CrossWalk Community Church Napa

The first in the series The Quest for Thin Places, informed by Dana Hicks' book by the same name, this teaching introduces the listener to the critical step of thoughtful deconstruction, which should be a normal and natural ongoing part of faith. For more, see the blog: https://www.crosswalknapa.org/blog/deconstruction

Mary found the source of her faithful devotion to all that God invited her to embrace: the magnificence of what the God of Love was communicating to her about her ( and everyone else). Her should magnified that Love. When we build our lives from the Love up, we are able to say yes to the God's invitation to love the world into its wellbeing.

Enjoy this thought-provoking, permission-giving, freedom-yielding teaching from Matt Real!

The Wise Men weren't and aren't the only ones who follow stars. We all are looking to our own respective "stars" for guidance. How do you know if the star you're following is going to lead you where you want to go? What is your assessment criteria? It turns out that the Christmas Story offers some keys that might be helpful in sorting out what to follow and what to let go.

The sermon reflects on the choices we make—during Thanksgiving, in our daily lives, and in our spiritual journeys. Using Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken as a starting point, it argues that choices “make all the difference,” though not always in positive or easy ways. Frost’s poem reminds us that every path taken excludes another and that the consequences of our decisions shape our stories. Jesus...

At first glance, following the Golden Rule - doing unto others what you would want done to you - seems simple enough. But it's not. To truly appreciate it requires to work and humility.

This exploration of Jesus' teaching on prayer challenges us to move beyond the vending machine approach to spirituality. When Jesus says 'ask, seek, knock,' we often hear a transactional promise—do this, get that. But the deeper translation reveals something more profound: 'keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.' Prayer isn't a one-time transaction but an ongoing process of engagement...

Where do you cast your "pearls"?  In this teaching, we remember that we holy and beloved, invited to do all the good that we can with all that we are.  Supporting CrossWalk supports doing much good in the world on many levels.  Will you consider supporting CrossWalk with greater generosity than you are currently?

Jesus instructed his followers not to judge others.  How's that going for you? In this teaching we examine the difference between judging and offering constructive criticism and the messiness every human being brings to the equation.

Hear first account experience from one who lived with a Palestinian family in the West Bank.

In our exploration of worry, we discover that it's not inherently bad - it can motivate us and protect us. However, Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6 to 'seek first the kingdom of God' instead of worrying about our daily needs. This isn't a call to ignore real-world concerns, but rather an invitation to ground ourselves in a deeper reality. The kingdom of God isn't a distant realm, but a present reali...

In this powerful message offered by Rev. Dr. Angela Barker-Jackson, we're invited to explore the profound concept of welcoming strangers, rooted in Leviticus 19:34. This scripture challenges us to treat strangers as natives and love them as ourselves, reminding us of our own history as strangers. The sermon beautifully connects this ancient text to Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, emph...

Today, we delve into the profound teachings of Matthew 6:22-23, exploring the concept of the 'eye as the lamp of the body.' This scripture challenges us to examine our spiritual vision and how it impacts our entire being. Are we seeing the world through eyes of generosity and abundance, or through a lens of scarcity and greed? The passage connects deeply with Jesus' warning that we cannot serve bo...

Consumerism can be exhilarating, but it can also leave us in a perpetual state of never feeling satisfied, in competition with our neighbors, and a little light in our wallet. The Way of Jesus, however, does the opposite, yielding a rewarding life filled with the fruit of the Spirit of God that never runs out. Choose the Way!

This part of the Lord's Prayer seems quite obvious, right? It's airy out to God to come rescue us from the evil that terrorizes us. Well, no. The Aramaic language and Eastern culture of Jesus indicate a different, much more relevant interpretation.

Temptation is a fact of life. How we think about it makes all the difference. Jesus' temptation story provides a framework for understanding categories of temptation and healthy ways to respond.

Forgiving someone who has wronged us is hard work. Not popular. Not fair. Not just. So why are we supposed to do this again?

Jesus taught his disciples to ask God to forgive our debts, trespasses, sins, and more. Easier said than done when done sincerely. Asking for forgiveness implies awareness of our need for forgiveness. That's when things get difficult for us...

Being aware and grateful for our planet's capacity to provide food, and all the hands involved from planting all the way to our meal will help you live in deeper awe and gratitude. Discovering that the Aramaic word for bread is the same as for understanding and wisdom, this line of the prayer takes on new meaning. The Divine Feminine Wisdom is one that is creative, generative, embodying and foster...

Building on the passionate invitation, Thy Kingdom come, the second half of the second line of the Lord's Prayer follows suit, seeking to be fully aligned with the Divine. The more that happens, the more we find ourselves naturally living in response to the winds of the Spirit of God, and less in the way of what Love is trying to build in the world. Less about following rules and sin management, a...

It turns out that the second line of the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic requires an entirely different tone than most of us have been advised. WAY different tone. Can we handle it?

The first line of the Lord's Prayer offers much food for thought. Loosen your belt...

This one of a kind Hebrew word has no linguistic equivalent, yet captures the essence of God and offers direction for our individual and collective lives.  Thank you, Dr. Jenny Matheny for hitting it out of the park!

Enjoy the full experience - Michael Gungor leading us in worship, followed by a conversation between Michael and Pete, concluding with a couple more songs, including a soon to be released single from his latest album.

Prayer is complicated and simple all at the same time. The goal? Also complicated. Sometimes we treat God like our personal genie who exists to grant our wishes, or a Divine Super-sized Santa to deliver goodies because we've been so good. Perhaps the greater goal though is simply finding ourselves in the Presence of God where we find all our needs meet on the deepest levels. Presence is where the...