CrossPoint Fellowship Messages

Passage: Job 18–19

In Job 19, nothing around Job has improved—he is still sick, grieving, and sitting in the ashes—yet hope begins to speak louder than his pain. Bildad’s cruel certainty only deepens Job’s isolation, but Job anchors himself to one confession: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” This message calls us to refuse half-true theology, offer presence over explanations, and hold Christian hope not as optimism, but as trust in a living Savior.

Key Takeaways:

• Sometimes bad theology hurts worse than suffering
• Bildad’s problem isn’t believing God is just—it’s believing he understands how God works
• The danger is speaking where Scripture is silent
• Pain becomes heavier when people add to it
• Not every suffering person needs an explanation; sometimes they just need presence
• People rarely need a courtroom while they’re sitting in a hospital room
• Before we speak into someone’s suffering, ask: Is it true? Is it biblical? Is it loving?
• Timing matters as much as truth does
• Faith doesn’t ignore pain—faith brings pain to God
• Faith never requires knowing everything; it requires trust in the One who does
• Never confuse your assumptions for God’s revelation
• Christian hope is not the absence of suffering—it is the presence of a living Redeemer
• Job’s confession is not “tomorrow will be easier”—it is “I know that my Redeemer lives”

Passage: Job 9:1-35; Job 16:1-22

These two passages show the need for a mediator between humanity and God. In many ways they point to Jesus. But this role can be held by loving mature believers who help remind us of who God is, and who we are called to be in the midst of the storm.

Key Takeaways:

• We can't let our despair determine our view of God's character.
• This type of fair-weather faith leads not only to sin but to the collapse of our Christian worldview. It's vital that we give Satan his due.
• We all need someone on God's level who can speak on our behalf. A friend to plead our case. Such a friend we have in Jesus.
• No one can condemn us because of the work of Christ.
• Only He can save us.
• While we should cease to sin, when we undoubtedly fail, He stands as our righteousness.
• Our faith in Christ is our only hope, as He experienced all temptation without sinning.

In this episode, we dive into Job chapter 4 to examine the well-meaning but ultimately harmful advice of Job's friend, Eliphaz. We explore the dangers of relying on "karma-based theology" and learn how to seek God as our primary refuge during life's darkest storms.

Key Takeaways:

• God should always be our first refuge and source of strength in times of trouble, as stated in Psalm 46:1.
• Avoid "karma-based theology" that incorrectly assumes suffering is always a direct punishment for personal sin.
• Do not belittle the big emotions of those who are grieving or hurting, as this only builds defensive walls instead of offering genuine support.
• Be cautious of advice from individuals who claim exclusive, secret revelations from God that cannot be backed up by Scripture.
• In the midst of hardship, focus on seeking the lesson God might be teaching you before rushing to find an escape.

In this raw and deeply personal message, we explore the heavy realities of Job chapters 1-3 to understand what "Godly Grievances" truly look like. We tackle the dangerous misconception that faith guarantees a painless life, and discover why honestly mourning our deepest losses is essential to healing and holding onto our hope in God.

Key Takeaways:

• Satan is the afflicter, but God is the protector: Understanding the true source of our trials helps us maintain our trust in God's sovereignty.
• Faith must run deeper than our comfort: We cannot serve God on the false condition that He will shield us from all worldly pain and heartbreak.
• Grief is a necessary process: Suppressing our sorrow or trying to "be tough" only leads to festering wounds; God invites us to bring our genuine brokenness to Him.
• It is okay to ask "Why?": You can express profound grief, frustration, and despair to God without sinning or cursing His name.
• Community matters in the valley: Surrounding yourself with supportive people who point you to the goodness of God is crucial when everything goes wrong.

Welcome to the first episode of our new series, "Sackcloth and Ashes," a deep dive into the Book of Job. In this message, we explore Job Chapter 1 and the profound, often difficult reality of worshiping God when life falls apart.

It is easy to praise God on the mountaintop when we are blessed beyond measure, but what happens when the storms hit? Through Job's story, we get a glimpse "behind the heavenly curtain" to understand God's absolute sovereignty, the true nature of the adversary, and why our faith must be tested to endure.

Key Takeaways:

• The Danger of the Mountaintop: Why our spiritual foundation is often most vulnerable when life is going perfectly.
• Behind the Curtain: A look at God's ultimate control and the strict boundaries He places on the enemy.
• The Necessity of Testing: Exploring the truth that a faith untested is a faith that cannot be fully trusted.
• Worship Through Grief: How Job’s radical response of worship in the face of absolute devastation challenges our modern view of suffering.
• Prepare for the Storm: The crucial importance of building an unshakeable relationship with God before the deep valleys of life arrive.

Tune in to discover how to build a resilient faith that praises God in both the giving and the taking away.

Passage: Genesis 1:27; Romans 1:19-21; Romans 9:20-23

Integrity and soullessness. AI can be a tool, but should never take the place of human touch or spiritual guidance.

Key Takeaways:

• Anytime the soulless replaces the soul-filled, we have a problem.
• AI should never take the place of human touch or spiritual guidance.
• As image-bearers of God we share His creative attributes; AI is cold, mechanical, and only mimics a soul-filled being.
• Show them who you are—not what the machine is capable of.
• We are approaching our own Tower of Babel moment—undermining God’s authority through self-inflation by technology.
• AI is an existential threat to human identity and must be approached and used accordingly.
• We are producing generations who value the outcome over the process—but it is the process that perfects us.
• Christians have a duty to use AI with integrity and to value people over the machine.

Passage: Gen 2:18; Phil 1:6, Heb 3:13, Heb 10:25, John 15:13

Culture says you are the most important. Christianity says that others are the most important. The struggle between the two is very real.

Key Takeaways:

• Stop fighting your design—you were created for fellowship, not solitude.
• Satan wants you isolated and alone; if he can get you there, he can break you.
• Partnership is where growth is solidified; sharing your faith deepens your understanding.
• There is no accountability in toxic individualism—encourage one another daily.
• Isolation turns you into the smartest person in the room by default, and that is dangerous.
• Individualism spits in the face of what Christ won for us—fellowship with God and with one another.
• When “me” becomes greater than “we” in your mind, you have a problem.
• Community requires proximity and frequency—don’t neglect it.

Passage: Mk 10:43; Isaiah 53:4; Rom 6:8; Matt 20:26; 1 Tim 3:1-13, Phil 2:3-4; Prov 21:3; Col 3:12, Heb 12:1-2, Rom 12:15

The Church has been—and unfortunately regularly is—rocked by scandal. Moral and ethical failures and the abuse of power destroy the trust people have in God. Don’t place your hope in man; it will only disappoint you.

Key Takeaways:

• When you place your hope in a man, you will be disappointed every time.
• Whoever wants to be great must be a servant; church leaders must be characterized by sacrificial, voluntary servitude.
• Leaders must be alive in Christ—you will know them by the fruit they bear.
• Ministry isn’t an industry; it’s a service.
• Not everyone who desires leadership or wants to serve should be granted their wish.
• You never just get a leader—you also get their spouse, and they need to meet the same qualifications.
• Love God more than you love the leaders of the church.
• When leadership fails, the failure belongs to that leader alone—not to God.

Passage: Psalm 111:10, Romans 1:19-28; Lev 18, 20; James 1:15, Prov 14:12

Sexual sin has always been an issue of authority and identity. All sexual sin is against our own bodies and should be avoided. Sexual sins destroy our fellowship with God.

Key Takeaways:

• When someone says they were born that way, respond with compassion—all of us were born sinful.
• We don’t choose what tempts us, but we do choose how we respond to temptation.
• The solution for sexual sin is the same as for all sin: prioritize Jesus and be born again.
• Who or what you are sexually attracted to matters very little in the kingdom of God—how you respond to Christ does.
• Sin is never accepted; it is forgiven.
• Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? By no means.
• Same-sex attraction does not demand same-sex sin, just as heterosexual attraction does not demand heterosexual sin.
• You are not your sin; the only identity that matters is the one you find in Christ.

Passage: Psalm 111:10, Romans 1:19-28; Lev 18, 20; James 1:15, Prov 14:12

Sexual sin has always been an issue of authority and identity. All sexual sin is against our own bodies and should be avoided. Sexual sins destroy our fellowship with God.

Key Takeaways:

• Culture tells us to focus on self-gratification; God demands that we deny ourselves and choose Him.
• All sexual sin—heterosexual and homosexual—is against our own bodies and destroys fellowship with God.
• Scripture is clear; explaining it away is either denying the Word or refusing to live by it.
• Sexual sin leads to the destruction of society every time—no exceptions.
• Sin happens when we know God but deny Him and exchange His glory for the idolatry of self.
• You are not your own; you were bought at a price—honor God with your body.
• The Spirit will not indwell a temple that is decaying with sin.
• Repent and sin no more—put every boundary in place that keeps you from falling again.