Crossroads - Weekend Messages

As we begin a brand new year as a family of faith, we are always looking to what Jesus might be inviting us into. 2021 was a beautiful and challenging year. But it’s in the past! What is Jesus wanting to do in our midst as we move forward? In our annual vision Sunday message, Pastor Daniel will unpack what we understand to be God’s heart for our church family.

It’s been said, “All you need is someone to love, something to do, and something to wish for.” This kind of anticipatory thinking can be quite helpful to our mental and emotional health, but what happens when we finally obtain the thing for which we longed? Jesus spoke to his disciples about a greater gift than anything they could hope for on earth, but it wasn't heaven. It was the indwelling of h...

Every birth is special. A new child is born. Into a family. Into this world. With unique gifts and talents. But the birth of Jesus is the most special of births. Why? Because Jesus was the Promised King. The children of Israel, and the world, were waiting for this child to be born. As we reflect on the birth of Jesus this Christmas, let us open our hearts to the King of kings.

Everyone knows that love is important. Books and songs are written about it. People long and search for it. Deep in our souls, we know that we were created by love, for love and to give love. Yet, love can be very challenging. Whom should we love? How should we love? Why should we love? These are big questions of life. But as we are on this Advent journey, preparing our hearts for the birth of Jes...

In a world where sorrow, depression and fear of the unknown are imminent, JOY comes on the scene and changes everything. Jesus is the true source of joy and the bible shows us that His birth brought joy to the world. Join us this advent season as we are reminded of the joy that can only be found in Jesus, the great exchange He fulfilled for us and are challenged to be ambassadors of joy to those a...

"If I could just find a little peace.” Unfortunately, we’ve all spoken these words before. Life is full of issues, trials and troubles. No matter how hard we try, human effort cannot fix everything in this broken world. Yet, Jesus comes to bring the very thing that we are longing for… peace. The peace that Jesus offers is absolutely necessary for our wholeness and flourishing in this life.

"I sure hope we get some snow for Christmas." "I hope this pandemic will be over soon." "I hope I get a Lexus with a bow on it." Hope. We all deal with it for better or worse. Sometimes we seem to have it, and other times we seem to lose it. But what is it? Is it possible that it's a whole lot different than we think, maybe far better? God thinks so. That's why he tells us such great things about...

Much of the victory we find in Christ comes from trusting the Lord and seeing our circumstances through the lens of the Spirit. Without this deeply Biblical perspective, we are left trying to understand a confusing world with our very limited resources. The victorious life is not about having different circumstances as much as it is about having a heavenly mindset. James desires to help us underst...

There are two sides to wisdom. One side is knowing what to do...this is a positive understanding that we should do something specific. The other side of wisdom is knowing what not to do...these are specific behaviors that we want to avoid. Wisdom is both doing the right things and also not doing the wrong things. James wants to deepen our understanding of wisdom by teaching us three important thin...

Every year people come together to celebrate Halloween. Many of us get dressed up and decorate our homes all to celebrate a day when we can pretend to be someone else. This speaks to a deeper need for identity. Why do we try so hard to fit in when God has called us “out” of the norm? The one thing that’s always missing is the outfit of truth found in the armor of God. Today we will discuss the cen...

Unfortunately, our world is full of conflict. Whether it be between nations, races, political parties, neighbors or friends, conflict seems to be an inevitable part of life. But why is our world so filled with conflict? Simply stated, James tells us it happens because we are self-focused on fulfilling our own desires. This desire-seeking leads us to make unholy friendships and ultimately leads us...

We live in an information age. Through technology, we have access to enormous amounts of information. But if you have ever researched any topic, you will find much disagreement on what is real and how we should respond. There are many different viewpoints and perspectives. James wants to help us understand that we need to look at the origin of different ideas and perspectives. Some ideas are heave...

Words are powerful and creative. They shape our thoughts, actions, feelings, and the way we treat others. Words can make people feel like they're understood in a world where everyone is always on edge and chaotic; but it's also true that words can wound when used carelessly. They can be incredibly damaging and wounding. We know our God is a God of redemption...join us this Sunday and explore the m...

Theologian and reformer Martin Luther wanted the Book of James to be thrown out of the canon of Scripture, specifically because of the text we are studying this Sunday. Why is that? He felt that it contradicted the Apostle Paul’s teaching on justification by faith without works. But history has shown that James was absolutely on point with his insights...he was getting at something that’s absolute...

The old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” Although words may express our thoughts and feelings, they have no power without actions to back them up. And that is why the book of James is so practical for our daily life! James is passionate about how we ought to live in light of who Jesus is and everything He has done for us. James points out that how we treat people from different soci...

Spirituality is a buzz-word in our culture, but what does true spirituality really mean to someone who follows Jesus? James gives us a concrete answer to the question of essential spirituality: when we hear the truth, our response should be obedience. But that is easier said than done! Get the important tools you need to truly live your life in the Spirit, so God's voice is not just heard, but fel...

We all want to know how to get an “A” in life…and especially when it comes to our faith. Here’s the cool thing: the book of James unpacks what it looks like to truly live as a wholly devoted follower of Jesus, and gives us practical wisdom to help us get past all the nice platitudes and intellectual talk about Christianity, and start living our faith out loud in every area of our lives. Come explo...

When we read the book of Acts we see the church being born. As we continue to read through it we see the church fighting for unity. In today’s climate we think it is more important than ever that we are a unified body of believers. And there is nothing more unifying than the work of Jesus in our lives!

The work of God in and through Crossroads is truly a unique experience. And in this cultural moment, with so much going on and unrest in the world around us, we are eager to see what Jesus is up to next. As we have walked through this Year of Restoration together, we are at a very critical time that has the potential to impact not only our church family, but also our community and world as well. J...

Psalm 139 is an absolute explosion of deep thoughts about God’s omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. It’s such an incredible feeling to know that this life we live is a gift from the Creator God! His thoughts about us are so deep, we can't even understand them. And no matter how much we study God and His word, we can never exhaust His wisdom. It makes you stop and say “ Wow..all this knowled...

We all have so many thoughts about what love really means. Is it the feeling of butterflies in your stomach? Is it something someone does for someone else? In conversation, we use the word "love" pretty loosely and interchangeably with other emotions. It can range from "I love pizza" to “I love my spouse." But what if God's definition of true love is far deeper than we ever imagined? Join us and l...

Much of our time is consumed with wondering about how others perceive us. It’s like the saying goes, “I spent my 20s wondering what others thought of me. I spent my 40s not caring what others thought of me. I spent my 60s realizing that others were not thinking about me at all.” What is fascinating is that as true as that may be for people, God is always thinking about us. And God’s thoughts are t...

We love hearing interviews from artists, movie producers, musicians and inventors. It's so interesting to find out the reasons they created their art - and it helps us understand what we're looking at and how it was intended to impact the world. In this message from Psalm 139 it is amazing to realize that God – the ultimate Artist – created us and He has a plan for each one of us. And the reality...

“Presence” changes the dynamics of a situation. A baby is born into a room. A grade school classroom is abuzz with wild noises and laughter and then the teacher walks in. A person is suffering in the emergency room and the doctor comes in and says, “I know what is happening with you, and we can help.” In the same way, God’s presence changes everything. He is intimately near to us, and knowing such...