It's Still the Cross: The Shame of the Cross

Text: Hebrews 12:1-3

In a culture of comfort, ease, and consumerism, it is very difficult for us to grasp the shame of the cross. We wear the cross as jewelry around our necks as a fashion statement, place it as decoration on the walls of our houses and offices, and even in the church we sing stirring and moving songs that describe the cross in beautiful terms. While these have their place, the old, rugged cross had no such glamorous appeal. It was truly a symbol of suffering, pain, and shame. This message shows how the shame of the cross was greater than we can imagine, and so, too, is the work Jesus accomplished on it. We invite you to listen today to be encouraged and equipped to walk in victory over shame.

It's Still the Cross: God's Plan Is a Cross

Text: Acts 2:21-24

Long before a cross was lifted on the hill of Calvary, there was a cross living in the heart of God. Even before the foundation of the world, God had a plan to bring about our salvation and grant us eternal life. This plan was directly promised by God, regularly portrayed throughout the Scriptures, and ultimately fulfilled when Jesus laid down His life as a sacrificial substitute in our place. God’s wonderful plan is not simply a fact to grasp or dots to connect in study. It calls us to personally examine our lives, examine what He’s done, and consider our response. We invite you to listen today and come to the cross.

The Way of Dependence

Text: Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)

Have you ever been burdened to pray for someone or something, but you eventually were distracted or discouraged, and the burden soon became an afterthought? If so, you can relate to this parable of Jesus. In this message, Jesus explains and illustrates what true dependence and desperation look like. In doing so, He calls us to get back to prayer and to truly pray in faith, believing that our Father is good and delights in answering the prayers of His children who fully depend on Him.

Called Out: How We Do It!

Text: Acts 13:1-3 (ESV)

When we measure a church's health by how many great leaders it can gather, we get it exactly backward. Antioch — a church loaded with gifted, diverse leadership — didn't hoard its best people. While worshiping and fasting, the Spirit set apart two of its most eminent leaders, Barnabas and Saul, and the church released them without a single recorded objection. This is what a Gospel-shaped identity produces: not a grip, but an open hand. We were saved by the Gospel and shaped by the Gospel so that we could be sent with the Gospel — and that sending was never meant to be a one-time sacrifice. It's a rhythm, passed from generation to generation: raise up leaders, seek the Lord for who and where, send willingly, and stay partnered with the ones you release. A healthy church isn't the one that keeps its best — it's the one willing to multiply them.