Crossroads YTH Podcast

Horatio Spafford wrote 'It Is Well With My Soul' after losing his son, his finances, and all four of his daughters in a shipwreck. Standing over the very waters that claimed his children, he chose faith over despair and penned one of the most powerful declarations in Christian history. The hymn teaches that true peace is not found in favorable circumstances but in the deep, unshakable an...

In this message, we unpack what God's faithfulness really means and why it matters for your daily life. Topics covered include the biblical foundation of faithfulness found in Lamentations, James, Psalms, and the words of Jesus. We also explore what it means that God's mercies are new every morning, why God has no shadow of turning, how creation serves as a constant witness to His charac...

In this second week of the "Summer Soundtrack" series, the message dives into the haunting and powerful origin of the hymn "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," which was born from the ultimate sacrifice of a man named Nokseng in 19th-century India. Facing a hostile village chief, Nokseng watched his children and wife executed before being killed himself, uttering the lines of the...

This week’s "Summer Soundtrack" message explores the classic 1865 hymn "Jesus Paid It All," highlighting how its lyrics, written by Elvina Hall on a scrap of paper during a sermon, perfectly matched a melody composed by John Grape to create a powerful anthem of grace. The core message emphasizes that while sin leaves a "crimson stain"—a deep spiritual mess like a bloo...

In this NexGen Sunday message from main service, Youth Director Steve Coots is joined by high school students Levi Cuevas and Caleb Broumley to explore our direct access to God. Drawing from the book of Hebrews, they discuss how God speaks to us through His Word and how we can approach His throne with confidence because Jesus is our Great High Priest. The teaching highlights Jesus’ unique ability...

The fourth installment of the "Hold This L" series examines the public failure and restoration of the Apostle Peter , demonstrating that even the most crushing mistakes can be redeemed for God’s glory. The message opens with a personal story of a high school fight that landed the speaker in a courtroom and on the front page of the newspaper, illustrating the "soul-crushing regret&qu...

The third message of the "Hold This L" series examines the massive failure of King David , illustrating that while sin always carries a heavy cost, God’s forgiveness redeems us . David’s "L" began when he was in the wrong place—lounging on a palace roof instead of leading his men in war—leading to adultery with Bathsheba and a desperate, murderous cover-up of her husband, Uriah...

In the second week of the "Hold This L" series, the focus shifts to Moses , a biblical legend who experienced a massive failure when he allowed a "snap" of anger to act as a blindfold during a moment of frustration. While leading the complaining Israelites through the wilderness, Moses disobeyed God's specific command to speak to a rock for water; instead, he struck the ro...

The message "Hold This L: Overcoming Failure Through Faith" teaches that personal failures—or "Ls"—do not disqualify someone from being used by God because His promises are bigger than any mistake. Using Abraham as the "G.O.A.T." of both faith and failure, the sources highlight how he repeatedly chose fear over trust by lying about his wife's identity and taking...

In the final installment of the "As It Was" series, this message explores how the reality of Easter changes everything, moving us from a "normal" life into a new, resurrection life. The speaker details three profound transformations made possible by Jesus: shifting from sinners to saints, strangers to citizens, and tombs to temples. Being a "saint" is defined not as b...

In the third installment of the "As It Was" series, this message explores the transition from spiritual blindness to sight through Jesus, our Truth. Using the relatable struggle of navigating a dark room and hitting obstacles, the speaker explains that while we often try to "walk in the dark" to hide our sins, Jesus came to be the unconquerable light that reveals absolute truth...

In the second installment of the "As It Was" series, this message explores the profound transition from being slaves to sin to finding true freedom in Christ. Using the powerful illustration of Otis Johnson, a man who struggled to live as a free man after serving 44 years in prison, the speaker highlights how many people remain mentally and emotionally "stuck" in old habits eve...

In this first message of the "As It Was" series, guest speaker Mike Noland shares his powerful and raw testimony, flipping the classic "Be Like Mike" slogan on its head to warn students about the dangers of hiding pain and living in secret. Mike details how childhood trauma and buried shame led him into a dark spiral of addiction that eventually resulted in a near-fatal overdos...

In the final episode of our "Rhythms" series, we explore the essential spiritual discipline of Worship. While often equated with music, biblical worship is the act of ascribing "worthship" to God by responding to His character as the Creator of all things. Drawing from John 4:23–24, we discuss how true worship must be done in Spirit and Truth, grounding our hearts in who God ac...

In the sixth installment of the "Rhythms" series, we explore the essential spiritual discipline of stewardship. A steward is simply someone who manages what belongs to another, and for the Christian, this begins with the recognition that God owns everything—from the phone in our pockets to our very next breath. While stewardship includes our time, talents, and relationships, this episode...

In the fifth installment of our "Rhythms" series, we dive into the vital spiritual discipline of fellowship. While it is often mistaken for just hanging out or sharing a meal at a potluck, true biblical fellowship is a deep partnership, unity, and commitment to a shared mission. Using the imagery of the "right hand of fellowship"—a committed wrist-grasp—and the diverse members...

In the fourth installment of the "Rhythms" series, we shift our focus from private spiritual habits to the public discipline of serving others. While silence, Scripture, and prayer shape our internal lives, serving is the rhythm where private formation becomes public obedience and shapes our witness to a watching world. We explore how serving is a trained muscle that requires intentional...

In the third week of our "Rhythms" series, we shift our focus to the essential spiritual discipline of prayer. While prayer can sometimes feel like a routine chore or a casual "intercom" system, it is actually a powerful privilege that allows us to communicate directly with God as our "Abba, Father" through the access provided by Jesus. This episode explores how praye...

In the second installment of our "Rhythms" series, we dive into the essential spiritual discipline of Taking In God’s Word . While many Christians value the Bible, there is often a disconnect between belief and daily practice, leading to "Dusty Bibles" and spiritual shallowing. Drawing from Hebrews 4:12 , we explore how Scripture is "living and active," designed not j...

In the kickoff episode of our new series, "Rhythms," we explore how spiritual disciplines are the intentional, everyday patterns that keep us rooted and growing in Christ. This week focuses on the first rhythm: Silence and Solitude. While these practices may feel difficult in a world filled with noise and distractions, they are essential tools for godliness, training our internal thought...

 Christmas celebrates more than a historical event from 2,000 years ago. Emmanuel means God with us now, not just in the past or future. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is present with every believer today. The Spirit provides four key gifts: conviction that lovingly corrects us, clarity to understand God's truth, calm in life's storms, and confidence based on Jesus' finished work. T...

Christmas celebrates Immanuel, meaning God with us, revealing that Jesus' birth wasn't a last-minute plan but the fulfillment of promises made for thousands of years. Even during 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments, God was preparing the world for the Messiah. Simeon and Anna, two faithful believers who waited their entire lives, recognized baby Jesus as the promised...

 The New Age movement has quietly infiltrated modern culture through social media and entertainment, operating like a spiritual candy bowl where people pick and choose appealing beliefs. Unlike organized religions, it has no central authority or official doctrine, making it particularly dangerous as its ideas spread through popular culture. Common New Age practices include using crystals for heali...

Understanding the differences between Catholicism and biblical Christianity is essential for every believer. While both traditions share core beliefs about Jesus's identity as fully God and fully man, they differ significantly on salvation, authority, and assurance. Catholics believe salvation requires faith plus works, sacraments, and church traditions, while biblical Christians hold to salv...

 Christians need to be equipped to understand and respond to Jehovah's Witnesses, who hold fundamentally different beliefs despite appearing similar to Christianity. While JWs reject the Trinity, Jesus' deity, bodily resurrection, and salvation by grace alone, biblical Christianity affirms these core truths. JWs believe salvation requires works and organizational loyalty, with only 144,0...