Confluence Church

Jesus sends out the 72 as the mission continues to grow. Jesus reminds them and us that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. The disciples are sent into the world, but they are not of the world, they are ambassadors of the Kingdom. They are to go where they are sent, even into hostile environments, and this is our call still today, the question is, will we answer it?

As people begin to follow Jesus, He reminds them of the cost. There is no halfway with Jesus, it is all or nothing, and what we must remember is that He alone is worth it.

The work of Jesus cannot be contained or restrained, but not all will welcome the Kingdom. Jesus reminds the disciples and us that we are to stand firm in our faith with courage, while not forgetting His loving kindness and mercy.

No one wants to be overlooked. As the disciples argued about who was the greatest, Jesus reset their expectations and reminded them of what true greatness requires.

Unable to heal a man’s son, the disciples watch as Jesus does what they could not. Even in this moment when all eyes are on Jesus, Jesus chooses to speak to His disciples not of the life He is bringing, but of the opposition that is coming His way.

Our days are filled with many voices vying for our attention, but which matters most? Taking Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray, Jesus talks with some unexpected guest all while He appears to glow in the dark. The significance of this moment pulls on threads of the Human story throughout Scripture and points to the voice we need to listen to above all others.

This week we will look at what it means that we are in and not of the world. As a church, we are not building a monument, but we are a part of a movement. We will also look at what it means that we are courageous and kind. These two ideas often seem to run contrary to each other, but we desire to be a church that is courageous in our faith and kind in how we live that out.

Continuing in our look at our 5 values, we will look at what it means that we are everyday disciples and we are intentional. Always learning as we follow Jesus, there is no division between the sacred and the mundane. We also recognize our need to say no to some things so we can say yes to the right things.

Crossroads Church exists to make much of Jesus. In all we do we aim to be Jesus-centered, Biblically rooted, and Spirit-led. These three pillars are expressed in 5 values that we will unpack over the next 3 weeks. We will begin with the value that we are family.

As questions continue to swirl as to just who Jesus is, Peter in a moment of great clarity, sees that Jesus truly is the Messiah. But on the heels of this revelation Jesus did proclaim triumph, but rather He proclaims His own death.

A crowd of hungry people had ventured out to see Jesus. When the time to eat came the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the people home, instead Jesus tells the disciples to ring the dinner bell and feed the people. With nothing but five loaves and two fish Jesus blessed the meal and every is fed in abundance. Reminding the disciples and us, that Jesus provides

As the disciples followed Jesus, they were being trained for more than just observing Jesus, they were being trained to do the things He does. Having witnessed Jesus proclaim the Kingdom with words and action, now Jesus sends the 12 disciples out to do the same.

There are people in our lives that we are tempted to give up, but with Jesus, the impossible is always possible. Encountering a man who had roamed literal graveyards possessed by a demon, Jesus set Him free. But not only did He set the man free, Jesus sent the man on a mission; to declare how much God had done for him.

Fear can be crippling, causing us to be unable to see a way forward. As Jesus and the disciples encounter a storm, they quickly forget just who Jesus is, allowing their fears to overtake them. But we also see that when our fear is greatest it is best to run to Jesus.

Everyone loves a good story. Jesus often taught in parables to help make His point. The passage we look at today tells the story of different soils and why the soil of our soul matters.

Although it is five letters, doubt can often be treated like a four-letter word. Doubt is normal and when we doubt we must learn where to direct our doubts. John the Baptist finds himself in prison and wondering if Jesus is really the “One?” So, John sends his friends to the source, Jesus himself, and they ask Jesus, “are you the one?” How Jesus responds speaks to just who He is and why that matte...

In a moment of death, Jesus brings life as the people continue to be amazed. Jesus overcomes a seemingly impossible situation while displaying both his power and compassion.

Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, and now He beings to show what His rule and reign look like. A man’s daughter is ill and comes to Jesus for help. While the man displays great faith, Jesus speaks healing.

Knowing the right thing and doing the right thing are two different things. Jesus calls us to not only know who He is, but build our life on the foundation of following Him. Following Jesus gives us a foundation that does not shift even when things around us do.

Have you ever had a day where nothing seemed to be going right, and then one small thing happens and you lose your mind? No matter how hard we try to mask what is going on in our hearts, it will show up. What we root ourselves in determines the fruit of our lives. Rooting ourselves in the wrong things will lead to wrong fruit.

It is hard not to compare our actions and our lives to others. We fall into this trap all the time feeling like we are never measuring up or that others are never measuring up to our standards. But this is a dangerous way to live that leads to bitterness, resentment, and judgment of others. The truth is we all live well below the standard we were meant to, and yet by the grace of God, there is ano...

We live in a world divided and people have drawn hard lines. You have lines, spoken or unspoken you have drawn. So how do you love those outside the lines? How do you love with no expectations? What does it look like to be merciful as God is merciful?