ritual, ahead of Palm Sunday and Easter.

Continuing the Lenten series in Isaiah 58, this message focuses on verses 8-11 and the promises that follow true worship: light breaking forth like the dawn, healing, the Lord's continual guidance, and becoming like a watered garden when God's people pursue mercy and justice.

The third-week Lenten message in Isaiah 58, focusing on verses 6-10 where God describes the fast he truly chooses: loosing the bonds of injustice, feeding the hungry, and caring for the oppressed, contrasted with the empty ritual fasting God rejects.

A conversational study of Matthew 16:13-18, where Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus declares he will build his church on that confession, reflecting on the power of words and God's persistence with people, featuring guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

A conversational study of the call of Abram in Genesis 12:1-3, reflecting on God's promise to bless Abram and through him all the families of the earth, and how God works through one person to reach a whole family, featuring guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

A conversational study of Matthew 5:13-16 from the Sermon on the Mount, reflecting on Jesus calling his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and how living well lets others see good works and glorify God, featuring guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

Continuing the Lenten series in Isaiah 58, this message covers verses 3-5, where the people complain that God ignores their fasting while God exposes that they fast for their own pleasure and oppress their workers, asking what kind of fast God actually chooses.

The opening message of a six-week Lenten series in Isaiah 58, focusing on verses 1-2, where God tells Isaiah to cry aloud against a people who seek God yet whose fasting and prayers go unheard, introducing the prophet Isaiah and the season's call to examine our need for a savior.

The concluding message of the series on the church in Scripture, moving into 1 Corinthians 12 and recapping how Jesus fulfills Israel's priestly calling as the great high priest, making the church a called-out people who mediate God's presence to the world.

Continuing the series on the church, this message examines the conditional covenant at Sinai in Exodus 19:5-6, where God calls Israel to be a kingdom of priests mediating his holiness to the world if they obey his voice, contrasting it with the unconditional covenant made with Abraham.

Continuing the series on the church, this message reaches Israel at Sinai in Exodus 19, where God reminds the people how he carried them on eagles' wings out of Egypt and calls them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, advancing the theme of a people who let God be God.

A conversational study of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32:22-31, where Jacob refuses to release the man until he is blessed and receives the new name Israel, reflecting on persistent faith, repentance, and clinging to God's blessing, featuring guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

Continuing the series on the story of the church in Scripture, this message focuses on Jacob in Genesis 32, recounting how the deceiver who stole Esau's birthright and blessing becomes part of God's plan, building toward Jacob wrestling with God.

A conversational study of Israel at Sinai in Exodus 19, examining God's offer to make the people a kingdom of priests and a holy nation if they keep his covenant, and the interplay of grace and judgment in that conditional promise, featuring guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

Continuing the series on the church, this message turns to Abraham in Genesis 12, examining God's call to leave his homeland and the covenant promise to bless all families of the earth through him, as part of God's unfolding strategy to draw humanity back to himself.

The opening message of a six-to-eight-week series on what the church is, beginning in Matthew 16:13-18 with Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ and Jesus' declaration to build his church, framed by reflections on denominational unity across diverse congregations.

Brian preaches on kindness from Luke 6:32-36, distinguishing genuine kindness from mere niceness and showing how loving enemies and doing good without expecting return reflects the character of God, who is kind even to the ungrateful and evil.

An Epiphany message on the wise men from Matthew 2, contrasting the magi's worship of the newborn king with Herod's tunnel-vision violence and his advisors who knew Scripture yet missed Jesus, warning against being too absorbed in our own agendas to see what God is doing.

Continuing the Christmas characters series, a message on Simeon from Luke 2:21-35, covering Jesus' circumcision and the covenant with Abraham, Mary and Joseph's temple sacrifices, and Simeon's Spirit-led recognition of the Lord's Christ.

A Christmas message on the shepherds in the nativity story from Luke 2, examining the context of shepherds keeping watch at night, the possible lambing season and sacrificial-lamb connection, and what their role reveals about Jesus' birth.

An Advent reflection on the theme of joy, drawn from Nehemiah 8:9-12 and the declaration that the joy of the Lord is the people's strength, given as a gift rather than earned, featuring a conversation with guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

An Advent reflection on the theme of love, exploring Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 as a measuring stick fulfilled in Jesus, featuring a conversation with guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

An Advent week-two reflection on the theme of peace, drawn from John 14:25-27 and Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit as helper and the gift of his peace, featuring a conversation with guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

An Advent week-one reflection on the theme of hope, centered on Romans 5 and the certainty of standing in grace and rejoicing in suffering, featuring a conversation with guests Carol Forrest and Brian Carlson.

An Advent message on the Christmas story in Luke 2, noting that the traditional "innkeeper" is not actually mentioned in Scripture, and contrasting the powerful Caesar Augustus with the humble, anonymous setting of Jesus' birth.