Cross Church Winnipeg Sermon Podcast

The first day and month of a new year often marks newness and a fresh start. Some believe that Jesus was actually born on the first day and month of the Jewish religious calendar (Nisan 1 or Aviv 1) which by the way marks the first day of creation. Being a Christian means living in the newness that Jesus the Messiah brings to all who believe in Him. Paul the Apostle puts it like this: “Therefore,...

As we come to the close of the year and look to 2020, we are reminded that time slips by quickly. The thinkers and idea-people of the world, along with many preachers, tell us that this is the time of the year to dream big dreams, be clear about our life-vision and set big goals for 2020 and for the rest of our lives. It all sounds very noble—in fact it sounds really wise, progressive and maybe ev...

We were created for communion and fellowship with God. To love God and to be loved by God is what this life is about. But sin broke that bond leaving us adrift and estranged from God for thousands of years. With the birth of Jesus everything changed. The fourth gift from God is reconciliation with Him. 600 years earlier, the prophet Isaiah looked forward to the coming of Jesus. “Look! The virgin w...

The third gift is peace through Christ. The angels actually bring the message to the shepherds and all humanity that for the first time since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, peace had come to the earth. But this peace is only for those with whom God is pleased. The shepherds who were despised as “unclean” by the religious leaders, would understand that they were the ones who were to rec...

The second Christmas gift is joy. Jesus gives us a reason to rejoice and be glad, for He is the one who takes away our sins and gives us His spirit to live in us. The shepherds got a taste of what was to come: That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surro...

Our first Christmas gift is hope. Hopelessness is a deadly thing. People die because of a lack of hope. God gives us hope through Christ. Listen to this: An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him J...

One of the most sobering passages of scripture in the Bible is also a warning: “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Jesus does not go easy on His disciples (and by the way, a disciple is […]

Our treasures are out of this world, at least they should be. Jesus said what sounds like crazy stuff, especially to us rich North Americans! “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes.” Once again, the thought that comes to mind is, “this is impossible!” Once again, you would be right in...

Jesus makes an amazing promise to every Christian, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and God will give you everything you need.” To help us understand what this means, He tells the story of a rich man who is pursuing the acquisition of lots of money. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” B...

It seems like an impossible command, but Jesus is adamant, “I tell you not to worry about everyday life.” Who can possibly live like this? The answer is every true believer. Prior to telling his disciples not to worry, He points out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Hypocrisy is pretending to be something you are not. It’s acting. Real Christians do not act. True Christians are empowered by the Holy...

The greatest thing that God has done for us is give us His Son, Jesus, and giving thanks for Christ has been enshrined in Christian worship from day one in the form of Communion. There are a number of titles used to describe this sacrament such as The Lord’s Supper, the Breaking of Bread, Communion and Eucharist. Eucharist comes from the Greek and literally means “thank you.” Giving thanks is what...

Last minute advice is usually brief, authoritative and to the point. How can I live as an authentic Christian? Assuming his audience is actually Born Again with the Spirit of God living in them, the Apostle Paul gives some excellent last minute advice in his letter to the Greek Christians who live in the city of Thessaloniki. He is specifically addressing their personal relationship with God and h...

There is so much to be grateful for, where do we even begin? Perhaps the thing that should cause us the greatest joy and gratitude is God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. If you’ve read the scripture you know that it is full of God’s marvellous promises. One of the glorious things about our God is that he never breaks his promises. Joshua said, “Soon I will die, going the way of everything...

Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father (Mt. 5:16). This is what we do as Christians, by the way that we live we cause people to praise our Father in Heaven. Paul takes up a collection of money for Believers in need and he says that two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs o...

The story of Cornelius is that he shouldn’t have been saved, or at least that’s what Peter thought. Cornelius and his family and his servants were not Jews. They were Gentiles. They were pagans. Heathens. Cornelius was a Roman soldier occupying the Promised Land! Surely God would not accept this foreigner who represented such evil in the land of Israel. These people were not the religious people t...

Paul’s story is truly one of the most dramatic in Church history! One day he is murdering Christians and then the next day he is preaching so as to win people for Jesus! No wonder no one believed him at first. On his way to wreak havoc in Damascus among the Christians, Paul—or Saul, as he was called then—was blinded by a light from heaven. From the light Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting Him...

Two thousand years before Star Trek even thought of the idea of teleporting people, the Holy Spirit was already doing that. Philip had been led by the Holy Spirit to be in the right place at the right time to intercept the truth-hungry Ethiopian official who was on his way home from worship in Jerusalem. Philip didn’t know the details of the mission; he just knew that he had to be on the desert ro...

Miraculous conversion stories followed the early church. Too often we focus on the miracles of tongues, healings, deliverance from jail, etc., but we miss the most important miracle of all, namely, the salvation of lost people. The Gospel was and still is central to the Christian faith. In this series we will be exploring the stories of people who were miraculously saved against all odds. We want...

God’s people are His beloved. Jesus reveals to us what is subtly revealed in the Old Testament, that is, that our God is a loving Father. First He wants us to know how precious we are to Him. We are His children! He is training us and teaching us what it means to be His child. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of this Psalm is the reminder that not one of us is an accident. Every one of us is on th...

David has committed adultery with the wife of one of his faithful soldiers. He has become so cold spiritually that he is calloused by his sin. It is the prophet Nathan who comes to David to reveal his sin. David teaches us how to repent. He does not protest his innocence or get angry with Nathan. Instead, he confesses his sin in this Psalm, taking full responsibility for his sin. Repentance is a l...

Sin. It's a big word and it immediately makes us uncomfortable. It condemns us. It makes us feel guilt and shame. For the one who actually cares about pleasing God, sin is the enemy of our peaceful state of mind. Sin depresses us. Sin sucks the oxygen out of the room, leaving us hopeless and even lifeless. Those who are calloused to their sinfulness are hardened, cynical and angry people who...

Sometimes life seems just so unfair. We are tempted to think that honesty doesn’t pay. David has his moments when he sincerely wonders if living according to God’s laws is ultimately beneficial. David is speaking to those of us who perhaps doubt God and His justice and sovereignty. This Psalm reminds us to keep our […]

Anyone who has ever faced a crisis or great danger knows the great sense of relief when someone steps in to help. This is exactly what David is experiencing in His life. David is running for his life from King Saul who wants to kill David, so David goes over to enemy territory to hide. Unfortunately someone recognizes him and reports him to the philistine king Abimelech—also called Achish. Abimele...

Joy is fruit of the Spirit. There can be no joy until God’s Spirit fills us to overflowing. But how does this happen? When we walk with Him in holiness and full surrender. Jesus puts it like this: “deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Me.” If your life lacks joy, you need to run to the source of your joy and see what’s wrong. What is missing? Could it be that you are living the selfi...

King David wanted to be the one who built the stone temple, but he Lord would not allow it because David had been a warrior. The task fell to his son Solomon. Instead, David accumulates the wealth, gold, silver and bronze and other precious metals and stones, and lumber. Perhaps his greatest contribution was this […]