CrossWalk Church

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. It is the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey a week before his death and resurrection. As he made his way into Jerusalem, many people followed. Jesus had his followers. 12 disciples are listed by name. Matthew shares accounts where Jesus preached to crowds in excess of 4,000 and 5,000 men plus women and children. He was popular. But when Jesus died on Calvar...

Would you say that you're happy at work? If you answered "no", what do you think the reason is? Is it that you feel overworked or underpaid? We can all relate to that, can't we? At times, we've probably felt that we deserve a little more pay or a few more personal days. But if you really want to be unhappy at work, compare your wages to what others make. It is almost impossib...

Did you know that the average credit card debt in the United States is over $12,000 per person? That means that if you don't have any credit card debt (because Dave Ramsey told you to cut up your cards) some poor soul owes $24,000! Did you know the average student loan debt in the US is over $37,000? Finally, the average home loan in the US is over $210,000. It is not surprising that when Jesu...

Do you have a favorite book or movie about treasure? One of Pastor Chris' favorite movies is "National Treasure." There is just something about the treasure hunt, the thrill of decoding the clues, and the wittiness of this movie that he really enjoys.  But treasures aren't just for the movies. We treasure things in this life too. So, what do you treasure? Jesus knows that what we treasure sig...

Have you ever planted a weed? You've probably pulled more than your fair share! It's probably safe to say weeds drive people crazy. Jesus can feel our pain. He uses the illustration of a field to show what his kingdom is like, and, like my lawn, his field is full of weeds! We are continuing our message series entitled, "The Kingdom". In this series we are unlocking the parables of Jesus. This week...

A commonly accepted definition of a parable is an "earthly story with a heavenly meaning." When hearing the word parable it is also beneficial to think of parallel lines. Parallel lines run alongside each other. They mirror each other. They are at the same time both similar and distinct. Jesus used stories and examples of common events and activities that his audience understood. He directed them...

How connected do you feel you are towards God? A recent Poll by Gallup came to this conclusion: "Fewer Americans today than five years ago believe in God, and the percentage is down even more from the 1950s and 1960s when almost all Americans did. Still, the vast majority of Americans believe in God, whether that means they believe a higher power hears prayers and can intervene or not. And while b...

What is your primary love language? In his book, the 5 Love Languages, author Gary Chapman identifies 5 primary ways that people show love. Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Physical Touch, Quality Time. As you think about your love language, have you ever considered God's? Could it be acts of service as we consider Jesus gong to the cross and paying for our sins? Would it be words of...

The early Christian Church had humble beginnings. Even after Jesus' resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, the 11 disciples realized, it's them against the world. Two verses stand out when thinking about the power the disciples were wielding. Both verse were penned by the Apostle Paul; Romans 1, verse 16 and 2 Timothy 2, verses 8-9. Those verses demonstrate the unchained power that...

The word LOVE is one of, if not the most, used and abused word in the English language. Think about it. How often do you hear things like "I love pizza", "I love my wife (or husband)", "your love is better than ice cream", "all you need is love", etc. Part of the problem is that we don't even know a working definition of the word love. The Oxford dictionary calls love, "an intense feeling of deep...

In 1 Peter 4, Peter shares ways we get to serve one another and run counterculture. Instead of living for self, we get to live for Him who died for us and we get to serve our community. It's a proven fact that sacrificial love changes people. That's the kind of love that Jesus showed to our world when he gave his life on the cross to save us from sin. That's the kind of love we get to show to our...

Is it "okay" to share a secret? Do you even like to keep secrets? When you hear good news, don't you just want to share it with everyone you know? In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul shares the good news that we are reconciled to God through Jesus. He writes, "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them". This is some pretty great news here...all people are for...

Have you ever thought about wanting to start a "new life" or to get a "fresh start"? The problem with a fresh start is that the tentacles of the old life have a way of staying wrapped around us. Whether it's because of others or of our own weaknesses and shortcomings, the optimism of a fresh start can quickly changes into the "same old thing". This weekend as we continue our Bright Future message...

2023. A New Year. How do you think this year will go? You might be a New Year's Resolution person...you are optimistic about the new year because you are resolved to lose the weight or give up the bad habit or make that positive change. Or you may be the type of person who takes it as it comes. You will wait for December of 2023 to look back and reflect on whether the year is good or bad. This wee...

God has given you the ultimate Christmas gift. His gift giving is a little bit different from ours. Instead of trying to figure out what we want, He reveals His heart by giving us what he wants for us on Christmas.    He sends his Son. He sends a Savior.  He sends the only one who can mend our relationship with Him. Enjoy the Ultimate Gift that God gives to you and your family on Ch...

In this message, we will be spending time with a woman named Martha. She was a bit stressed about Jesus coming over to her house for growth group. She was frustrated with her sister for not helping get things ready and was starting to lose it (a bit). This week at CrossWalk Church in Phoenix, we're finishing our message series from "Grinchmas to Christmas: Finding Joy in a Season of Stress"; we'll...

You probably already know this, but just because a person is alone, it doesn't mean they are lonely. Just because a person is with other people,  it doesn't mean they are not lonely. This week at CrossWalk Church in Phoenix, we're continuing our message series from "Grinchmas to Christmas: Finding Joy in a Season of Stress". We will see how we can handle loneliness during the Christmas season...

What do you expect from your family during this Christmas season? What do they expect of you?  If you're familiar with the 1966 version of the movie, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" AND the 2000 version with Jim Carrey, you might notice that there is a subtle difference in how they portray the Grinch. In the 1966 version, the Grinch is just mean and grumpy and very much the villain without a...

In Exodus 14, the Children of Israel panicked. Instead of turning to God, they turned ON God and Moses. It wasn't pretty. The problem we run into very often is that instead of going to God in prayer when life is out of our control (aka hitting the "panic button"), we simply panic. This weekend at CrossWalk Church, we're concluding our message series "Imagine: Building God's Kingdom" - there we wil...

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at CrossWalk Church! This is our Thanksgiving message and we hope that everyone is able to be thankful and to give thanks during the holidays. Usually "thanks" can be broken down into a list of four categories; spiritual, physical, emotional and rational blessings that God has given us. Even with all of those blessings, God has more in mind for us. This week as we...

Waiting...yeah, waiting kind of sucks, doesn't it? Waiting at stop lights, waiting in a long line, waiting on slow people in front of you...yeah, it does suck at times. But if we're being honest, waiting is not only good, but it's also necessary. This week as we start our new message series entitled, "Imagine: Building God's Kingdom", we'll see how God builds his church and sometimes he uses the "...

What goes through your mind when you pull up to the stoplight and a person pulls up next to you in a car that is clearly $100,000 more than yours? Are you resentful or envious or judgmental? Maybe you have worked and worked and worked and you still feel like you don't have enough. You still have a seed of discontentment in your heart. Many people chase after more money thinking that it will make t...

In Psalm 46 the author describes the issues we face in life as the earth giving way and the mountains being thrown into the heart of the sea. Can you relate to having your world turned upside down? In the midst of the chaos, the writer directs us back to God and his compassion, forgiveness and support. He writes, "God is our Refuge and Strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will n...

Music and praise is powerful. Music can ultimately change things. When you’re sad, do sad songs resonate deep inside you? When you’re happy, do upbeat songs help you express your joy? When you’re in a bad mood and hear one of your favorite songs, it can completely change your mood.  It’s almost as if music refuses to be pinned down. It is so wonderfully forceful and beautiful in our lives, it...

Do you get nervous or feel uneasy when someone asks you to pray? Over 90% of people - Christian or not - say that they pray with regularity. So it's not that we as people don't pray, but many feel like they aren't very "good" at it. If you feel insecure about your prayer life, don't feel bad. Even Jesus' disciples, after years of growing up in the Jewish faith, asked him, "Lord, teach us to pray."...