King's Cross Church South Bay

We conclude our series on the Attributes of God: our Missional God. We're looking at the Great Commission, a text that is almost too familiar to some, and incredibly offensive to others. Why does Jesus begin by talking about his authority? And why this exclusive claim with such an inclusive target? Yet maybe most dramatically: why would he entrust something so important to a group of people who ha...

We continue in our series on the Attributes of God that he shares with us; this week God’s mercy. Hebrews 4:14-16 says that we have Christ, our Great High Priest, who allows us to come before him with confidence and bask in His mercy. We all need God’s mercy each day. But others around us need that kind of relief too. God empowers us to deliver that level of mercy. His mercies are new every mornin...

We continue our series on the Attributes of God; the ones he shares with us. This week, we’ll focus on God’s faithfulness. Some of the attributes in this series are easier to assume and potentially undervalue. But God’s faithfulness is so important to our souls, especially when we are confronted by our own unfaithfulness, inconsistency, or failures in big moments. This series shows us how God’s li...

We continue our series on the attributes of God with generosity. While that word tends to evoke discussions around money, God is concerned with something much more foundational. Even in America, there are currencies that are clearly more precious than money. We say things like "time is money" - yet we often are willing to spend lots of money to avoid spending our time (eg, yardwork, deliveries, ta...

Jesus famously said, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." But even in his day, Pilate said sarcastically, "what is truth?" Today, people talk of "my truth" and "your truth" and often are offended at any claims of "the Truth." In our society, truth seems either to be a hammer (wielded to smash those who disagree with you) or Jello (that molds into the shape of any container...

We continue our series on the attributes of God with wisdom. Wisdom is not merely talking about the difference between right and wrong. Instead, wisdom has more to do with the complexities of living out life in the gray areas. Like raising a child or business ethics or navigating a new culture, rarely are all the answers cut and dried. It can be easy to hear a basic principle, while yet it remains...

We continue our series on the attributes of God, and we come to what many modern commentators see as his most offensive attribute: jealousy. In almost any other context, jealousy is readily acknowledged to be a bad thing - so why does God repeatedly insist he is a "jealous God"? How can this bad thing be true of a good God? After all, isn't that exactly what the 10th Commandment prohibits? That sh...

We continue our series on the attributes of God, and we come to his goodness. Ironically, God's goodness is a big problem - especially in a world with so much suffering and evil. And when that suffering is personal, the default setting of our hearts is to question God's intentions. "Is he really out for my best? If he is, certainly this wouldn't happen..." The difficulty is not just logically remi...

We continue our series on the attributes of God, and we come to justice. In some years, that topic might have seemed distant. In light of current events, it is hard to think of a more pressing topic. Biblically speaking, God has always considered it an important topic. But, as we so often consider, our society does not always have the same definition for terms as God's Word. So let's ask about jus...

We continue our series on the attributes of God: Power. This week began with incredibly painful news that shocked the whole nation. I found myself in tears on Monday watching the coverage of what happened in Texas. It is always terrible to hear about shootings, but when it involves children... the tragedy is somehow magnified by such a misuse of power. How we use power matters. We know it instinct...

We continue our series on the attributes of God: holiness. In our society, many folks would think that topic is boring or at least austere. It's all about somber places and high rituals and taking off shoes. But CS Lewis has said (paraphrasing): "lots of people think holiness is dull... until they meet the real thing! Then it is irresistible." If our daily notions of holiness are merely that it se...

We continue our series on the attributes of God. As we consider his character traits, we come to what our society considers the most obvious one: Love. And therein lies the rub. It's hardest to hear the differences if we think we already know. We hear "whatever I think 'Love' is... that is who God is." But the entire trajectory of our faith is the opposite of that idea: God came down to show us th...

We will continue our new series on the attributes of God, which we've called "Family Resemblance." It also happens to be Mother's Day - which is a difficult time for some of us. So let's ask the related question for our series: can we refer to God as mother? Why or why not? Does God have attributes we celebrate in mothers - or even women in general? If so, why are so many biblically-minded churche...

We begin a new series on the attributes of God called "Family Resemblance." John tells us: when he appears, we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Hear those promises! We will be like him. We shall see him. As He is. The next few months we will strive for a foretaste of that joy, diving deeply in the character of the God who loves us unlike any other. As John says in the verse prior:...

Joe Brown is wrapping up our series in Acts by focusing on Paul’s message from Mars Hill. After being chased out of Thessalonica and Berea by a group of hostile Jews, Paul ended up in Athens. There, from the epicenter of their modern thought, he preached one of his more famous sermons. Who of us is prepared to talk about Jesus so clearly, accurately, and spontaneously when there’s a crowd or a per...

This Sunday is Easter - Resurrection Sunday. After spending almost a month talking about the church at Philippi (in Acts 16), what better way to carry that momentum into Easter than to hear how Paul shared resurrection hope with that same church? In Philippians 3, Paul gives his resume. He lays out all of his accolades and accomplishments. These are the things he formerly built his significance up...

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. We will look at a passage in Luke 19 where Christ makes His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The whole city is buzzing with celebration and anticipation as pilgrims from all over Judea are coming to the city to celebrate Passover. Among them are Jesus’ followers, journeying to the Holy City. They are starting to believe that He is the One, the Messiah that they have bee...

We continue our mini-series in Acts 16. We come to the third example of a changed life in Philippi: the jailer. Unlike Lydia and the slave girl, here's a man who is likely ex-military. It is his job to keep people in chains. He has not only seen death; he probably has brought it to others. And - no matter who you are - that takes an inward toll. It frequently creates a cynicism, a jaded stoicism,...

We continue our three-week mini-series on the Church at Philippi in Acts 16. Last week we looked at Lydia, an upper-middle-class woman with social standing and influence. The contrast this week could not be more stark: a slave girl, who is demon-possessed, and something of a coerced fortune teller. In other words, we move from a social insider to an outsider. How does the Gospel transform the live...

We begin a three-week mini-series in Acts 16 on the Church at Philippi. In rapid succession, Luke gives us three case studies on how Jesus changes a life - and they are all very different. This week the Gospel changes Lydia's life. Who is she, and why might that matter to us? Lydia was an upper-middle-class businesswoman, dealing in beauty products with high-end clientele. She had a front-row seat...

We come to the famous Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. Paul & Barnabas have been seeing Gentiles come to the faith in large numbers, and Jewish Christians are celebrating it... but it also creates a theological quandary: Do Gentiles have to be circumcised? Obviously, such a requirement would be a huge obstacle for adults. Some Christians "of the party of the Pharisees" insist on circumcision for Gent...

We’ve come to the end of Paul’s first missionary journey (eventually there were three, before going to Rome). He’d been gone for two years and just survived a violent attack intended to kill him. But Paul made it back to home base, to recover and give a report about the monumental work God did through him and Barnabas. Acts 14:21-28 inspires us to “Choose the Long Way” - the risk is worth it.

We continue our study in Acts as Paul and Barnabas come to Lystra. They perform a miracle and are promptly worshipped by the people there. When they try to correct them, instead Paul is stoned, dragged outside the city, and left for dead. Much like a procrustean bed, people tend to get upset when you don't fit their pre-existing categories. Yet there is a lot to learn here from Paul and Barnabas -...

We come to Acts 13, where Paul preaches a sermon in a synagogue. Over the next few chapters of Acts, we're going to see how Paul adapts to share the Gospel in some very different situations. Here he is preaching to a people already aware of the Scriptures, so he shows how the Gospel weaves all through the Old Testament. This has always been God's plan - to rescue his people from sin and death. But...

We continue our study of Antioch in Acts 11. Last week we highlighted three hallmarks of the church at Antioch: an inexplicable community, a unique message, and uncomfortable growth. This week we will consider two more: their heart for service and for outreach. As we saw last week, these marks might seem incredibly generic - until we dive into the setting of Antioch, and then they become very prac...