Crossgate Church Podcasts

Philippians 3:7-11   Loss is Gain . . .   The reasons Paul considered everything loss is because . . .   ·          Meaning and significance do not come from a list of achievements or titles, but from being identified with Christ. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (v.7)   ·          Everything else greatly pales in comparison to surpassing worth of knowing Christ...

“Flow”    John 7:37-39   For us to know and live a life of spiritual abundance we must realize… Paul was able to say with joy and peace that “…to live is Christ and die is gain ” because his soul’s thirst was being satisfied by the presence and the power of             the Holy Spirit . (John 7:37-39)     As followers of Christ we often look at the life of someone like Paul and see  a huge gap bet...

Relentless Philippians 3:1-6   Beware . . .   Be careful of those who seek to sabotage the truth regarding salvation .   ·          Look out for the “ dogs .”—those who are the scavengers; who roam; not tame ·          Look out for the “ evildoers .”—those who are religious, but deny salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. ·          Look out for the “flesh mutilators .”—also known as th...

Soul Satisfaction:  A Study in Philippians "Workout" Philippians 2:12-30 If we are going to advance the gospel of Christ, we must live with Christ-like character .   Becoming Obedient . . .   “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed . . .”   When I have a right view of God my response becomes one of humble gratitude, that produces in me both a desire and will to act in obedience . ·      ...

God chooses to use us to advance His Gospel as He commands us to live our life in a way that is worthy of His Gospel. As Fathers, God is calling us to encourage others as well as our families with the love of Christ. God's Word  says that the way to accomplish this is to humble ourselves and to put others and their interests before our own. To live with the character of Christ  is only possible wi...

Philippians 1:12-30   The Advance of the Gospel . . . The gospel of Christ advances most often in unexpected places during the most difficult and undesirable circumstances.  (v.12-13) ·          Those who seek to constrain the gospel end up seeing the opposite effect in the advance of the gospel.  Gospel Courage . . . There is a courage that the gospel ignites in those who are captured by and cons...

Redirecting . . . Acts 16:6-10   Rather than going into Asia, the gospel was taken into Macedonia, and the church at Philippi was launched .   Implication:  Often the unexpected ends up being the greatest blessing .  It may be disguised by difficulty , but in the end its refined worth is unveiled and brings great joy . (vv. 3-5)   Remembering . . .   When Paul remembers them, his recollection is n...

Scripture Verses - Acts 1:1-3; 6-11and Luke 17:20-21 Questions: When Jesus gets to heaven, what happens to Him?  What did He ascend to do?   How should we view Jesus today? The day of Jesus’ ascension was Coronation   Day  in heaven!  Luke 22:66-69 - Colossians 3:1 - Hebrews 10:11-14 Psalm 2 - Psalm 45:2-7   As we think today about Jesus ascending to Heaven and being crowned Lord of all, we need t...

As You Prepare . . .   1.     Affirm the non-negotiables of your life. (Psalm 1:3) A man without convictions is like a tree with no roots planted in rich soil; it may look good for a moment, but eventually it withers and dies .   o    What are your convictions ? What are the non-negotiables of your life when it comes to your faith ? §   Your life’s convictions regarding all other matters will stem...

As a mom, looking through the lens of God’s Word gives you a proper perspective on how to love  your children well.    ·          Loving your children well looks like . . .   o    Teaching your children well. (Psalm 78:1-8) “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.  Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.  When you walk, they will lead you;...

Treasuring Christ:  Reality Check 1 Chronicles 29:10-18   Four Reality Checks . . .   1.     Everything is God’s , and nothing is mine.(1 Chron. 29:10-12)   ·          In effect, “ yours ” or “ you ” are used 12 times in reference to God. o    Yours is the greatness . o    Yours is the power . o    Yours is the glory . o    Yours is the victory . o    Yours is the majesty . o    Yours is all that...

“Crossroads:  The Burning Heart” Luke 24:13-35 On the Road . . .   Jesus draws near to those seeking understanding . (Acts 17:22-31) ·          Seeking a Savior . ·          Skeptical but asking questions.   Jesus gives meaning to the message because He is the message . (Luke 24:27) ·          Jesus makes sense of Scripture because He is the Word made flesh.   “In the beginning was the Word, and t...

1 Corinthians 15:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:4-9; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-9 The Bad News . . .  If Jesus is not alive, there is no reconciliation with God. (1 Corinthians 15:17) o In other words, sin wins.  If Jesus is not alive, there is no victory over death. (1 Corinthians 15:18) o In other words, death wins.  If Jesus is not alive, this life is empty and the future is...

Isaiah 53 What do you think of when you envision Jesus? When He was walking on this earth over 2000 years ago, how do you imagine He looked? Do you picture Him as a blue-eyed ,movie-star handsome man walking the streets of Jerusalem? Maybe as a regal ruler dressed in royal purple as He traveled from town to town? The Bible speaks of a different type of Jesus. Isaiah 53 speaks of one who had neithe...

Luke 23:26-27 Simon at the Crossroads . . .   ·          Simon did not just observe Passover on that day; he carried the wooden altar upon which the true Passover Lamb of God would be crucified . (Exodus 12:21-27) “The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29   “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has...

Mark 15:1-15   The Road We Travel . . .   All roads do not lead to heaven , but all roads do lead to the cross .   On the Road with Barabbas . . .   ·          He was a rebel —He didn’t follow the law of the land. o    I have a rebellious heart.   ·          He was a murderer —He had no regard for the life of others. o    I have a murderous heart.   ·          He was a thief —He took that which wa...

Matthew 7:7-8; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 5:14; Philippians 4:6,19   Just Ask . . .   1.     Ask God boldly . (Matthew 7:7; Hebrews 4:16)   "This holy boldness, this argumentation, this reasoning, this putting the case before God, this pleading His own promises, this is the whole secret of prayer." Martyn Lloyd-Jones   ·          We can ask God boldly because we have been invited . ·          We can ask...

Scripture References: Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 18:1-8; James 4:2-3   Nothing Too Difficult . . .   “Ah, Lord God!  It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too hard for you.”  Jeremiah 32:17   “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, ‘Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, Is anything too hard for Me?’”  Jeremiah 32:26-27    ...

As a follower of Christ, if I am more concerned about the grades my child makes more than I am concerned about their spiritual condition then I have bought into culture’s definition of success .   Deuteronomy 6:1-9   The Priority of Parenting . . .   As a parent, I am the primary nurturer and disiciple-maker of my children. ·          No one else is charged with as great a calling or responsibilit...

Pastor Shawn concludes his series, "We Do" with a round table discussion with members of the new Marriage Ministry team. They discuss the importance of this new ministry to our church as well as the three functions each of the key leaders will be focusing on. Those three functions are: 1)  Mentors  - Mike and Alison Fendley are the leaders of this part of the Marriage Ministry team. They will be h...

Pastor Shawn Barnard continues his series, "We Do" with today's teaching service, "The Beautiful Fight". Christian marriages are not exempt from the struggles and pressures of day to day life and require time and strategic effort to be successful. When you add to the mix that we have an enemy who is actively seeking to steal and destroy our lives you end up with a great deal of external and intern...

In Your Singleness . . .   1.    Do not  seek  out a  mate . (1 Corinthians 7:27) ·        Don’t  rush  into a relationship; rather find your  identity  in Christ as a son or daughter of God.   2.    Fully  devote  yourself to faithfully make much of Jesus for the  glory  of God.   (1 Corinthians 7:32, 34-35)   3.    Daily  surrender  yourself to  God’s  plan rather than seeking to implement  your...

Nehemiah 1:3-11, 4:1-9; Song of Songs 2:15   The Assessment . . .   ·          Right now our marriage is broken andit seems hopeless . o    Cry out to God in prayer. o    Confess sin. o    Stand on the truth of God’s word.                                ·          Right now our marriage has breaches in it that need to be repaired and it seems overwhelming . o    Ask God to do what seems impossible...

Unless The Lord Builds . . .   If there are any other means by which you are seeking to establish , repair , or rebuild your house, it will all be in vain .  (Psalm 127:1)   Don’t Turn Away . . .   Marriages are in a state of crisis today. ·          It is time to allow God to fix what has been broken for far too long. ·          Marriages don’t erode or unravel overnight, and they aren’t repaired...

God does not want us to settle for less than greatness.  (Philippians 4:8-9) ·          Don’t settle for a less than great relationship with God; pursue a great relationship with Him. ·          Don’t settle for a less than great marriage ; pursue a great marriage that is Christ-centered . ·          Don’t settle for a less than great life ; pursue a great God-glorifying life.   Making a shift is...